@@ -1051,11 +1051,11 @@
                        (if message
                            (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* message))
                        #f) (thunk) ))
 
 (define (common:file-exists? path-string #!key (silent #f))
-  ;; this avoids stack dumps in the case where 
+  ;; this avoids stack dumps in the case where file is not readable (I think this is due to a bug fixed in a later version of chicken)
 
   ;;;; TODO: catch permission denied exceptions and emit appropriate warnings, eg:  system error while trying to access file: "/nfs/pdx/disks/icf_env_disk001/bjbarcla/gwa/issues/mtdev/randy-slow/reproduce/q...
   (common:false-on-exception (lambda () (file-exists? path-string))
                              message: (if (not silent)
                                           (conc "Unable to access path: " path-string)
@@ -2836,5 +2836,51 @@
            exn
            #t ;; just ignore it, it might have died in the meantime so joining it will throw an exception
            (thread-join! thread))
            )))
    (hash-table-keys *common:thread-punchlist*)))
+
+
+;; moved to common.scm as it is very megatest specific
+
+;; pathenvvar will set the named var to the path of the config
+(define (common:find-and-read-config fname #!key (environ-patt #f)(given-toppath #f)(pathenvvar #f))
+  (let* ((curr-dir   (current-directory))
+         (configinfo (find-config fname toppath: given-toppath))
+	 (toppath    (car configinfo))
+	 (configfile (cadr configinfo))
+	 (set-fields (lambda (curr-section next-section ht path)
+		       (let ((field-names (if ht (common:get-fields ht) '()))
+			     (target      (or (getenv "MT_TARGET")(args:get-arg "-reqtarg")(args:get-arg "-target"))))
+			 (debug:print-info 9 *default-log-port* "set-fields with field-names=" field-names " target=" target " curr-section=" curr-section " next-section=" next-section " path=" path " ht=" ht)
+			 (if (not (null? field-names))(keys:target-set-args field-names target #f))))))
+    (if toppath (change-directory toppath)) 
+    (if (and toppath pathenvvar)(setenv pathenvvar toppath))
+    (let ((configdat  (if configfile 
+			  (read-config configfile #f #t environ-patt: environ-patt post-section-procs: (list (cons "^fields$" set-fields)) #f))))
+      (if toppath (change-directory curr-dir))
+      (list configdat toppath configfile fname))))
+
+;;;; return list (path fullpath configname)
+(define (common:find-config configname #!key (toppath #f))
+  (if toppath
+      (let ((cfname (conc toppath "/" configname)))
+	(if (common:file-exists? cfname)
+	    (list toppath cfname configname)
+	    (list #f      #f     #f)))
+      (let* ((cwd (string-split (current-directory) "/")))
+	(let loop ((dir cwd))
+	  (let* ((path     (conc "/" (string-intersperse dir "/")))
+		 (fullpath (conc path "/" configname)))
+	    (if (common:file-exists? fullpath)
+		(list path fullpath configname)
+		(let ((remcwd (take dir (- (length dir) 1))))
+		  (if (null? remcwd)
+		      (list #f #f #f) ;;  #f #f) 
+		  (loop remcwd)))))))))
+
+(define (common:setup)
+  (let* ((configf (find-config "megatest.config"))
+	 (config  (if configf (read-config configf #f #t) #f)))
+    (if config
+	(setenv "RUN_AREA_HOME" (pathname-directory configf)))
+    config))