diff --git a/cmd/install.go b/cmd/install.go
index e141cee..7b0ad47 100644
--- a/cmd/install.go
+++ b/cmd/install.go
@@ -25,16 +25,16 @@ type installOpts struct {
 	progress bool
 }
 
-func newInstall(installOpts installOpts, release string) error {
+func newInstall(installOpts installOpts, release string) (error, string) {
 	iv, err := config.GetInstalledVersions()
 	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		return err
+		return err, ""
 	}
 	if release == "" {
 		client := gh.NewClient(os.Getenv("GITHUB_PAT"))
-		releases, err := gh.GetReleases(client, false)
+		releases, err := gh.GetReleases(client, 100)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return err, ""
 		}
 		versions := []string{}
 		for _, r := range releases {
@@ -52,30 +52,43 @@ func newInstall(installOpts installOpts, release string) error {
 			},
 		}, &release, survey.WithPageSize(10))
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return err, ""
 		}
 	}
-	if release == "latest" {
+
+	// github's latest release is literally their latest release,
+	// not the latest tagged version
+	if release == "release" {
 		client := gh.NewClient(os.Getenv("GITHUB_PAT"))
 		latestRelease, err := gh.GetLatestRelease(client)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return err, ""
 		}
 		release = latestRelease.GetTagName()
 	}
+
+	if release == "latest" {
+		client := gh.NewClient(os.Getenv("GITHUB_PAT"))
+		releases, err := gh.GetReleases(client, 1)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err, ""
+		}
+		release = releases[0].GetTagName()
+	}
+
 	_, ok := iv[release]
 	if ok {
 		log.Infof("quarto version %s is already installed\n", release)
-		return nil
+		return nil, release
 	}
 	log.Info("attempting to install quarto version: ", release)
 	res, err := pipeline.DownloadReleaseVersion(release, runtime.GOOS, installOpts.progress)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return err, ""
 	}
 	log.Infof("new quarto version %s installed\n", release)
 	log.Debugf("new quarto version installed to %s\n", res)
-	return nil
+	return nil, release
 }
 
 func setInstallOpts(installOpts *installOpts) {
@@ -112,7 +125,7 @@ func newInstallCmd() *installCmd {
 				wg.Add(1)
 				go func(errc <-chan error, release string) {
 					defer wg.Done()
-					err := newInstall(root.opts, release)
+					err, _ := newInstall(root.opts, release)
 					errChan <- err
 				}(errChan, arg)
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/ls.go b/cmd/ls.go
index 884aac4..5ab75a2 100644
--- a/cmd/ls.go
+++ b/cmd/ls.go
@@ -20,19 +20,26 @@ type lsCmd struct {
 
 type lsOpts struct {
 	remote bool
+	num    int
 }
 
 func newLs(lsOpts lsOpts) error {
 	if lsOpts.remote {
 		client := gh.NewClient(os.Getenv("GITHUB_PAT"))
-		releases, err := gh.GetReleases(client, false)
+		releases, err := gh.GetReleases(client, lsOpts.num)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		fmt.Println("version  | release date | description")
+		fmt.Println("version  | release date | description | type")
 		for _, r := range releases {
 			createdAt := r.GetCreatedAt()
-			fmt.Printf("%s | %s | %s\n", r.GetTagName(), createdAt.Format("2006-01-02"), r.GetName())
+			var releaseType string
+			if r.GetPrerelease() {
+				releaseType = "pre-release"
+			} else {
+				releaseType = "release"
+			}
+			fmt.Printf("%s |  %s  |   %s  | %s \n", r.GetTagName(), createdAt.Format("2006-01-02"), r.GetName(), releaseType)
 		}
 	} else {
 		entries, err := os.ReadDir(config.GetPathToVersionsDir())
@@ -43,6 +50,10 @@ func newLs(lsOpts lsOpts) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		if len(entries) < lsOpts.num {
+			lsOpts.num = len(entries)
+		}
+		entries = entries[:lsOpts.num-1]
 		// TODO: replace with actual table
 		fmt.Println("version           | install time")
 		fmt.Println("--------------------------------")
@@ -78,6 +89,7 @@ func newLs(lsOpts lsOpts) error {
 
