@@ -57,12 +57,15 @@
 					   ;; (string-intersperse (map number->string (u8vector->list (hostname->ip hostname))) ".")
 					   (server:get-best-guess-address hostname)
 					   #f)))
 			    (if ipstr ipstr hostn))) ;; hostname))) 
 	 (start-port      (portlogger:open-run-close portlogger:find-port))
-	 (link-tree-path  (common:get-linktree))) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
+	 (link-tree-path  (common:get-linktree))
+	 (tmp-area        (common:get-db-tmp-area))
+	 (start-file      (conc tmp-area "/.server-start")))
     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "portlogger recommended port: " start-port)
+    ;; set some parameters for the server
     (root-path     (if link-tree-path 
 		       link-tree-path
 		       (current-directory))) ;; WARNING: SECURITY HOLE. FIX ASAP!
     (handle-directory spiffy-directory-listing)
     (handle-exception (lambda (exn chain)
@@ -104,10 +107,11 @@
 				  ((equal? (uri-path (request-uri (current-request))) 
 					   '(/ "hey"))
 				   (send-response body: "hey there!\n"
 						  headers: '((content-type text/plain))))
 				  (else (continue))))))))
+    (with-output-to-file start-file (lambda ()(print (current-process-id))))
     (http-transport:try-start-server ipaddrstr start-port)))
 
 ;; This is recursively run by http-transport:run until sucessful
 ;;
 (define (http-transport:try-start-server ipaddrstr portnum)
@@ -348,11 +352,13 @@
 (define (http-transport:keep-running) 
   ;; if none running or if > 20 seconds since 
   ;; server last used then start shutdown
   ;; This thread waits for the server to come alive
   (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Starting the sync-back, keep alive thread in server")
-  (let* ((server-start-time (current-seconds))
+  (let* ((tmp-area          (common:get-db-tmp-area))
+	 (started-file      (conc tmp-area "/.server-started"))
+	 (server-start-time (current-seconds))
 	 (server-info (let loop ((start-time (current-seconds))
 				 (changed    #t)
 				 (last-sdat  "not this"))
                         (let ((sdat #f))
 			  (thread-sleep! 0.01)
@@ -380,10 +386,13 @@
          (port        (cadr server-info))
          (last-access 0)
 	 (server-timeout (server:get-timeout))
 	 (server-going  #f)
 	 (server-log-file (args:get-arg "-log"))) ;; always set when we are a server
+
+    (with-output-to-file started-file (lambda ()(print (current-process-id))))
+
     (let loop ((count         0)
 	       (server-state 'available)
 	       (bad-sync-count 0)
 	       (start-time     (current-milliseconds)))
       ;; Use this opportunity to sync the tmp db to megatest.db
@@ -492,10 +501,23 @@
 ;; all routes though here end in exit ...
 ;;
 ;; start_server? 
 ;;
 (define (http-transport:launch)
+  ;; check that a server start is in progress, pause or exit if so
+  (let* ((tmp-area            (common:get-db-tmp-area))
+	 (server-start        (conc tmp-area "/.server-start"))
+	 (server-started      (conc tmp-area "/.server-started"))
+	 (start-time          (common:lazy-modification-time server-start))
+	 (started-time        (common:lazy-modification-time server-started))
+	 (server-starting     (< start-time started-time)) ;; if start-time is less than started-time then a server is still starting
+	 (start-time-old      (> (- (current-seconds) start-time) 5)))
+    (if (and (not start-time-old) ;; last server start try was less than five seconds ago
+	     (not server-starting))
+	(begin
+	  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "NOT starting server, there is either a recently started server or a server in process of starting")
+	  (exit))))
   ;; lets not even bother to start if there are already three or more server files ready to go
   (let* ((num-alive   (server:get-num-alive (server:get-list *toppath*))))
     (if (> num-alive 3)
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: Aborting server start because there are already " num-alive " possible servers either running or starting up")
@@ -516,27 +538,27 @@
     (thread-start! th3)
     (set! *didsomething* #t)
     (thread-join! th2)
     (exit)))
 
-(define (http-transport:server-signal-handler signum)
-  (signal-mask! signum)
-  (handle-exceptions
-   exn
-   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* " ... exiting ...")
-   (let ((th1 (make-thread (lambda ()
-			     (thread-sleep! 1))
-			   "eat response"))
-	 (th2 (make-thread (lambda ()
-			     (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Received ^C, attempting clean exit. Please be patient and wait a few seconds before hitting ^C again.")
-			     (thread-sleep! 3) ;; give the flush three seconds to do it's stuff
-			     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "       Done.")
-			     (exit 4))
-			   "exit on ^C timer")))
-     (thread-start! th2)
-     (thread-start! th1)
-     (thread-join! th2))))
+;; (define (http-transport:server-signal-handler signum)
+;;   (signal-mask! signum)
+;;   (handle-exceptions
+;;    exn
+;;    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* " ... exiting ...")
+;;    (let ((th1 (make-thread (lambda ()
+;; 			     (thread-sleep! 1))
+;; 			   "eat response"))
+;; 	 (th2 (make-thread (lambda ()
+;; 			     (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Received ^C, attempting clean exit. Please be patient and wait a few seconds before hitting ^C again.")
+;; 			     (thread-sleep! 3) ;; give the flush three seconds to do it's stuff
+;; 			     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "       Done.")
+;; 			     (exit 4))
+;; 			   "exit on ^C timer")))
+;;      (thread-start! th2)
+;;      (thread-start! th1)
+;;      (thread-join! th2))))
 
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