diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/aux/statusbar.c b/sys/src/cmd/aux/statusbar.c
index ea5c16ee7..1a6af95bb 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/aux/statusbar.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/aux/statusbar.c
@@ -4,11 +4,7 @@
 #include <bio.h>
 #include <event.h>
 
-enum {PNCTL=3};
-
-static char* rdenv(char*);
 int newwin(char*);
-Rectangle screenrect(void);
 
 int nokill;
 int textmode;
@@ -156,7 +152,7 @@ bar(Biobuf *b)
 		d = strtoll(f[1], 0, 0);
 		drawbar();
 	}
-	postnote(PNCTL, child, "kill");
+	postnote(PNPROC, child, "kill");
 }
 
 
@@ -215,143 +211,31 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	exits(0);
 }
 
-
-/* all code below this line should be in the library, but is stolen from colors instead */
-static char*
-rdenv(char *name)
-{
-	char *v;
-	int fd, size;
-
-	fd = open(name, OREAD);
-	if(fd < 0)
-		return 0;
-	size = seek(fd, 0, 2);
-	v = malloc(size+1);
-	if(v == 0){
-		fprint(2, "%s: can't malloc: %r\n", argv0);
-		exits("no mem");
-	}
-	seek(fd, 0, 0);
-	read(fd, v, size);
-	v[size] = 0;
-	close(fd);
-	return v;
-}
-
 int
 newwin(char *win)
 {
-	char *srv, *mntsrv;
 	char spec[100];
-	int srvfd, cons, pid;
+	int cons;
 
-	switch(rfork(RFFDG|RFPROC|RFNAMEG|RFENVG|RFNOTEG|RFNOWAIT)){
-	case -1:
-		fprint(2, "statusbar: can't fork: %r\n");
-		return -1;
-	case 0:
-		break;
-	default:
-		exits(0);
+	if(win != nil){
+		snprint(spec, sizeof(spec), "-r %s", win);
+		win = spec;
 	}
-
-	srv = rdenv("/env/wsys");
-	if(srv == 0){
-		mntsrv = rdenv("/mnt/term/env/wsys");
-		if(mntsrv == 0){
-			fprint(2, "statusbar: can't find $wsys\n");
-			return -1;
-		}
-		srv = malloc(strlen(mntsrv)+10);
-		sprint(srv, "/mnt/term%s", mntsrv);
-		free(mntsrv);
-		pid  = 0;			/* can't send notes to remote processes! */
-	}else
-		pid = getpid();
-	USED(pid);
-	srvfd = open(srv, ORDWR);
-	free(srv);
-	if(srvfd == -1){
-		fprint(2, "statusbar: can't open %s: %r\n", srv);
+	if(newwindow(win) < 0){
+		fprint(2, "%s: newwindow: %r", argv0);
 		return -1;
 	}
-	sprint(spec, "new -r %s", win);
-	if(mount(srvfd, -1, "/mnt/wsys", 0, spec) == -1){
-		fprint(2, "statusbar: can't mount /mnt/wsys: %r (spec=%s)\n", spec);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	close(srvfd);
-	unmount("/mnt/acme", "/dev");
-	bind("/mnt/wsys", "/dev", MBEFORE);
-	cons = open("/dev/cons", OREAD);
-	if(cons==-1){
+	if((cons = open("/dev/cons", OREAD)) < 0){
 	NoCons:
-		fprint(2, "statusbar: can't open /dev/cons: %r");
+		fprint(2, "%s: can't open /dev/cons: %r", argv0);
 		return -1;
 	}
 	dup(cons, 0);
 	close(cons);
-	cons = open("/dev/cons", OWRITE);
-	if(cons==-1)
+	if((cons = open("/dev/cons", OWRITE)) < 0)
 		goto NoCons;
 	dup(cons, 1);
 	dup(cons, 2);
 	close(cons);
-//	wctlfd = open("/dev/wctl", OWRITE);
-	return 0;
-}
-
-Rectangle
-screenrect(void)
-{
-	int fd;
-	char buf[12*5];
-
-	fd = open("/dev/screen", OREAD);
-	if(fd == -1)
-		fd=open("/mnt/term/dev/screen", OREAD);
-	if(fd == -1){
-		fprint(2, "%s: can't open /dev/screen: %r\n", argv0);
-		exits("window read");
-	}
-	if(read(fd, buf, sizeof buf) != sizeof buf){
-		fprint(2, "%s: can't read /dev/screen: %r\n", argv0);
-		exits("screen read");
-	}
-	close(fd);
-	return Rect(atoi(buf+12), atoi(buf+24), atoi(buf+36), atoi(buf+48));
-}
-
-int
-postnote(int group, int pid, char *note)
-{
-	char file[128];
-	int f, r;
-
-	switch(group) {
-	case PNPROC:
-		sprint(file, "/proc/%d/note", pid);
-		break;
-	case PNGROUP:
-		sprint(file, "/proc/%d/notepg", pid);
-		break;
-	case PNCTL:
-		sprint(file, "/proc/%d/ctl", pid);
-		break;
-	default:
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	f = open(file, OWRITE);
-	if(f < 0)
-		return -1;
-
-	r = strlen(note);
-	if(write(f, note, r) != r) {
-		close(f);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	close(f);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/aux/statusmsg.c b/sys/src/cmd/aux/statusmsg.c
index 23e6b47a9..d98446d89 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/aux/statusmsg.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/aux/statusmsg.c
@@ -4,11 +4,7 @@
 #include <bio.h>
 #include <event.h>
 
