diff --git a/prefs/cargo.py b/prefs/cargo.py
index 903b1fe..01a6c0f 100644
--- a/prefs/cargo.py
+++ b/prefs/cargo.py
@@ -2,15 +2,16 @@ import subprocess
 import shutil
 import re
 
+
 class CargoInstall:
-    resource_name = 'cargo-install'
+    resource_name = "cargo-install"
 
     def __init__(self, label, section):
         self.label = label or None
-        self.parse_crates(section.get('crates', ''))
+        self.parse_crates(section.get("crates", ""))
 
     def run(self):
-        if shutil.which('cargo') is None:
+        if shutil.which("cargo") is None:
             print(f"SKIP [cargo-install {self.label}]: cargo not found")
             return
 
@@ -19,7 +20,8 @@ class CargoInstall:
             cmd = ["cargo", "install"]
             cmd.extend(list(missing))
             with subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE) as proc:
-                print(proc.stdout.read())
+                if proc.stdout:
+                    print(proc.stdout.read())
 
     def parse_crates(self, text):
         self.crates = set()
@@ -39,7 +41,7 @@ class CargoInstall:
                 # line is empty
                 continue
             line = line.decode("utf-8")
-            if re.match(r'^\s', line):
+            if re.match(r"^\s", line):
                 # line starts with whitespace
                 continue
             try:
diff --git a/prefs/git.py b/prefs/git.py
index 8cd86c9..f0df42c 100644
--- a/prefs/git.py
+++ b/prefs/git.py
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
-from . import log
+from .log import log
+
 
 class Repo:
-    resource_name = 'git'
+    resource_name = "git"
 
     def __init__(self, label, section):
         self.label = label or None
-        self.repo = section['repo']
-        self.target = Path(section['target']).expanduser()
+        self.repo = section["repo"]
+        self.target = Path(section["target"]).expanduser()
 
     def run(self):
         if self.target.exists():
diff --git a/prefs/home.py b/prefs/home.py
index bd80805..d5ab013 100644
--- a/prefs/home.py
+++ b/prefs/home.py
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
-from . import host
+from .host import host
 from .linker import Linker
 
+
 class Home:
-    resource_name = 'home'
+    resource_name = "home"
 
     def __init__(self, label, section):
         self.label = label or None
-        self.parse_files(section.get('files', ''))
+        self.parse_files(section.get("files", ""))
 
     def parse_files(self, text):
         self.files = []
@@ -21,8 +22,8 @@ class Home:
 
     def __repr__(self):
         if self.label:
-            return f'<Home: {self.label}>'
-        return '<Home>'
+            return f"<Home: {self.label}>"
+        return "<Home>"
 
     def run(self):
         linker = Linker(host.dotfiles_root, host.home)
diff --git a/prefs/host.py b/prefs/host.py
index 65915d0..4151c79 100644
--- a/prefs/host.py
+++ b/prefs/host.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ running. On WSL, that means we're on Linux
 import ctypes
 import os
 import platform
-import sys
 import pathlib
 import shutil
 from functools import cached_property
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ class Host:
         try:
             return os.getuid() == 0
         except AttributeError:
-            return ctypes.windll.shell32.IsUserAnAdmin() != 0
+            return ctypes.windll.shell32.IsUserAnAdmin() != 0  # type: ignore
 
     @property
     def dotfiles_root(self):
@@ -83,4 +82,4 @@ class Host:
         return shutil.which(cmd) is not None
 
 
-sys.modules[__name__] = Host()
+host = Host()
diff --git a/prefs/installer.py b/prefs/installer.py
index 34e0876..e830e2d 100644
--- a/prefs/installer.py
+++ b/prefs/installer.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class Installer:
 
     def when(self, section: SectionProxy) -> bool:
         if clause := section.get("when", None):
-            from . import host
+            from .host import host
 
             given_locals = {
                 "host": host,
diff --git a/prefs/linker.py b/prefs/linker.py
index 4a512c7..9736d22 100644
--- a/prefs/linker.py
+++ b/prefs/linker.py
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import pathlib
 import shutil
-import os
 
-from . import host
+from .host import host
 
 
 class Linker:
diff --git a/prefs/log.py b/prefs/log.py
index 7db668b..7b5e85a 100644
--- a/prefs/log.py
+++ b/prefs/log.py
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ a logging object
 """
 
 import logging
-import sys
+
 
 class Log:
     def __init__(self):
-        logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO, format='')
+        logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO, format="")
         self._target = logging.getLogger()
 
     def __getattr__(self, name):
@@ -16,4 +16,5 @@ class Log:
     def __dir__(self):
         return dir(self._target)
 
