@@ -284,11 +284,11 @@
   -list-test-time	  : list time requered to complete each test in a run. It following following arguments
                             -runname <patt> -target <patt> -dumpmode <csv,json,plain-text>
   -syscheck               : do some very basic checks; write access and space in tmp, home, runs, links and 
                             is $DISPLAY valid 
   -list-waivers           : dump waivers for specified target, runname, testpatt to stdout
-  -db2db                  : sync db to db, use -from and -to to specify the databases
+  -db2db                  : sync db to db, use -from, -to for dbs, -period and -timeout for continuous sync
 
 Diff report
   -diff-rep               : generate diff report (must include -src-target, -src-runname, -target, -runname
                                                   and either -diff-email or -diff-html)
   -src-target <target>
@@ -334,11 +334,11 @@
 			":status"
 			"-status"
 			"-list-runs"
                         "-testdata-csv"
 			"-testpatt"
-                        "--modepatt"
+                        ;; "--modepatt"
                         "-modepatt"
                         "-tagexpr"
 			"-itempatt"
 			"-setlog"
 			"-set-toplog"
@@ -380,10 +380,12 @@
 			"-envcap"
 			"-envdelta"
 			"-setvars"
 			"-set-state-status"
 			"-import-sexpr"
+			"-period"  ;; sync period in seconds
+			"-timeout" ;; exit sync if timeout in seconds exceeded since last change
 
                         ;; move runs stuff here
                         "-remove-keep"           
 			"-set-run-status"
 			"-age"
@@ -2579,15 +2581,18 @@
       (if (and src-db dest-db)
 	  (begin
 	    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Attempting to sync data from "src-db" to "dest-db"...")
 	    ;; (if (common:simple-file-lock lockfile)
 	    ;; 	(begin
-	    (if (not (file-exists? dest-db)) ;; use copy to get going
+	    (if (and (file-exists? src-db)
+		     (not (file-exists? dest-db))) ;; use copy to get going
 		(file-copy src-db dest-db))
 	    (let ((res (dbmod:db-to-db-sync src-db dest-db 0 (dbfile:db-init-proc) keys)))
 	      ;;    (common:simple-file-release-lock lockfile)
-	      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Synced " res " records from "src-db" to "dest-db)))
+	      (if res
+		  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Synced " res " records from "src-db" to "dest-db)
+		  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "No sync due to permissions or non-existant source db."))))
 	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Skipping sync, there is a sync in progress."))
       (set! *didsomething* #t))
     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Usage for -db2db; -to and -from must be specified"))
 
 (if (args:get-arg "-list-test-time")