diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 7a5fe2f7..7aa5bda0 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"log"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
@@ -32,6 +33,8 @@ var (
 	widgetCount  = 6
 	fahrenheit   = false
 	configDir    = getConfigDir()
+	logPath      = filepath.Join(configDir, "errors.log")
+	stderrLogger = log.New(os.Stderr, "", 0)
 
 	cpu  *w.CPU
 	mem  *w.Mem
@@ -63,7 +66,10 @@ Colorschemes:
   monokai
 `
 
-	args, _ := docopt.ParseArgs(usage, os.Args[1:], version)
+	args, err := docopt.ParseArgs(usage, os.Args[1:], version)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
 
 	if val, _ := args["--color"]; val != nil {
 		handleColorscheme(val.(string))
@@ -77,7 +83,10 @@ Colorschemes:
 	}
 
 	rateStr, _ := args["--rate"].(string)
-	rate, _ := strconv.ParseFloat(rateStr, 64)
+	rate, err := strconv.ParseFloat(rateStr, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		stderrLogger.Fatalf("error: invalid rate parameter")
+	}
 	if rate < 1 {
 		interval = time.Second * time.Duration(1/rate)
 	} else {
@@ -104,24 +113,22 @@ func handleColorscheme(cs string) {
 func getConfigDir() string {
 	globalConfigDir := os.Getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME")
 	if globalConfigDir == "" {
-		globalConfigDir = os.ExpandEnv("$HOME") + "/.config"
+		globalConfigDir = filepath.Join(os.ExpandEnv("$HOME"), ".config")
 	}
-	return globalConfigDir + "/gotop"
+	return filepath.Join(globalConfigDir, "gotop")
 }
 
 // getCustomColorscheme	tries to read a custom json colorscheme from {configDir}/{name}.json
 func getCustomColorscheme(name string) colorschemes.Colorscheme {
-	filePath := configDir + "/" + name + ".json"
+	filePath := filepath.Join(configDir, name+".json")
 	dat, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filePath)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: colorscheme not recognized\n")
-		os.Exit(1)
+		stderrLogger.Fatalf("error: colorscheme not recognized")
 	}
 	var colorscheme colorschemes.Colorscheme
 	err = json.Unmarshal(dat, &colorscheme)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: could not parse colorscheme\n")
-		os.Exit(1)
+		stderrLogger.Fatalf("error: could not parse colorscheme")
 	}
 	return colorscheme
 }
@@ -334,6 +341,23 @@ func eventLoop() {
 }
 
 func main() {
+	// make the config directory
+	err := os.MkdirAll(configDir, 0755)
+	if err != nil {
+		stderrLogger.Fatalf("failed to make the configuration directory: %v", err)
+	}
+	// open the log file
+	lf, err := os.OpenFile(logPath, os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY|os.O_APPEND, 0660)
+	if err != nil {
+		stderrLogger.Fatalf("failed to open log file: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer lf.Close()
+
+	// log time, filename, and line number
+	log.SetFlags(log.Ltime | log.Lshortfile)
+	// log to file
+	log.SetOutput(lf)
+
 	cliArguments()
 	termuiColors() // need to do this before initializing widgets so that they can inherit the colors
 	initWidgets()
@@ -341,7 +365,7 @@ func main() {
 	help = w.NewHelpMenu()
 
 	// inits termui
-	err := ui.Init()
+	err = ui.Init()
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.go b/src/utils/utils.go
index f3e11efd..fe2a4a9e 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.go
+++ b/src/utils/utils.go
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 package utils
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"math"
-
-	ui "github.com/cjbassi/termui"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -55,14 +52,3 @@ func Max(a, b int) int {
 	}
 	return b
 }
-
-func Error(issue, diagnostics string) {
-	ui.Close()
-	fmt.Println("Error caught. Exiting program.")
-	fmt.Println()
-	fmt.Println("Issue with " + issue + ".")
-	fmt.Println()
-	fmt.Println("Diagnostics:\n" + diagnostics)
-	fmt.Println()
-	panic(1)
-}
diff --git a/src/widgets/cpu.go b/src/widgets/cpu.go
index cd417334..caa3d692 100644
--- a/src/widgets/cpu.go
+++ b/src/widgets/cpu.go
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ package widgets
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/cjbassi/gotop/src/utils"
 	ui "github.com/cjbassi/termui"
 	psCPU "github.com/shirou/gopsutil/cpu"
 )
@@ -19,7 +19,10 @@ type CPU struct {
 }
 