-sys.modules[__name__] = Log()
+
+log = Log()
diff --git a/prefs/options.py b/prefs/options.py
index 7ef9e70..0f03aaf 100644
--- a/prefs/options.py
+++ b/prefs/options.py
@@ -6,13 +6,15 @@ import argparse
 import pathlib
 from functools import cached_property
 
-from . import log
-from . import host
+from .log import log
+from .host import host
+
 
 class Options:
     """
     turns the cli arguments into an object with nice fields and the like
     """
+
     @classmethod
     def from_cli_args(cls):
         """
@@ -33,14 +35,15 @@ class Options:
     @classmethod
     def create_cli_parser(cls):
         parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
-                prog = 'install',
-                description = """
+            prog="install",
+            description="""
                 installs preferences files.
-                """)
-        parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose', action='store_true')
-        parser.add_argument('-q', '--quiet', action='store_true')
-        parser.add_argument('-c', '--config', help="path to config file")
-        parser.add_argument('-x', action='store_true')
+                """,
+        )
+        parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true")
+        parser.add_argument("-q", "--quiet", action="store_true")
+        parser.add_argument("-c", "--config", help="path to config file")
+        parser.add_argument("-x", action="store_true")
         return parser
 
     @property
diff --git a/prefs/run.py b/prefs/run.py
index 55690d1..791c928 100644
--- a/prefs/run.py
+++ b/prefs/run.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import subprocess
-from . import host
+from .host import host
 
 
 class Run:
diff --git a/prefs/sections.py b/prefs/sections.py
index 8c05642..06f2f2f 100644
--- a/prefs/sections.py
+++ b/prefs/sections.py
@@ -2,21 +2,25 @@
 sections defines our various config sections
 """
 
-import pathlib
+from configparser import SectionProxy
+from typing import Sequence
+
 
 class Home:
     """
     the [home] section maps files within the home directory
     """
+
+    def __init__(self, files: Sequence[str]):
+        self.files = files
+
     @classmethod
-    def from_section(Cls, name, **section):
-        v = Cls()
-        if raw_files := section.get('files'):
-            v.files = filter(None, raw_files.splitlines())
+    def from_section(cls, name, section: SectionProxy):
+        if raw_files := section.get("files"):
+            files = list(filter(None, raw_files.splitlines()))
         else:
-            v.files = None
-        return v
+            files = []
+        return cls(files)
 
     def run(self):
         pass
-
diff --git a/prefs/targets.py b/prefs/targets.py
index 50e46e0..b892ccc 100644
--- a/prefs/targets.py
+++ b/prefs/targets.py
@@ -8,12 +8,14 @@ import shutil
 import os
 from functools import cached_property
 
-from . import host
+from .host import host
+
 
 class Target:
     """
     base class of all target platforms
     """
+
     def target_path(self, relpath):
         """
         computes the path of a file in the home directory
@@ -79,32 +81,36 @@ class Target:
         target_path.symlink_to(source_path)
         print("")
 
+
 class Linux(Target):
     """
     defines a local Linux target: the local machine when the script is run on
     Linux
     """
 
+
 class Windows(Target):
     """
     defines a local Windows target: the local machine when the script is run on
     Windows
     """
 
+
 class WSLHost(Target):
     """
     defines the Windows machine on which the WSL instance is hosted
     """
+
     @cached_property
     def target_root(self):
         if not host.is_wsl:
             raise Exception("cannot get windows home dir from anything other than wsl")
-        res = subprocess.run(['wslvar', 'USERPROFILE'], check=False,
-                capture_output=True)
-        winpath = res.stdout.decode('utf-8').strip()
-        res = subprocess.run(['wslpath', winpath], check=False,
-                capture_output=True)
-        return pathlib.Path(res.stdout.decode('utf-8').strip())
+        res = subprocess.run(
+            ["wslvar", "USERPROFILE"], check=False, capture_output=True
+        )
+        winpath = res.stdout.decode("utf-8").strip()
+        res = subprocess.run(["wslpath", winpath], check=False, capture_output=True)
+        return pathlib.Path(res.stdout.decode("utf-8").strip())
 
     def map_file(self, source_path, target_path):
         """