diff --git a/src/cmd/pr.cpp b/src/cmd/pr.cpp
index 37108f0..93bb1a2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/pr.cpp
+++ b/src/cmd/pr.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ clipp::group pr_command::do_group()
 int pr_command::do_run()
 {
 	if (github_token_.empty())
-		github_token_ = conf::global_by_name("github_key");
+		github_token_ = conf().global().get("github_key");
 
 	if (op_ == "pull")
 		return pull();
diff --git a/src/core/conf.cpp b/src/core/conf.cpp
index 305d7c8..9d4a715 100644
--- a/src/core/conf.cpp
+++ b/src/core/conf.cpp
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ bool try_qt_location(fs::path& check)
 
 fs::path find_qt()
 {
-	fs::path p = conf::path_by_name("qt_install");
+	fs::path p = conf().paths().qt_install();
 
 	if (!p.empty())
 	{
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@ void make_canonical_path(
 	std::string_view key,
 	const fs::path& default_parent, std::string_view default_dir)
 {
-	fs::path p = conf::path_by_name(key);
+	fs::path p = conf().paths().get(key);
 
 	if (p.empty())
 	{
@@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@ void init_options(
 	find_vcvars();
 	validate_qt();
 
-	this_env::append_to_path(conf::path_by_name("qt_bin"));
+	this_env::append_to_path(conf().paths().get("qt_bin"));
 
 	if (!conf().paths().prefix().empty())
 		make_canonical_path("prefix", ini_prefix.empty() ? fs::current_path() : ini_prefix.parent_path(), "");
diff --git a/src/core/conf.h b/src/core/conf.h
index 3453879..daf961b 100644
--- a/src/core/conf.h
+++ b/src/core/conf.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace mob
 {
 
+class conf_section;
 class conf_global;
 class conf_prebuilt;
 class conf_transifex;
@@ -10,6 +11,13 @@ class conf_paths;
 
 class conf
 {
+	// temp
+	friend class conf_section;
+	friend class conf_global;
+	friend class conf_prebuilt;
+	friend class conf_transifex;
+	friend class conf_paths;
+
 public:
 	conf_global global();
 	conf_transifex transifex();
@@ -23,7 +31,6 @@ public:
 	static bool bool_task_option_by_name(
 		const std::vector<std::string>& task_names, std::string_view name);
 
-	static fs::path path_by_name(std::string_view name);
 	static std::string version_by_name(std::string_view name);
 	static fs::path tool_by_name(std::string_view name);
 
@@ -53,34 +60,27 @@ public:
 	static std::vector<std::string> format_options();
 
 	// only in conf.cpp
-
 	static std::string get_global(
 		std::string_view section, std::string_view key);
 
-	static int get_global_int(
-		std::string_view section, std::string_view key);
-
 	static bool get_global_bool(
 		std::string_view section, std::string_view key);
 
-	static void add_global(
-		std::string_view section,
-		std::string_view key, std::string_view value);
-
-	static std::string get_for_task(
-		const std::vector<std::string>& task_names,
+	static int get_global_int(
 		std::string_view section, std::string_view key);
 
-	static void set_for_task(
-		std::string_view task_name, std::string_view section,
-		std::string_view key, std::string_view value);
-
 	static void set_global(
 		std::string_view section,
 		std::string_view key, std::string_view value);
 
-	static std::string global_by_name(std::string_view name);
-	static bool bool_global_by_name(std::string_view name);
+	static void add_global(
+		std::string_view section,
+		std::string_view key, std::string_view value);
+
+	static void set_for_task(
+		std::string_view task_name, std::string_view section,
+		std::string_view key, std::string_view value);
+
 
 private:
 	using key_value_map = std::map<std::string, std::string, std::less<>>;
@@ -97,6 +97,17 @@ private:
 	static std::optional<std::string> find_for_task(
 		std::string_view task_name,
 		std::string_view section, std::string_view key);
+
+
+	// temp
+	static fs::path path_by_name(std::string_view name);
+
+	static std::string get_for_task(
+		const std::vector<std::string>& task_names,
+		std::string_view section, std::string_view key);
+
+	static std::string global_by_name(std::string_view name);
+	static bool bool_global_by_name(std::string_view name);
 };
 
 
@@ -121,22 +132,22 @@ fs::path make_temp_file();
 class conf_section
 {
 public:
-	std::string get(std::string_view key)
+	std::string get(std::string_view key) const
 	{
 		return conf::get_global(name_, key);
 	}
 
 	template <class T>
-	T get(std::string_view key);
+	T get(std::string_view key) const;
 
 	template <>
-	bool get<bool>(std::string_view key)
+	bool get<bool>(std::string_view key) const
 	{
 		return conf::get_global_bool(name_, key);
 	}
 
 	template <>
-	int get<int>(std::string_view key)
+	int get<int>(std::string_view key) const
 	{
 		return conf::get_global_int(name_, key);
 	}
@@ -187,7 +198,7 @@ public:
 	conf_paths();
 
 #define VALUE(NAME) \
-	static fs::path NAME() { return conf::path_by_name(#NAME); }
+	fs::path NAME() const { return get(#NAME); }
 
 	VALUE(third_party);
 	VALUE(prefix);
@@ -210,6 +221,10 @@ public:
 	VALUE(install_pythoncore);
 	VALUE(install_translations);
 
+	VALUE(vs);
+	VALUE(qt_install);
+	VALUE(qt_bin);
+
 	VALUE(pf_x86);
 	VALUE(pf_x64);
 	VALUE(temp_dir);
diff --git a/src/tools/tools.cpp b/src/tools/tools.cpp
index 2fb5200..ae1dfd9 100644
--- a/src/tools/tools.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/tools.cpp
@@ -83,12 +83,12 @@ fs::path nasm::binary()
 
 fs::path qt::installation_path()
 {
-	return conf::path_by_name("qt_install");
+	return conf().paths().qt_install();
 }
 
 fs::path qt::bin_path()
 {
-	return conf::path_by_name("qt_bin");
+	return conf().paths().get("qt_bin");
 }
 
 std::string qt::version()
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ fs::path vs::devenv_binary()
 
 fs::path vs::installation_path()
 {
-	return conf::path_by_name("vs");
+	return conf().paths().get("vs");
 }
 
 fs::path vs::vswhere()