diff --git a/bake b/bake
deleted file mode 100755
index 2f5b3a248..000000000
--- a/bake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,201 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# * bake
-# ** Usage
-
-set -e
-
-################################################################################
-usage() {
-    cat <<EOF
-bake - light-medium project scripting (new). See also: make, ./Shake.hs
-
-Commands:
-./bake              - show this help
-./bake relfiles     - symlink important files temporarily in .relfiles/
-./bake prep VERSION - prepare this release on today's date
-./bake bin          - push the current branch to CI to generate binaries
-./bake lastweek     - show last week info useful for TWIH
-
-prep does the following:
-- autocreates and switches to the appropriate release branch
-- updates all hledger package versions
-- updates all built-in docs
-- updates all changelogs
-VERSION is major (1.25), minor (1.25.1), fixup (1.25.1.1) or preview (1.25.99.1)
-(see RELEASING.md).
-
-Setting PAUSE=1, ECHO=1, and/or DRY=1 will cause commands to 
-be run one at a time, logged, or logged without running.
-EOF
-    exit
-}
-
-# ** hledger version numbers
-
-# First 0-2 parts of a dotted version number.
-versionMajorPart() {
-  echo "$1" | sed -E 's/([[:digit:]]+(\.[[:digit:]]+)?).*/\1/'  # seriously...
-}
-
-# Third part of a dotted version number, if any.
-versionMinorPart() {
-  echo "$1" | sed -E -e 's/^[[:digit:]]+(\.[[:digit:]]+(\.)?)?//' -e 's/^([[:digit:]]+).*/\1/'
-}
-
-# Fourth part of a dotted version number, if any.
-versionFourthPart() {
-  echo "$1" | sed -E -e 's/^[[:digit:]]+(\.[[:digit:]]+(\.[[:digit:]]+(\.)?))//' -e 's/^([[:digit:]]+).*/\1/'
-}
-
-# Does this dotted version number have a .99 third part and no fourth part ?
-versionIsDev() {
-  V="$1"
-  test "$(versionMinorPart "$V")" = 99 -a -z "$(versionFourthPart "$V")"
-}
-
-# Does this dotted version number have a .99 third part and a fourth part ?
-versionIsPreview() {
-  V="$1"
-  test "$(versionMinorPart "$V")" = 99 -a -n "$(versionFourthPart "$V")"
-}
-
-# Increment a major version number to the next.
-majorVersionIncrement() {
-  python3 -c "print($1 + 0.01)"
-}
-
-# Appropriate release branch name for the given version number.
-versionReleaseBranch() {
-  V="$1"
-  MAJOR=$(versionMajorPart "$V")
-  if versionIsDev "$V"; then
-    echo "$V is not a releasable version" >&2
-    exit 1
-  elif versionIsPreview "$V"; then
-    echo "$(majorVersionIncrement "$MAJOR")-branch"
-  else
-    echo "$MAJOR-branch"
-  fi
-}
-
-# ** git
-
-# Does the named branch exist in this git repo ?
-gitBranchExists() {
-  B="$1"
-  git branch -l "$B" | grep -q "$B"
-}
-
-# Switch to the named git branch, creating it if it doesn't exist.
-gitSwitchAutoCreate() {
-  B="$1"
-  if gitBranchExists "$B"; then
-    git switch "$B"
-  else
-    git switch -c "$B"
-  fi
-}
-
-# ** main
-
-# Run a command with optional logging ($ECHO), dry-running ($DRY) and pausing ($PAUSE).
-run() {
-    if [[ -n $PAUSE ]]; then read -rp "pausing, next is: $*"
-    elif [[ -n $ECHO || -n $DRY ]]; then echo "$@"
-    fi
-    if [[ -z $DRY ]]; then "$@"; fi
-}
-
-# Symlink important files temporarily in .relfiles/.
-relfiles() {
-  echo "linking important release files in .relfiles/ for convenient access..."
-  mkdir -p .relfiles
-  cd .relfiles
-  for f in \
-      ../stack.yaml \
-      ../Shake.hs \