 func NewCPU(interval time.Duration, zoom int, average bool, percpu bool) *CPU {
-	count, _ := psCPU.Counts(false)
+	count, err := psCPU.Counts(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get CPU count from gopsutil: %v", err)
+	}
 	formatString := "CPU%1d"
 	if count > 10 {
 		formatString = "CPU%02d"
@@ -70,7 +73,10 @@ func NewCPU(interval time.Duration, zoom int, average bool, percpu bool) *CPU {
 func (self *CPU) update() {
 	if self.Average {
 		go func() {
-			percent, _ := psCPU.Percent(self.interval, false)
+			percent, err := psCPU.Percent(self.interval, false)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("failed to get average CPU usage percent from gopsutil: %v. self.interval: %v. percpu: %v", err, self.interval, false)
+			}
 			self.Data["AVRG"] = append(self.Data["AVRG"], percent[0])
 			self.Labels["AVRG"] = fmt.Sprintf("%3.0f%%", percent[0])
 		}()
@@ -78,17 +84,12 @@ func (self *CPU) update() {
 
 	if self.PerCPU {
 		go func() {
-			percents, _ := psCPU.Percent(self.interval, true)
+			percents, err := psCPU.Percent(self.interval, true)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("failed to get CPU usage percents from gopsutil: %v. self.interval: %v. percpu: %v", err, self.interval, true)
+			}
 			if len(percents) != self.Count {
-				count, _ := psCPU.Counts(false)
-				utils.Error("CPU percentages",
-					fmt.Sprint(
-						"self.Count: ", self.Count, "\n",
-						"gopsutil.Counts(): ", count, "\n",
-						"len(percents): ", len(percents), "\n",
-						"percents: ", percents, "\n",
-						"self.interval: ", self.interval,
-					))
+				log.Printf("error: number of CPU usage percents from gopsutil doesn't match CPU count. percents: %v. self.Count: %v", percents, self.Count)
 			}
 			for i := 0; i < self.Count; i++ {
 				k := fmt.Sprintf(self.formatString, i)
diff --git a/src/widgets/disk.go b/src/widgets/disk.go
index 98904de1..b2316201 100644
--- a/src/widgets/disk.go
+++ b/src/widgets/disk.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package widgets
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -52,7 +53,10 @@ func NewDisk() *Disk {
 }
 
 func (self *Disk) update() {
-	Partitions, _ := psDisk.Partitions(false)
+	Partitions, err := psDisk.Partitions(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get disk partitions from gopsutil: %v", err)
+	}
 
 	// add partition if it's new
 	for _, Part := range Partitions {
@@ -93,13 +97,19 @@ func (self *Disk) update() {
 
 	// updates partition info
 	for _, Part := range self.Partitions {
-		usage, _ := psDisk.Usage(Part.Mount)
+		usage, err := psDisk.Usage(Part.Mount)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("failed to get partition usage statistics from gopsutil: %v. Part.Mount: %v", err, Part.Mount)
+		}
 		Part.UsedPercent = int(usage.UsedPercent)
 
 		Free, Mag := utils.ConvertBytes(usage.Free)
 		Part.Free = fmt.Sprintf("%3d%s", uint64(Free), Mag)
 
-		ret, _ := psDisk.IOCounters("/dev/" + Part.Device)
+		ret, err := psDisk.IOCounters("/dev/" + Part.Device)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("failed to get partition read/write info from gopsutil: %v. Part.Device: %v", err, Part.Device)
+		}
 		data := ret[Part.Device]
 		curRead, curWrite := data.ReadBytes, data.WriteBytes
 		if Part.TotalRead != 0 { // if this isn't the first update
diff --git a/src/widgets/mem.go b/src/widgets/mem.go
index 63a6a789..fa3b8247 100644
--- a/src/widgets/mem.go
+++ b/src/widgets/mem.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package widgets
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cjbassi/gotop/src/utils"
@@ -37,8 +38,14 @@ func NewMem(interval time.Duration, zoom int) *Mem {
 }
 
 func (self *Mem) update() {
-	main, _ := psMem.VirtualMemory()
-	swap, _ := psMem.SwapMemory()
+	main, err := psMem.VirtualMemory()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get main memory info from gopsutil: %v", err)
+	}
+	swap, err := psMem.SwapMemory()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get swap memory info from gopsutil: %v", err)
+	}
 	self.Data["Main"] = append(self.Data["Main"], main.UsedPercent)
 	self.Data["Swap"] = append(self.Data["Swap"], swap.UsedPercent)
 
