diff --git a/plugins/deb/deb.plugin.zsh b/plugins/deb/deb.plugin.zsh
deleted file mode 100644
index 1b35a0646..000000000
--- a/plugins/deb/deb.plugin.zsh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-# Aliases
-alias as="aptitude -F \"* %p -> %d \n(%v/%V)\" \
-		--no-gui --disable-columns search"	# search package
-alias ad="sudo apt-get update"				# update packages lists
-alias au="sudo apt-get update && \
-		sudo apt-get dselect-upgrade"		# upgrade packages
-alias ai="sudo apt-get install"				# install package
-alias ar="sudo apt-get remove --purge && \
-		sudo apt-get autoremove --purge"	# remove package
-alias ap="apt-cache policy"				# apt policy
-alias av="apt-cache show"				# show package info
-alias acs="apt-cache search"                            # search package
-alias ac="sudo apt-get clean && sudo apt-get autoclean" # clean apt cache
diff --git a/plugins/debian/debian.plugin.zsh b/plugins/debian/debian.plugin.zsh
index f8865a412..09771881d 100644
--- a/plugins/debian/debian.plugin.zsh
+++ b/plugins/debian/debian.plugin.zsh
@@ -1,53 +1,143 @@
-# https://github.com/dbbolton/
+# Authors:
+# https://github.com/AlexBio
+# https://github.com/dbb
 #
 # Debian-related zsh aliases and functions for zsh
 
+# Use aptitude if installed, or apt-get if not.
+# You can just set apt_pref='apt-get' to override it.
+if [[ -e $( which aptitude ) ]]; then
+    apt_pref='aptitude'
+else
+    apt_pref='apt-get'
+fi
+
+# Use sudo by default if it's installed
+if [[ -e $( which sudo ) ]]; then
+    use_sudo=1
+fi
 
 # Aliases ###################################################################
+# These are for more obscure uses of apt-get and aptitude that aren't covered
+# below.
+alias ag='apt-get'
+alias at='aptitude'
 
 # Some self-explanatory aliases
-alias afs='apt-file search --regexp'
+alias acs="apt-cache search"
 alias aps='aptitude search'
-alias apsrc='apt-get source'
-alias apv='apt-cache policy'
+alias as="aptitude -F \"* %p -> %d \n(%v/%V)\" \
+		--no-gui --disable-columns search"	# search package
 
-alias apdg='su -c "aptitude update && aptitude safe-upgrade"'
-alias apud='su -c "aptitude update"'
-alias apug='su -c "aptitude safe-upgrade"'
+# apt-file
+alias afs='apt-file search --regexp'
 
+
+# These are apt-get only
+alias asrc='apt-get source'
+alias ap='apt-cache policy'
+
+# superuser operations ######################################################
+if [[ $use_sudo -eq 1 ]]; then
+# commands using sudo #######
+    alias aac="sudo $apt_pref autoclean"
+    alias abd="sudo $apt_pref build-dep"
+    alias ac="sudo $apt_pref clean"
+    alias ad="sudo $apt_pref update"
+    alias adg="sudo $apt_pref update && sudo $apt_pref upgrade"
+    alias adu="sudo $apt_pref update && sudo $apt_pref dist-upgrade"
+    alias afu='sudo apt-file update'
+    alias ag="sudo $apt_pref upgrade"
+    alias ai="sudo $apt_pref install"
+    alias ap="sudo $apt_pref purge"
+    alias ar="sudo $apt_pref remove"
+
+    # apt-get only
+    alias ads="sudo $apt_pref dselect-upgrade"
+    
+    # Install all .deb files in the current directory.
+    # Warning: you will need to put the glob in single quotes if you use:
+    # glob_subst
+    alias di='sudo dpkg -i ./*.deb'
+
+    # Remove ALL kernel images and headers EXCEPT the one in use
+    alias kclean='sudo aptitude remove -P ?and(~i~nlinux-(ima|hea) \
+        ?not(~n`uname -r`))'
+
+
+# commands using su #########
+else
+    alias aac='su -ls "'"$apt_pref"' autoclean" root'
+    abd() {
+        cmd="su -lc '$apt_pref build-dep $@' root"
+        print "$cmd"
+        eval "$cmd"
+    }
+    alias ac='su -ls "'"$apt_pref"' clean" root'
+    alias ad='su -lc "'"$apt_pref"' update" root'
+    alias adg='su -lc "'"$apt_pref"' update && aptitude safe-upgrade" root'
+    alias adu='su -lc "'"$apt_pref"' update && aptitude dist-upgrade" root'
+    alias afu='su -lc "apt-file update"'
+    alias ag='su -lc "'"$apt_pref"' safe-upgrade" root'
+    ai() {
+        cmd="su -lc 'aptitude -P install $@' root"
+        print "$cmd"
+        eval "$cmd"
+    }
+    ap() {
+        cmd="su -lc '$apt_pref -P purge $@' root"
+        print "$cmd"
+        eval "$cmd"
+    }
+    ar() {
+        cmd="su -lc '$apt_pref -P remove $@' root"
+        print "$cmd"
+        eval "$cmd"
+    }
+
+    # Install all .deb files in the current directory
+    # Assumes glob_subst is off
+    alias di='su -lc "dpkg -i ./*.deb" root'
+
+    # Remove ALL kernel images and headers EXCEPT the one in use
+    alias kclean='su -lc '\''aptitude remove -P ?and(~i~nlinux-(ima|hea) \
+        ?not(~n`uname -r`))'\'' root'
+fi
+
+
+# Misc. #####################################################################
 # print all installed packages
 alias allpkgs='aptitude search -F "%p" --disable-columns ~i'
 