-      ../CHANGELOGS.md \
-      ../RELEASING.md \
-      ../CHANGES.md \
-      ../hledger/CHANGES.md \
-      ../hledger-ui/CHANGES.md \
-      ../hledger-web/CHANGES.md \
-      ../hledger-lib/CHANGES.md \
-      ../site/src/release-notes.md \
-      ../site/src/install.md \
-      ../doc/ANNOUNCE \
-  ; do ln -sf $f .; done
-}
-
-# Create/switch to appropriate release branch and prepare for release.
-prep() {
-  VERSION="$1"
-  [[ -z "$VERSION" ]] && usage
-  BRANCH=$(versionReleaseBranch "$VERSION")
-  COMMIT="-c"
-  echo "Switching to $BRANCH, auto-creating it if needed..."
-  run gitSwitchAutoCreate "$BRANCH"
-  echo "Bumping all version strings to $VERSION ..."
-  run ./Shake setversion "$VERSION" $COMMIT
-  echo "Updating all command help texts for embedding..."
-  run ./Shake cmdhelp $COMMIT
-  echo "Updating all dates in man pages..."
-  run ./Shake mandates
-  echo "Generating all the manuals in all formats...."
-  run ./Shake manuals $COMMIT
-  echo "Updating CHANGES.md files with latest commits..."
-  run ./Shake changelogs $COMMIT
-}
-
-# Push the current branch to the CI branches that generate platform binaries.
-# Assumes the github remote is named "github".
-bin() {
-  run git push -f github HEAD:binaries
-}
-
-# Show last week info, useful for TWIH (sm's at least).
-lastweek() {
-  echo "hledger time last 7 days including today (this should be run on a Friday):"
-  tt bal hledger -DTS -b '6 days ago' --drop 2
-  echo
-  echo "By activity type, percentage:"
-  tt bal hledger -DTS -b '6 days ago' --pivot t -% -c 1% | tail +1
-  echo
-  echo "Time log details:"
-  tt print hledger -b '6 days ago' | grep -E '^[^ ]|hledger'
-  echo
-  echo "main repo:"
-  git log --format='%C(yellow)%cd %ad %Cred%h%Creset %s %Cgreen(%an)%Creset%C(bold blue)%d%Creset' --date=short --since="6 days ago" --reverse
-  echo
-  echo "site repo:"
-  git -C site log --format='%C(yellow)%cd %ad %Cred%h%Creset %s %Cgreen(%an)%Creset%C(bold blue)%d%Creset' --date=short --since="6 days ago" --reverse
-  echo
-  echo "finance repo:"
-  git -C finance log --format='%C(yellow)%cd %ad %Cred%h%Creset %s %Cgreen(%an)%Creset%C(bold blue)%d%Creset' --date=short --since="6 days ago" --reverse
-  echo
-}
-
-# Show a bunch of debug message strings.
-dbgstrs() {
-  rg --sort path -t hs 'dbg.*?(".*")' -r '$1' -o
-}
-
-# Extract Hledger.hs examples to jargon.j.
-jargon() {
-  rg '^ *> (.*)' -or '$1' hledger-lib/Hledger.hs > jargon.j
-}
-
-# Extract ledger/hledger/beancount commit stats to project-commits.j.
-# See also https://hledger.org/reporting-version-control-stats.html
-projectcommits() {
-  printf "account ledger\naccount hledger\naccount beancount\n\n" >project-commits.j
-  for p in ledger hledger beancount; do git -C ../$p log --format="%cd (%h) %s%n  ($p)  1%n" --date=short --reverse >> project-commits.j; done
-}
-
-if declare -f "$1" > /dev/null; then "$@"; else usage; fi
-
-# ** notes
-# *** rerunning 
-# **** creates empty doc update commits
-# **** creates duplicate changelog headings
-# ***** CHANGES.md's version "1.24.99.1" is not yet tagged, can't list changes
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 9803ba937..ba456001b 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # * project task scripts managed with https://github.com/casey/just.
-# This hopes to gradually replace Makefile and bake.
+# This aspires to gradually replace Makefile and bake.
 