diff --git a/src/widgets/net.go b/src/widgets/net.go
index 9e928da8..2dc58155 100644
--- a/src/widgets/net.go
+++ b/src/widgets/net.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package widgets
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cjbassi/gotop/src/utils"
@@ -45,7 +46,10 @@ func NewNet() *Net {
 
 func (self *Net) update() {
 	// `false` causes psutil to group all network activity
-	interfaces, _ := psNet.IOCounters(false)
+	interfaces, err := psNet.IOCounters(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get network activity from gopsutil: %v", err)
+	}
 	curRecvTotal := interfaces[0].BytesRecv
 	curSentTotal := interfaces[0].BytesSent
 	var recvRecent uint64
@@ -55,22 +59,19 @@ func (self *Net) update() {
 		recvRecent = curRecvTotal - self.prevRecvTotal
 		sentRecent = curSentTotal - self.prevSentTotal
 
+		if int(recvRecent) < 0 {
+			log.Printf("error: negative value for recently received network data from gopsutil. recvRecent: %v", recvRecent)
+			// recover from error
+			recvRecent = 0
+		}
+		if int(sentRecent) < 0 {
+			log.Printf("error: negative value for recently sent network data from gopsutil. sentRecent: %v", sentRecent)
+			// recover from error
+			sentRecent = 0
+		}
+
 		self.Lines[0].Data = append(self.Lines[0].Data, int(recvRecent))
 		self.Lines[1].Data = append(self.Lines[1].Data, int(sentRecent))
-
-		if int(recvRecent) < 0 || int(sentRecent) < 0 {
-			utils.Error("net data",
-				fmt.Sprint(
-					"curRecvTotal: ", curRecvTotal, "\n",
-					"curSentTotal: ", curSentTotal, "\n",
-					"self.prevRecvTotal: ", self.prevRecvTotal, "\n",
-					"self.prevSentTotal: ", self.prevSentTotal, "\n",
-					"recvRecent: ", recvRecent, "\n",
-					"sentRecent: ", sentRecent, "\n",
-					"int(recvRecent): ", int(recvRecent), "\n",
-					"int(sentRecent): ", int(sentRecent),
-				))
-		}
 	}
 
 	// used in later calls to update
diff --git a/src/widgets/proc.go b/src/widgets/proc.go
index f6e4ec56..dc04216f 100644
--- a/src/widgets/proc.go
+++ b/src/widgets/proc.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package widgets
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"os/exec"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
@@ -37,7 +38,10 @@ type Proc struct {
 }
 
 func NewProc() *Proc {
-	cpuCount, _ := psCPU.Counts(false)
+	cpuCount, err := psCPU.Counts(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get CPU count from gopsutil: %v", err)
+	}
 	self := &Proc{
 		Table:      ui.NewTable(),
 		interval:   time.Second,
diff --git a/src/widgets/proc_unix.go b/src/widgets/proc_unix.go
index b422737f..b973f3a2 100644
--- a/src/widgets/proc_unix.go
+++ b/src/widgets/proc_unix.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 package widgets
 
 import (
+	"log"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 func (self *Proc) update() {
 	processes := Processes()
 	// have to iterate like this in order to actually change the value
-	for i, _ := range processes {
+	for i := range processes {
 		processes[i].CPU /= self.cpuCount
 	}
 
@@ -22,15 +23,27 @@ func (self *Proc) update() {
 }
 
 func Processes() []Process {
-	output, _ := exec.Command("ps", "-axo", "pid,comm,pcpu,pmem,args").Output()
+	output, err := exec.Command("ps", "-axo", "pid,comm,pcpu,pmem,args").Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to execute 'ps' command: %v", err)
+	}
 	// converts to []string and removes the header
 	strOutput := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(string(output)), "\n")[1:]
 	processes := []Process{}
 	for _, line := range strOutput {
 		split := strings.Fields(line)
-		pid, _ := strconv.Atoi(split[0])
-		cpu, _ := strconv.ParseFloat(split[2], 64)
-		mem, _ := strconv.ParseFloat(split[3], 64)
+		pid, err := strconv.Atoi(split[0])
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("failed to convert first field to int: %v. split: %v", err, split)
+		}
+		cpu, err := strconv.ParseFloat(split[2], 64)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("failed to convert third field to float: %v. split: %v", err, split)
+		}
+		mem, err := strconv.ParseFloat(split[3], 64)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("failed to convert fourth field to float: %v. split: %v", err, split)
+		}
 		process := Process{
 			PID:     pid,
 			Command: split[1],
diff --git a/src/widgets/proc_windows.go b/src/widgets/proc_windows.go
index 4b362db7..aef97afb 100644
--- a/src/widgets/proc_windows.go
+++ b/src/widgets/proc_windows.go
@@ -1,17 +1,31 @@
 package widgets
 
