@@ -126,11 +126,11 @@
   (let* ((curr-host   (get-host-name))
          ;; (attempt-in-progress (server:start-attempted? areapath))
          ;; (dot-server-url (server:check-if-running areapath))
 	 (curr-ip     (server:get-best-guess-address curr-host))
 	 (curr-pid    (current-process-id))
-	 (homehost    (common:get-homehost)) ;; configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "homehost" ))
+	 (homehost    (server:get-homehost)) ;; configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "homehost" ))
 	 (target-host (car homehost))
 	 (testsuite   (common:get-testsuite-name))
 	 (logfile     (conc areapath "/logs/server.log")) ;; -" curr-pid "-" target-host ".log"))
 	 (profile-mode (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "misc" "profilesw")
 			   ""))
@@ -425,33 +425,112 @@
     res))
 
 ;; oldest server alive determines host then choose random of youngest
 ;; five servers on that host
 ;;
-(define (server:choose-server areapath)
+;; mode:
+;;   best - get best server (random of newest five)
+;;   home - get home host based on oldest server
+;;   info - print info
+(define (server:choose-server areapath #!optional (mode 'best))
   ;; age is current-starttime
   ;; find oldest alive
   ;;   1. sort by age ascending and ping until good
   ;; find alive rand from youngest
   ;;   1. sort by age descending
   ;;   2. take five
   ;;   3. check alive, discard if not and repeat
   (let* ((serversdat  (server:get-servers-info areapath))
-	 (by-time-asc (sort (hash-table-keys serversdat)
+	 (by-time-asc (sort (hash-table-keys serversdat) ;; list of "host:port"
 			    (lambda (a b)
 			      (>= (list-ref (hash-table-ref serversdat a) 2)
 				  (list-ref (hash-table-ref serversdat b) 2))))))
     (if (not (null? by-time-asc))
 	(let* ((oldest     (last by-time-asc))
 	       (oldest-dat (hash-table-ref serversdat oldest))
 	       (host       (list-ref oldest-dat 1))
-	       (all-valid  (filter (lambda (x)(equal? host (list-ref x 1))) by-time-asc)))
-	  (print "oldest: "oldest-dat", selected host: "host", all-valid: "all-valid)
-	  (print "youngest: "(hash-table-ref serversdat (car all-valid)))
-	  (car all-valid))
+	       (all-valid  (filter (lambda (x)
+				     (equal? host (list-ref (hash-table-ref serversdat x) 1)))
+				   by-time-asc)))
+	  (case mode
+	    ((info)
+	     (print "oldest: "oldest-dat", selected host: "host", all-valid: "all-valid)
+	     (print "youngest: "(hash-table-ref serversdat (car all-valid))))
+	    ((home) host)
+	    ((best)(if (> (length all-valid) 5)
+		       (map (lambda (x)
+			      (hash-table-ref serversdat x))
+			    (take all-valid 5))))
+	    (else
+	     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: invalid command "mode)
+	     #f))
+	  #f))))
+
+(define (server:get-homehost #!key (trynum 5))
+  ;; called often especially at start up. use mutex to eliminate collisions
+  (mutex-lock! *homehost-mutex*)
+  (cond
+   (*home-host*
+    (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
+    *home-host*)
+   ((not *toppath*)
+    (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
+    (launch:setup) ;; safely mutexed now
+    (if (> trynum 0)
+	(begin
+	  (thread-sleep! 2)
+	  (server:get-homehost trynum: (- trynum 1)))
+	#f))
+   (else
+    (let* ((currhost (get-host-name))
+	   (bestadrs (server:get-best-guess-address currhost))
+	   ;; first look in config, then look in file .homehost, create it if not found
+	   (homehost (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "homehost" )
+			 (handle-exceptions
+			     exn
+			     (if (> trynum 0)
+				 (let ((delay-time (* (- 5 trynum) 5)))
+				   (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
+				   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)"] Failed to read .homehost file, delaying "
+						delay-time " seconds and trying again, message: "  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn)
+						", exn=" exn)
+				   (thread-sleep! delay-time)
+				   (server:get-homehost trynum: (- trynum 1)))
+				 (begin
+				   (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
+				   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)
+						"] Failed to read .homehost file after trying five times. Giving up and exiting, message: "
+						((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
+				   (exit 1)))
+			   (let ((hhf (conc *toppath* "/.homehost")))
+			     (if (common:file-exists? hhf)
+				 (with-input-from-file hhf read-line)
+				 (if (file-write-access? *toppath*)
+				     (begin
+				       (with-output-to-file hhf
+					 (lambda ()
+					   (print bestadrs)))
+				       (begin
+					 (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
+					 (car (server:get-homehost))))
+				     #f))))))
+	   (at-home  (or (equal? homehost currhost)
+			 (equal? homehost bestadrs))))
+      (set! *home-host* (cons homehost at-home))
+      (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
+      *home-host*))))
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; am I on the homehost?
+;;
+(define (common:on-homehost?)
+  (let ((hh (server:get-homehost)))
+    (if hh
+	(cdr hh)
 	#f)))
-        
+
+	  
 ;; kind start up of server, wait before allowing another server for a given
 ;; area to be launched
 ;;
 (define (server:kind-run areapath)
   ;; look for $MT_RUN_AREA_HOME/logs/server-start-last