 @help:
     just -lu
@@ -10,44 +10,148 @@
 @fmt:
     just -q check || just --fmt --unstable
 
-# ** hledger version numbers
+# ** releasing
+
+# Symlink/copy important files temporarily in .relfiles/.
+relfiles:
+  #!/usr/bin/env bash
+  echo "linking/copying important release files in .relfiles/ for convenient access..."
+  mkdir -p .relfiles
+  cd .relfiles
+  for f in \
+      ../stack.yaml \
+      ../Shake.hs \
+      ../hledger-install/hledger-install.sh \
+      ../CHANGES.md \
+      ../hledger/CHANGES.md \
+      ../hledger-ui/CHANGES.md \
+      ../hledger-web/CHANGES.md \
+      ../hledger-lib/CHANGES.md \
+      ../doc/github-release.md \
+      ../doc/ANNOUNCE \
+      ../doc/ANNOUNCE.masto \
+      ../site/src/release-notes.md \
+      ../site/src/install.md \
+  ; do ln -sf $f .; done
+  cp ../doc/RELEASING.md ./RELEASING2.md   # temp copy which can be edited without disruption
+
+# Prepare to release today, creating/switching to release branch, updating versions, manuals, changelogs etc.
+relprep VER:
+  #!/usr/bin/env bash
+  [[ -z {{VER}} ]] && usage
+  BRANCH=$(just _versionReleaseBranch {{VER}})
+  COMMIT="-c"
+  echo "Switching to $BRANCH, auto-creating it if needed..."
+  _gitSwitchAutoCreate "$BRANCH"
+  echo "Bumping all version strings to {{VER}} ..."
+  ./Shake setversion {{VER}} $COMMIT
+  echo "Updating all command help texts for embedding..."
+  ./Shake cmdhelp $COMMIT
+  echo "Updating all dates in man pages..."
+  ./Shake mandates
+  echo "Generating all the manuals in all formats...."
+  ./Shake manuals $COMMIT
+  echo "Updating CHANGES.md files with latest commits..."
+  ./Shake changelogs $COMMIT
+
+# Push the current branch to github to generate release binaries.
+@relbin:
+  # assumes the github remote is named "github"
+  git push -f github HEAD:binaries
+
+# *** hledger version numbers
+# See doc/RELEASING.md > Glossary.
 
 # First 0-2 parts of a dotted version number.
-@versionMajorPart VER:
-    echo {{ VER }} | sed -E 's/([[:digit:]]+(\.[[:digit:]]+)?).*/\1/'
+@_versionMajorPart VER:
+    echo {{ replace_regex(VER, '(\d+(\.\d+)?).*', '$1') }}
 
 # Third part of a dotted version number, if any.
-@versionMinorPart VER:
-    echo {{ VER }} | sed -E -e 's/^[[:digit:]]+(\.[[:digit:]]+(\.)?)?//' -e 's/^([[:digit:]]+).*/\1/'
+@_versionMinorPart VER:
+    echo {{ if VER =~ '\d+(\.\d+){2,}' { replace_regex(VER, '\d+\.\d+\.(\d+).*', '$1') } else { '' } }}
 
 # Fourth part of a dotted version number, if any.
-@versionFourthPart VER:
-    echo {{ VER }} | sed -E -e 's/^[[:digit:]]+(\.[[:digit:]]+(\.[[:digit:]]+(\.)?))//' -e 's/^([[:digit:]]+).*/\1/'
+@_versionFourthPart VER:
+    echo {{ if VER =~ '\d+(\.\d+){3,}' { replace_regex(VER, '\d+(\.\d+){2}\.(\d+).*', '$2') } else { '' } }}
 
 # Does this dotted version number have a .99 third part and no fourth part ?
-@versionIsDev VER:
-    V={{ VER }}
-    test "$(versionMinorPart "$V")" = 99 -a -z "$(versionFourthPart "$V")"
+@_versionIsDev VER:
+    echo {{ if VER =~ '(\d+\.){2}99$' { 'y' } else { '' } }}
 