-enum {PNCTL=3};
-
-static char* rdenv(char*);
 int newwin(char*);
-Rectangle screenrect(void);
 
 int nokill;
 int textmode;
@@ -95,7 +91,7 @@ msg(Biobuf *b)
 	}
 	if(textmode)
 		write(1, "\n", 1);
-	postnote(PNCTL, child, "kill");
+	postnote(PNPROC, child, "kill");
 }
 
 
@@ -157,142 +153,31 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	exits(0);
 }
 
-
-/* all code below this line should be in the library, but is stolen from colors instead */
-static char*
-rdenv(char *name)
-{
-	char *v;
-	int fd, size;
-
-	fd = open(name, OREAD);
-	if(fd < 0)
-		return 0;
-	size = seek(fd, 0, 2);
-	v = malloc(size+1);
-	if(v == 0){
-		fprint(2, "%s: can't malloc: %r\n", argv0);
-		exits("no mem");
-	}
-	seek(fd, 0, 0);
-	read(fd, v, size);
-	v[size] = 0;
-	close(fd);
-	return v;
-}
-
 int
 newwin(char *win)
 {
-	char *srv, *mntsrv;
 	char spec[100];
-	int srvfd, cons, pid;
+	int cons;
 
-	switch(rfork(RFFDG|RFPROC|RFNAMEG|RFENVG|RFNOTEG|RFNOWAIT)){
-	case -1:
-		fprint(2, "%s: can't fork: %r\n", argv0);
-		return -1;
-	case 0:
-		break;
-	default:
-		exits(0);
+	if(win != nil){
+		snprint(spec, sizeof(spec), "-r %s", win);
+		win = spec;
 	}
-
-	srv = rdenv("/env/wsys");
-	if(srv == 0){
-		mntsrv = rdenv("/mnt/term/env/wsys");
-		if(mntsrv == 0){
-			fprint(2, "%s: can't find $wsys\n", argv0);
-			return -1;
-		}
-		srv = malloc(strlen(mntsrv)+10);
-		sprint(srv, "/mnt/term%s", mntsrv);
-		free(mntsrv);
-		pid  = 0;			/* can't send notes to remote processes! */
-	}else
-		pid = getpid();
-	USED(pid);
-	srvfd = open(srv, ORDWR);
-	free(srv);
-	if(srvfd == -1){
-		fprint(2, "%s: can't open %s: %r\n", argv0, srv);
+	if(newwindow(win) < 0){
+		fprint(2, "%s: newwindow: %r", argv0);
 		return -1;
 	}
-	sprint(spec, "new -r %s", win);
-	if(mount(srvfd, -1, "/mnt/wsys", 0, spec) == -1){
-		fprint(2, "%s: can't mount /mnt/wsys: %r (spec=%s)\n", argv0, spec);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	close(srvfd);
-	unmount("/mnt/acme", "/dev");
-	bind("/mnt/wsys", "/dev", MBEFORE);
-	cons = open("/dev/cons", OREAD);
-	if(cons==-1){
+	if((cons = open("/dev/cons", OREAD)) < 0){
 	NoCons:
 		fprint(2, "%s: can't open /dev/cons: %r", argv0);
 		return -1;
 	}
 	dup(cons, 0);
 	close(cons);
-	cons = open("/dev/cons", OWRITE);
-	if(cons==-1)
+	if((cons = open("/dev/cons", OWRITE)) < 0)
 		goto NoCons;
 	dup(cons, 1);
 	dup(cons, 2);
 	close(cons);
 	return 0;
 }
-
-Rectangle
-screenrect(void)
-{
-	int fd;
-	char buf[12*5];
-
-	fd = open("/dev/screen", OREAD);
-	if(fd == -1)
-		fd=open("/mnt/term/dev/screen", OREAD);
-	if(fd == -1){
-		fprint(2, "%s: can't open /dev/screen: %r\n", argv0);
-		exits("window read");
-	}
-	if(read(fd, buf, sizeof buf) != sizeof buf){
-		fprint(2, "%s: can't read /dev/screen: %r\n", argv0);
-		exits("screen read");
-	}
-	close(fd);
-	return Rect(atoi(buf+12), atoi(buf+24), atoi(buf+36), atoi(buf+48));
-}
-
-int
-postnote(int group, int pid, char *note)
-{
-	char file[128];
-	int f, r;
-
-	switch(group) {
-	case PNPROC:
-		sprint(file, "/proc/%d/note", pid);
-		break;
-	case PNGROUP:
-		sprint(file, "/proc/%d/notepg", pid);
-		break;
-	case PNCTL:
-		sprint(file, "/proc/%d/ctl", pid);
-		break;
-	default:
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	f = open(file, OWRITE);
-	if(f < 0)
-		return -1;
-
-	r = strlen(note);
-	if(write(f, note, r) != r) {
-		close(f);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	close(f);
-	return 0;
-}