diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf81f15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+name: test
+
+on:
+  push:
+
+jobs:
+  test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: check some build related things
+        run: |
+          git --version
+          git config user.name "GitHub Actions Bot"
+          git config user.email "<>"
+          git status
+          git diff
+          ls -la .
+          git tag -l
+
+###########################################################################################
+      - name: test pre-commit
+        id: pre-commit
+        run: ./pre-commit-bash.sh
+        env:
+          token: wibble
+
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..393d892
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Overview
+
+Small action to setup and run pre-commit and give us control to feed in only the files that have changed
+
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..baf5193
--- /dev/null
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+name: pre-commit-bash
+
+inputs:
+  token:
+    description: 'token to perform git commits'
+    required: true
+
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  steps:
+    - name: adjust the path so scripts in this repo can be run
+      run: echo "${{ github.action_path }}" >> $GITHUB_PATH
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: setup python which pre-commit uses
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      with:
+        python-version: "3.10"
+
+    - name: set PY
+      run: echo "PY=$(python -VV | sha256sum | cut -d' ' -f1)" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: cache pip installations and pre-commit installations
+      uses: actions/cache@v4
+      with:
+        path: |
+          ~/.cache/pip
+          ~/.cache/pre-commit
+        key: pre-commit|${{ env.PY }}|${{ hashFiles('.pre-commit-config.yaml') }}
+
+    - name: get changed files
+      id: changed-files
+      uses: tj-actions/changed-files@5e85e31a0187e8df23b438284aa04f21b55f1510
+
+    - name: run precommit wrapper
+      run: pre-commit-bash.sh
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        # FIXME: our gh script seems to need GITHUB_TOKEN but runner wants GH_TOKEN
+        GH_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token }}
+        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token }}
+        CHANGED_FILES: ${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.all_changed_files }}
diff --git a/pre-commit-bash.sh b/pre-commit-bash.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bac7012
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pre-commit-bash.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+#
+# defaults
+#
+
+set -o errexit -o errtrace -o nounset -o functrace -o pipefail
+shopt -s inherit_errexit 2>/dev/null || true
+
+trap 'echo "exit_code $? line $LINENO linecallfunc $BASH_COMMAND"' ERR
+
+changed_files=${CHANGED_FILES:-unset}
+all_files=${ALL_FILES:-unset}
+
+NAME=pre-commit-bash.sh
+
+#
+# functions
+#
+
+usage(){
+I_USAGE="
+
+  Usage:  ${NAME} [OPTIONS]
+
+  Description:
+
+  Github actions inputs:
+
+    To handle running this script via github actions where it can be called from a dispatch, or a commit trigger
+    The config is fed through environment variables
+
+  Requirements:
+
+    This script needs to be run in a git checkout directory. For github actions this is done using the actions/checkout step before
+
+  Environment variable options:
+    \$CHANGED_FILES - pass in a list of files that have changed
+    \$ALL_FILES - pass in true to cause all files to be scanned by pre-commit
+
+"
+  echo "$I_USAGE"
+  exit
+}
+
+#
+# args
+#
+
+while :
+do
+  case ${1-default} in
+      --*help|-h          ) usage ; exit 0 ;;
+      --man               ) usage ; exit 0 ;;
+      --) shift ; break ;;
+      -*) echo "WARN: Unknown option (ignored): $1" >&2 ; shift ;;
+      *)  break ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+#
+# main
+#
+
+if [[ "$changed_files" == 'unset' ]];then
+  files_arg=""
+else
+  files_arg="--files $changed_files"
+fi
+
+if [[ "$all_files" == 'unset' ]];then
+  all_files_arg=""
+else
+  all_files_arg="--all-files"
+fi
+
+pip install pre-commit==3.7.0
+pip freeze --local
+
+if pre-commit run ${all_files_arg:+ $all_files_arg}  ${files_arg:+ $files_arg} --show-diff-on-failure --color=always;then
+  pre_commit_exit_code="$?"
+else
+  pre_commit_exit_code="$?"
+  if [[ "$pre_commit_exit_code" -eq 1 ]];then
+    echo "files changed"
+    git config --global user.email "actions@github.com"
+    git config --global user.name "github actions"
+    git status
+    git add -A
+    timestamp=$(date -u)
+    git commit -m "pre-commit fixes: ${timestamp}"
+    git push
+    exit 0
+  fi
+fi
+echo "$pre_commit_exit_code"