 # Does this dotted version number have a .99 third part and a fourth part ?
-@versionIsPreview VER:
-    V={{ VER }}
-    test "$(versionMinorPart "$V")" = 99 -a -n "$(versionFourthPart "$V")"
+@_versionIsPreview VER:
+    echo {{ if VER =~ '(\d+\.){2}99\.\d+' { 'y' } else { '' } }}
 
 # Increment a major version number to the next.
-@majorVersionIncrement VER:
-    python3 -c "print($1 + 0.01)"
+# @majorVersionIncrement MAJORVER:
+#     python3 -c "print({{MAJORVER}} + 0.01)"
 
 # Appropriate release branch name for the given version number.
-@versionReleaseBranch VER:
-    #!/bin/bash
-    V={{ VER }}
-    MAJOR=$(versionMajorPart "$V")
-    if versionIsDev "$V"; then
-      echo "$V is not a releasable version" >&2
+_versionReleaseBranch VER:
+    #!/usr/bin/env bash
+    MAJOR=$(just _versionMajorPart {{ VER }})
+    if [[ $(just _versionIsDev {{VER}}) == y ]] then
+      echo "{{VER}} is not a releasable version" >&2
+      exit 1
+    elif [[ $(just _versionIsPreview {{VER}}) == y ]] then
+      # echo "$(just majorVersionIncrement "$MAJOR")-branch"
+      echo "{{VER}} is not a releasable version" >&2
       exit 1
-    elif versionIsPreview "$V"; then
-      echo "$(majorVersionIncrement "$MAJOR")-branch"
     else
       echo "$MAJOR-branch"
     fi
+
+# *** git
+
+# Does the named branch exist in this git repo ?
+@_gitBranchExists BRANCH:
+  git branch -l {{BRANCH}} | grep -q {{BRANCH}}
+
+# Switch to the named git branch, creating it if it doesn't exist.
+_gitSwitchAutoCreate BRANCH:
+  #!/usr/bin/env bash
+  if just _gitBranchExists {{BRANCH}}; then
+    git switch {{BRANCH}}
+  else
+    git switch -c {{BRANCH}}
+  fi
+
+# ** misc
+
+# Show last week's activity, for TWIH
+@lastweek:
+  echo "hledger time last 7 days including today (this should be run on a Friday):"
+  tt bal hledger -DTS -b '6 days ago' --drop 2
+  echo
+  echo "By activity type, percentage:"
+  tt bal hledger -DTS -b '6 days ago' --pivot t -% -c 1% | tail +1
+  echo
+  echo "Time log details:"
+  tt print hledger -b '6 days ago' | grep -E '^[^ ]|hledger'
+  echo
+  echo "main repo:"
+  git log --format='%C(yellow)%cd %ad %Cred%h%Creset %s %Cgreen(%an)%Creset%C(bold blue)%d%Creset' --date=short --since="6 days ago" --reverse
+  echo
+  echo "site repo:"
+  git -C site log --format='%C(yellow)%cd %ad %Cred%h%Creset %s %Cgreen(%an)%Creset%C(bold blue)%d%Creset' --date=short --since="6 days ago" --reverse
+  echo
+  echo "finance repo:"
+  git -C finance log --format='%C(yellow)%cd %ad %Cred%h%Creset %s %Cgreen(%an)%Creset%C(bold blue)%d%Creset' --date=short --since="6 days ago" --reverse
+  echo
+
+# Show a bunch of debug messages.
+@_dbgmsgs:
+  rg --sort path -t hs 'dbg.*?(".*")' -r '$1' -o
+
+# # Extract Hledger.hs examples to jargon.j.
+# @_jargon:
+#   rg '^ *> (.*)' -or '$1' hledger-lib/Hledger.hs > jargon.j
+#   echo "wrote jargon.j"
+
+# Extract ledger/hledger/beancount commit stats to project-commits.j.
+# See also https://hledger.org/reporting-version-control-stats.html
+@_projectcommits:
+  printf "account ledger\naccount hledger\naccount beancount\n\n" >project-commits.j
+  for p in ledger hledger beancount; do git -C ../$p log --format="%cd (%h) %s%n  ($p)  1%n" --date=short --reverse >> project-commits.j; done
+  echo "wrote project-commits.j"
+