@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
 ;;  This program is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the
 ;;  implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
 ;;  PURPOSE.
 ;;======================================================================
 
-(use srfi-1 posix regex-case base64 format dot-locking csv-xml z3 sql-de-lite hostinfo)
+(use srfi-1 posix regex-case base64 format dot-locking csv-xml z3 sql-de-lite hostinfo md5 message-digest)
 (require-extension regex posix)
 
 (require-extension (srfi 18) extras tcp rpc)
 
 (import (prefix sqlite3 sqlite3:))
@@ -364,10 +364,13 @@
   (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "testsuite" )
       (if *toppath* 
           (pathname-file *toppath*)
           (pathname-file (current-directory)))))
 
+(define (common:get-area-path-signature)
+  (message-digest-string (md5-primitive) *toppath*))
+
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; E X I T   H A N D L I N G
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define (common:legacy-sync-recommended)
@@ -520,10 +523,31 @@
 	 (pathname-directory
 	  (pathname-directory 
 	   (pathname-directory exe-path))))
 	#f)))
 
+;; return first path that can be created or already exists and is writable
+;;
+(define (common:get-create-writeable-dir dirs)
+  (if (null? dirs)
+      #f
+      (let loop ((hed (car dirs))
+		 (tal (cdr dirs)))
+	(let ((res (or (and (directory? hed)
+			    (file-write-access? hed)
+			    hed)
+		       (handle-exceptions
+			exn
+			#f
+			(create-directory hed #t)))))
+	  (if (and (string? res)
+		   (directory? res))
+	      res
+	      (if (null? tal)
+		  #f
+		  (loop (car tal)(cdr tal))))))))
+  
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; T A R G E T S  ,   S T A T E ,   S T A T U S ,   
 ;;                    R U N N A M E    A N D   T E S T P A T T
 ;;======================================================================