 import (
+	"log"
+
 	psProc "github.com/shirou/gopsutil/process"
 )
 
 func (self *Proc) update() {
-	psProcesses, _ := psProc.Processes()
+	psProcesses, err := psProc.Processes()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get processes from gopsutil: %v", err)
+	}
 	processes := make([]Process, len(psProcesses))
 	for i, psProcess := range psProcesses {
 		pid := psProcess.Pid
-		command, _ := psProcess.Name()
-		cpu, _ := psProcess.CPUPercent()
-		mem, _ := psProcess.MemoryPercent()
+		command, err := psProcess.Name()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("failed to get process command from gopsutil: %v. psProcess: %v. i: %v. pid: %v", err, psProcess, i, pid)
+		}
+		cpu, err := psProcess.CPUPercent()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("failed to get process cpu usage from gopsutil: %v. psProcess: %v. i: %v. pid: %v", err, psProcess, i, pid)
+		}
+		mem, err := psProcess.MemoryPercent()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("failed to get process memeory usage from gopsutil: %v. psProcess: %v. i: %v. pid: %v", err, psProcess, i, pid)
+		}
 
 		processes[i] = Process{
 			int(pid),
diff --git a/src/widgets/temp_darwin.go b/src/widgets/temp_darwin.go
index 0a660872..9343debe 100644
--- a/src/widgets/temp_darwin.go
+++ b/src/widgets/temp_darwin.go
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
-// TODO do we need to add '+build cgo'?
-
 package widgets
 
 // #cgo LDFLAGS: -framework IOKit
 // #include "include/smc.c"
 import "C"
-import "github.com/cjbassi/gotop/src/utils"
+import (
+	"log"
+
+	"github.com/cjbassi/gotop/src/utils"
+)
 
 type TemperatureStat struct {
 	SensorKey   string  `json:"sensorKey"`
@@ -52,7 +54,10 @@ func SensorsTemperatures() ([]TemperatureStat, error) {
 }
 
 func (self *Temp) update() {
-	sensors, _ := SensorsTemperatures()
+	sensors, err := SensorsTemperatures()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get sensors from CGO: %v", err)
+	}
 	for _, sensor := range sensors {
 		if sensor.Temperature != 0 {
 			if self.Fahrenheit {
diff --git a/src/widgets/temp_linux.go b/src/widgets/temp_linux.go
index 40c1978a..13664039 100644
--- a/src/widgets/temp_linux.go
+++ b/src/widgets/temp_linux.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package widgets
 
 import (
+	"log"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/cjbassi/gotop/src/utils"
@@ -8,7 +9,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (self *Temp) update() {
-	sensors, _ := psHost.SensorsTemperatures()
+	sensors, err := psHost.SensorsTemperatures()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get sensors from gopsutil: %v", err)
+	}
 	for _, sensor := range sensors {
 		// only sensors with input in their name are giving us live temp info
 		if strings.Contains(sensor.SensorKey, "input") && sensor.Temperature != 0 {
diff --git a/src/widgets/temp_windows.go b/src/widgets/temp_windows.go
index 7ac35d58..c217552f 100644
--- a/src/widgets/temp_windows.go
+++ b/src/widgets/temp_windows.go
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 package widgets
 
 import (
+	"log"
+
 	"github.com/cjbassi/gotop/src/utils"
 	psHost "github.com/shirou/gopsutil/host"
 )
 
 func (self *Temp) update() {
-	sensors, _ := psHost.SensorsTemperatures()
+	sensors, err := psHost.SensorsTemperatures()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to get sensors from gopsutil: %v", err)
+	}
 	for _, sensor := range sensors {
 		if sensor.Temperature != 0 {
 			if self.Fahrenheit {