 func setLsOpts(lsOpts *lsOpts) {
 	lsOpts.remote = viper.GetBool("remote")
+	lsOpts.num = viper.GetInt("number")
 }
 
 func (opts *lsOpts) Validate() error {
@@ -108,6 +120,8 @@ func newLsCmd() *lsCmd {
 	}
 	cmd.Flags().Bool("remote", false, "list remote versions")
 	viper.BindPFlag("remote", cmd.Flags().Lookup("remote"))
+	cmd.Flags().IntP("number", "n", 10, "number of versions to list")
+	viper.BindPFlag("number", cmd.Flags().Lookup("number"))
 	root.cmd = cmd
 	return root
 }
diff --git a/cmd/use.go b/cmd/use.go
index 0095955..452f138 100644
--- a/cmd/use.go
+++ b/cmd/use.go
@@ -7,11 +7,15 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2"
+	"github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver"
 	"github.com/dpastoor/qvm/internal/config"
+	"github.com/dpastoor/qvm/internal/gh"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"golang.org/x/exp/maps"
 )
 
@@ -21,6 +25,7 @@ type useCmd struct {
 }
 
 type useOpts struct {
+	install bool
 }
 
 func newUse(useOpts useOpts, version string) error {
@@ -29,12 +34,54 @@ func newUse(useOpts useOpts, version string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	versions := maps.Keys(iv)
-	sort.Sort(sort.Reverse(sort.StringSlice(versions)))
-	if len(iv) == 0 {
+	var semVersions semver.Versions
+	// sorting has some issues given how the character values will present individually
+	// for example a high value double digit patch version will be sorted before a lower
+	// value triple digit patch version. For example, sorting shows ordering like:
+	// v1.2.89 v1.2.237 v1.2.112 v1.1.84 v1.1.251 v1.1.189
+	// where .89 is > 237
+	// using go-semver this works
+	// as will get 1.2.237 1.2.112 1.2.89 1.1.251 1.1.189 1.1.168 1.1.84
+	for _, v := range versions {
+		ver, err := semver.NewVersion(strings.TrimPrefix(v, "v"))
+		if err != nil {
+			// we're just going to warn rather than error right now in case some
+			// releases end up not following semver and would rather the tool not blow up
+			log.Errorf("could not parse semver value for %s with err %s\n ", v, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		semVersions = append(semVersions, ver)
+	}
+	sort.Sort(sort.Reverse(semVersions))
+	// note this could be a bug if ever we do get nonparseable versions thrown out above
+	// will cross that bridge if we get there
+	for i, v := range semVersions {
+		versions[i] = "v" + v.String()
+	}
+	// convert back to string for later options
+	if len(iv) == 0 && !useOpts.install {
 		return errors.New("no installed versions found, please install a version first")
 	}
+	client := gh.NewClient(os.Getenv("GITHUB_PAT"))
+	if version == "release" {
+		latestRelease, err := gh.GetLatestRelease(client)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		version = latestRelease.GetTagName()
+	}
 	if version == "latest" {
-		version = versions[0]
+		if useOpts.install {
+			// this will install further down if the version isn't already installed
+			repo, err := gh.GetReleases(client, 1)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			version = repo[0].GetTagName()
+		} else {
+			version = versions[0]
+		}
+		// add back the v we trimmed for semver
 	}
 	if version == "" {
 		// not worried about an error here as an active version of
@@ -56,7 +103,14 @@ func newUse(useOpts useOpts, version string) error {
 	}
 	quartopath, ok := iv[version]
 	if !ok {
-		return fmt.Errorf("version %s not found", version)
+		if useOpts.install {
+			err, version = newInstall(installOpts{progress: true}, version)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		} else {
+			return fmt.Errorf("version %s not found", version)
+		}
 	}
 	err = os.MkdirAll(config.GetPathToActiveBinDir(), 0755)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -82,7 +136,7 @@ func newUse(useOpts useOpts, version string) error {
 }
 
 func setUseOpts(useOpts *useOpts) {
-
+	useOpts.install = viper.GetBool("install")
 }
 
