diff --git a/.vimrc b/.vimrc
index 2869769..ef17d6f 100644
--- a/.vimrc
+++ b/.vimrc
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ call vundle#begin()
   Plugin 'ervandew/supertab'        " makes tab better apparently
   Plugin 'scrooloose/nerdcommenter' " no idea if I'm even using this
   Plugin 'Align'                    " aligns things on demand
-  Plugin 'tomtom/tlib_vim'          " dependency of flashdevelop
-  Plugin 'endel/flashdevelop.vim'   " this is probably old now
   Plugin 'ctrlpvim/ctrlp.vim'       " don't actually know how to use this honestly
   Plugin 'itchyny/lightline.vim'    " fancy status line
   Plugin 'heavenshell/vim-jsdoc'    " js docs?
diff --git a/prefs/linker.py b/prefs/linker.py
index 19b9435..5f06261 100644
--- a/prefs/linker.py
+++ b/prefs/linker.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import pathlib
+import shutil
+import os
 
 from . import host
 
@@ -17,11 +19,34 @@ class Linker:
             target_path = self.target_root / target_path
 
         if not target_path.parent.exists():
-            print("creating missing parent directories for target")
+            print(f"mkdir -p {target_path.parent}")
             parent_dir = target_path.parent
             parent_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
 
-        print(f"{source_path} -> {target_path}")
+        exists = os.path.exists(str(target_path))
+        is_link = os.path.islink(str(target_path))
+        if target_path.exists():
+            if target_path.is_symlink():
+                if target_path.resolve() == source_path:
+                    return
+                print(f"rm {target_path} (symlink)")
+                target_path.unlink()
+            elif target_path.is_file():
+                print(f"rm {target_path} (file)")
+                target_path.unlink()
+            elif target_path.is_dir():
+                print(f"rm {target_path} (dir)")
+                shutil.rmtree(target_path)
+            else:
+                print(f"skip {source_path}: unable to handle target at {target_path}: is not a symlink, file, or directory")
+                return
+        else:
+            if target_path.is_symlink():
+                print(f"rm {target_path} (broken symlink)")
+                target_path.unlink()
+
+        target_path.symlink_to(source_path)
+        print(f"link {target_path} -> {source_path}")
 
 class LinkFiles:
     resource_name = 'link-files'