-# Install all .deb files in the current directory.
-# Warning: you will need to put the glob in single quotes if you use:
-# glob_subst
-alias di='su -c "dpkg -i ./*.deb"'
-
 # Create a basic .deb package
 alias mydeb='time dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -us -uc'
 
-# Remove ALL kernel images and headers EXCEPT the one in use
-alias kclean='su -c '\''aptitude remove -P ?and(~i~nlinux-(ima|hea) ?not(~n`uname -r`))'\'' root'
+
 
 
 
 # Functions #################################################################
-
 # create a simple script that can be used to 'duplicate' a system
 apt-copy() {
-	print '#!/bin/sh'"\n" > apt-copy.sh
+    print '#!/bin/sh'"\n" > apt-copy.sh
 
-	list=$(perl -m'AptPkg::Cache' -e '$c=AptPkg::Cache->new; for (keys %$c){ push @a, $_ if $c->{$_}->{'CurrentState'} eq 'Installed';} print "$_ " for sort @a;')
+    cmd="$apt_pref install "
 
-	print 'aptitude install '"$list\n" >> apt-copy.sh
+    for p in ${(f)"$(aptitude search -F "%p" --disable-columns \~i)"}; {
+        cmd="${cmd} ${p}"
+    }
 
-	chmod +x apt-copy.sh
+    print $cmd "\n" >> apt-copy.sh
+
+    chmod +x apt-copy.sh
 }
 
 
 # Kernel-package building shortcut
-dbb-build () {
-	MAKEFLAGS=''		# temporarily unset MAKEFLAGS ( '-j3' will fail )
+kerndeb () {
+    # temporarily unset MAKEFLAGS ( '-j3' will fail )
+    MAKEFLAGS=$( print - $MAKEFLAGS | perl -pe 's/-j\s*[\d]+//g' )		
+    print '$MAKEFLAGS set to '"'$MAKEFLAGS'"
 	appendage='-custom' # this shows up in $ (uname -r )
     revision=$(date +"%Y%m%d") # this shows up in the .deb file name
 
@@ -57,4 +147,3 @@ dbb-build () {
         "$revision" kernel_image kernel_headers
 }
 
-
diff --git a/plugins/github/github.plugin.zsh b/plugins/github/github.plugin.zsh
index b50ac4d85..9b0d54602 100644
--- a/plugins/github/github.plugin.zsh
+++ b/plugins/github/github.plugin.zsh
@@ -3,3 +3,58 @@ if [ "$commands[(I)hub]" ] && [ "$commands[(I)ruby]" ]; then
     # eval `hub alias -s zsh`
     function git(){hub "$@"}
 fi
+
+# Functions #################################################################
+
+# https://github.com/dbb 
+
+
+# empty_gh [NAME_OF_REPO]
+#
+# Use this when creating a new repo from scratch.
+empty_gh() { # [NAME_OF_REPO]
+    repo = $1
+    ghuser=$(  git config github.user )
+
+    mkdir "$repo"
+    cd "$repo"
+    git init
+    touch README
+    git add README
+    git commit -m 'Initial commit.'
+    git remote add origin git@github.com:${ghuser}/${repo}.git
+    git push -u origin master
+}
+
+# new_gh [DIRECTORY]
+#
+# Use this when you have a directory that is not yet set up for git.
+# This function will add all non-hidden files to git.
+new_gh() { # [DIRECTORY]
+    cd "$1"
+    ghuser=$( git config github.user )
+
+    git init
+    # add all non-dot files
+    print '.*'"\n"'*~' >> .gitignore
+    git add ^.*
+    git commit -m 'Initial commit.'
+    git remote add origin git@github.com:${ghuser}/${repo}.git
+    git push -u origin master
+}
+
+# exist_gh [DIRECTORY]
+#
+# Use this when you have a git repo that's ready to go and you want to add it
+# to your GitHub.
+exist_gh() { # [DIRECTORY]
+    cd "$1"
+    name=$( git config user.name )
+    ghuser=$( git config github.user )
+
+    git remote add origin git@github.com:${ghuser}/${repo}.git
+    git push -u origin master
+}
+
+# End Functions #############################################################
+