 func (opts *useOpts) Validate() error {
@@ -115,6 +169,8 @@ func newUseCmd() *useCmd {
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
+	cmd.Flags().Bool("install", false, "install the version if not already installed")
+	viper.BindPFlag("install", cmd.Flags().Lookup("install"))
 	root.cmd = cmd
 	return root
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 9a99be9..ffbbe18 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ go 1.18
 require (
 	github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2 v2.3.5-0.20220530090844-e47352f91434
 	github.com/adrg/xdg v0.4.0
+	github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.3.0
 	github.com/dustin/go-humanize v1.0.0
 	github.com/google/go-github/v44 v44.1.0
 	github.com/mholt/archiver/v4 v4.0.0-alpha.6.0.20220421032531-8a97d87612e9
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index e1475d4..103338f 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ github.com/client9/misspell v0.3.4/go.mod h1:qj6jICC3Q7zFZvVWo7KLAzC3yx5G7kyvSDk
 github.com/cncf/udpa/go v0.0.0-20191209042840-269d4d468f6f/go.mod h1:M8M6+tZqaGXZJjfX53e64911xZQV5JYwmTeXPW+k8Sc=
 github.com/cncf/udpa/go v0.0.0-20200629203442-efcf912fb354/go.mod h1:WmhPx2Nbnhtbo57+VJT5O0JRkEi1Wbu0z5j0R8u5Hbk=
 github.com/cncf/udpa/go v0.0.0-20201120205902-5459f2c99403/go.mod h1:WmhPx2Nbnhtbo57+VJT5O0JRkEi1Wbu0z5j0R8u5Hbk=
+github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.3.0 h1:wkHLiw0WNATZnSG7epLsujiMCgPAc9xhjJ4tgnAxmfM=
+github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.3.0/go.mod h1:nnelYz7RCh+5ahJtPPxZlU+153eP4D4r3EedlOD2RNk=
 github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.1/go.mod h1:tgQtvFlXSQOSOSIRvRPT7W67SCa46tRHOmNcaadrF8o=
 github.com/creack/pty v1.1.17 h1:QeVUsEDNrLBW4tMgZHvxy18sKtr6VI492kBhUfhDJNI=
 github.com/creack/pty v1.1.17/go.mod h1:MOBLtS5ELjhRRrroQr9kyvTxUAFNvYEK993ew/Vr4O4=
diff --git a/internal/gh/releases.go b/internal/gh/releases.go
index d3283c5..2551c9c 100644
--- a/internal/gh/releases.go
+++ b/internal/gh/releases.go
@@ -32,11 +32,19 @@ func GetLatestRelease(client *github.Client) (*github.RepositoryRelease, error)
 	return rel, err
 }
 
-func GetReleases(client *github.Client, paginate bool) ([]*github.RepositoryRelease, error) {
-	opts := &github.ListOptions{PerPage: 50}
+func GetReleases(client *github.Client, n int) ([]*github.RepositoryRelease, error) {
+	// max of 50 per page
+	perPage := 50
+	remaining := n - perPage
+	if n < 50 {
+		remaining = 0
+		perPage = n
+	}
 	var releases []*github.RepositoryRelease
+	opts := &github.ListOptions{PerPage: perPage}
 	for {
 		start := time.Now()
+		log.Tracef("perpage: %d, remaining: %d", opts.PerPage, remaining)
 		rel, resp, err := client.Repositories.ListReleases(
 			context.Background(),
 			"quarto-dev",
@@ -48,9 +56,15 @@ func GetReleases(client *github.Client, paginate bool) ([]*github.RepositoryRele
 		}
 		releases = append(releases, rel...)
 		log.Tracef("repository release paginator: %s, page: %d", time.Since(start), resp.NextPage)
-		if !paginate || resp.NextPage == 0 {
+		if remaining <= 0 || resp.NextPage == 0 {
 			break
 		}
+		if remaining <= perPage {
+			opts.PerPage = remaining
+			remaining = 0
+		} else {
+			remaining -= perPage
+		}
 		opts.Page = resp.NextPage
 	}
 	return releases, nil