diff --git a/pygomx/src/pygomx/__init__.py b/pygomx/src/pygomx/__init__.py
index e69de29..eb259c1 100644
--- a/pygomx/src/pygomx/__init__.py
+++ b/pygomx/src/pygomx/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from .cliv0 import CliV0Api, CliV0
diff --git a/pygomx/src/pygomx/cliv0.py b/pygomx/src/pygomx/cliv0.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2ea72e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygomx/src/pygomx/cliv0.py
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2026 saces@c-base.org
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+from _pygomx import ffi, lib
+import json
+from .errors import APIError
+
+
+def _stringresult(cstr):
+    result = ffi.string(cstr)
+    lib.FreeCString(cstr)
+    return result.decode("utf-8")
+
+
+def _autostring(xstr):
+    match xstr:
+        case bytes():
+            return xstr
+        case str():
+            return xstr.encode(encoding="utf-8")
+        case _:
+            raise TypeError("only str or bytes allowed")
+
+
+def _autodict(xdict):
+    match xdict:
+        case bytes():
+            return xdict
+        case str():
+            return xdict.encode(encoding="utf-8")
+        case dict():
+            return json.dumps(xdict).encode(encoding="utf-8")
+        case _:
+            raise TypeError("only str or bytes or dict allowed")
+
+
+def CheckApiError(rstr):
+    if rstr.startswith("ERR:"):
+        raise APIError(rstr)
+
+    if rstr == "SUCCESS.":
+        return None
+
+    raise ValueError(f"unexpected result: {rstr[:20]}")
+
+
+def CheckApiResult(rstr):
+    if rstr.startswith("ERR:"):
+        raise APIError(rstr)
+
+    if rstr == "SUCCESS.":
+        return None
+
+    result_dict = json.loads(rstr)
+    return result_dict
+
+
+class CliV0Api:
+    """cli_v0 api
+    c-api wrappers
+    inputs: str or bytes
+    output: str (utf8)
+    """
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def whoami(hs_url, token):
+        return _stringresult(lib.cliv0_whoami(_autostring(hs_url), _autostring(token)))
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def mxpassitem(mxpassfile, hs_url, localpart, domain):
+        return _stringresult(
+            lib.cliv0_mxpassitem(
+                _autostring(mxpassfile),
+                _autostring(hs_url),
+                _autostring(localpart),
+                _autostring(domain),
+            )
+        )
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def generic(hs_url, token, data):
+        return _stringresult(
+            lib.cliv0_genericrequest(
+                _autostring(hs_url),
+                _autostring(token),
+                _autodict(data),
+            )
+        )
+
+
+class CliV0:
+    """cli_v0 api class
+    high level & helper functions
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, hs_url, token):
+        self.hs_url = hs_url
+        self.token = token
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_mxpass(cls, mxpassfile, hs_url, localpart, domain):
+        res = CliV0Api.mxpassitem(mxpassfile, hs_url, localpart, domain)
+        result_dict = CheckApiResult(res)
+        return cls(result_dict["Matrixhost"], result_dict["Token"])
+
+    def Whoami(self):
+        res = CliV0Api.whoami(self.hs_url, self.token)
+        return CheckApiResult(res)
+
+    def Generic(self, data, omitt_token=False):
+        if omitt_token:
+            token = ""
+        else:
+            token = self.token
+        res = CliV0Api.generic(self.hs_url, token, data)
+        return CheckApiResult(res)
diff --git a/smal/src/pymxutils/mxutils/whoami.py b/smal/src/pymxutils/mxutils/whoami.py
index 195559a..d811217 100644
--- a/smal/src/pymxutils/mxutils/whoami.py
+++ b/smal/src/pymxutils/mxutils/whoami.py
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2026 saces@c-base.org
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
-import json
-
 import click
-from _pygomx import ffi, lib
+from pygomx import CliV0
 
 
 @click.command()
@@ -13,18 +11,8 @@ def whoami(hs_url, token):
     """this token belongs to?"""
 
     if hs_url is None and token is None:
-        r = lib.cliv0_mxpassitem(b".mxpass", b"*", b"*", b"*")
+        cli = CliV0.from_mxpass(".mxpass", "*", "*", "*")
+    else:
+        cli = CliV0(hs_url, token)
 
-        result = ffi.string(r).decode("utf-8")
-        lib.FreeCString(r)
-
-        result_dict = json.loads(result)
-        hs_url = result_dict["Matrixhost"]
-        token = result_dict["Token"]
-
-    r = lib.cliv0_whoami(
-        hs_url.encode(encoding="utf-8"), token.encode(encoding="utf-8")
-    )
-    result = ffi.string(r)
-    lib.FreeCString(r)
-    print(result.decode("utf-8"))
+    print(cli.Whoami())