diff --git a/bin/pkg-build b/bin/pkg-build
index e4b66612..75b83929 100755
--- a/bin/pkg-build
+++ b/bin/pkg-build
@@ -40,22 +40,32 @@ fi
 PKGS="$(sort.ts $PKGS --delimiter ' ')"
 # ^^ ensures that pkgs build topologically
 
+gum() {
+  tea gum format -- "$@"
+}
+
 for PKG in $PKGS; do
+  gum "# building $PKG"
+
   PKG="$(resolve.ts "$PKG")"
   ZIP="$(query.ts "$PKG" --src)"
   PREFIX="$(query.ts "$PKG" --prefix)"
   SRCDIR="$(query.ts "$PKG" --srcdir)"
 
   if test -n "$ZIP"; then
+    gum "# fetching $ZIP"
     fetch.ts "$PKG" -o "$ZIP"
   fi
 
   if test -f "$ZIP"; then
+    gum "# extracing $SRCDIR"
     extract.ts "$ZIP" --pkg "$PKG" --output-dir "$SRCDIR"
   else
     mkdir -p "$SRCDIR"
   fi
 
+  gum "# staging for build"
+
   DEPS=$(deps.ts "$PKG" --build)  # eg. nodejs.org^4
 
   # shellcheck disable=SC2086
@@ -70,8 +80,12 @@ for PKG in $PKGS; do
     BASH="tea bash"
   fi
 
+  gum "# running build"
+
   $BASH -e "$BUILD_SCRIPT"
 
+  gum "# fixing up built products"
+
   DEPS="$(deps.ts "$PKG")"  # needs to be runtime deps AND include self
   # shellcheck disable=SC2086
   DEPS=$(install.ts $DEPS)
@@ -79,6 +93,8 @@ for PKG in $PKGS; do
 
   find "$PREFIX" -type f -name \*.la -delete
 
+  gum "# symlinking installations"
+
   link.ts "$PREFIX" "$PKG"
 
   if test -n "$GITHUB_ACTIONS"; then
diff --git a/libexec/fixup.ts b/libexec/fixup.ts
index 6ca37c33..634561f9 100755
--- a/libexec/fixup.ts
+++ b/libexec/fixup.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ case 'darwin':
       ...['bin', 'lib', 'libexec'].compact(x => pkg_prefix.join(x).isDirectory())
     ],
     env: {
-      GEM_HOME: usePrefix().join('gem').string
+      GEM_HOME: usePrefix().join('tea/local/share/ruby/gem').string
     }
   })
   break
diff --git a/libexec/stage.ts b/libexec/stage.ts
index 203a763d..de77c3c8 100755
--- a/libexec/stage.ts
+++ b/libexec/stage.ts
@@ -68,13 +68,13 @@ const text = undent`
   mkdir -p "$HOME"
 
   export PATH=${brewkit}:"$PATH"
+  export CFLAGS="-w $CFLAGS"  # warnings are noise
 
   ${pantry_sh}
   `
 
 /// write out build script
-const sh = srcdir.join("xyz.tea.build.sh").write({ text, force: true })
-
+const sh = srcdir.join("xyz.tea.build.sh").write({ text, force: true }).chmod(0o755)
 
 /// copy in auxillary files from pantry directory
 for await (const [path, {isFile}] of pantry.getYAML(pkg).path.parent().ls()) {
diff --git a/share/brewkit/python-venv.sh b/share/brewkit/python-venv.sh
index b412ccc9..c54fbc22 100755
--- a/share/brewkit/python-venv.sh
+++ b/share/brewkit/python-venv.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,17 @@ git commit -mnil --allow-empty
 git tag -a "$VERSION" -m "Version $VERSION" --force
 
 cd "$VIRTUAL_ENV"
-bin/pip install "$SRCROOT" --verbose
+
+# force tmp files to be somewhere useful for debugging purposes
+# also why we have --no-clean later
+mkdir -p $SRCROOT/xyz.tea.python.build
+
+TMPDIR=$SRCROOT/xyz.tea.python.build \
+  bin/pip install \
+    "$SRCROOT" \
+    --verbose \
+    --no-clean \
+    --require-virtualenv
 
 # python virtual-envs are not relocatable
 # our only working choice is to rewrite these files and symlinks every time