@@ -1406,11 +1406,11 @@
 				    (case (string->symbol exe)
 				      ((dboard)    "../megatest")
 				      ((mtest)     "../megatest")
 				      ((dashboard) "megatest")
 				      (else exe)))))
-	   (launcher        (common:get-launcher *configdat* test-name item-path)) ;; (config-lookup *configdat* "jobtools"     "launcher"))
+	   (launcher        (launch:get-launcher *configdat* test-name item-path)) ;; (config-lookup *configdat* "jobtools"     "launcher"))
 	   (test-sig        (conc (common:get-testsuite-name) ":" test-name ":" item-path)) ;; (item-list->path itemdat))) ;; test-path is the full path including the item-path
 	   (work-area       #f)
 	   (toptest-work-area #f) ;; for iterated tests the top test contains data relevant for all
 	   (diskpath   #f)
 	   (cmdparms   #f)
@@ -1586,5 +1586,80 @@
     ;; now wait on that process if all is correct
     ;; periodically update the db with runtime
     ;; when the process exits look at the db, if still RUNNING after 10 seconds set
     ;; state/status appropriately
     (process-wait pid)))
+
+;;======================================================================
+;;  T E S T   L A U N C H I N G   P E R   I T E M   W I T H   H O S T   T Y P E S
+;;======================================================================
+;; 
+;; [hosts]
+;; arm cubie01 cubie02
+;; x86_64 zeus xena myth01
+;; allhosts #{g hosts arm} #{g hosts x86_64}
+;; 
+;; [host-types]
+;; general #MTLOWESTLOAD #{g hosts allhosts}
+;; arm     #MTLOWESTLOAD #{g hosts arm}
+;; nbgeneral nbjob run JOBCOMMAND -log $MT_LINKTREE/$MT_TARGET/$MT_RUNNAME.$MT_TESTNAME-$MT_ITEM_PATH.lgo
+;;
+;; [host-rules]
+;; # maxnload   => max normalized load
+;; # maxnjobs   => max jobs per cpu
+;; # maxjobrate => max jobs per second
+;; general maxnload=1.1; maxnjobs=1.2; maxjobrate=0.1 
+;; 
+;; [launchers]
+;; envsetup general
+;; xor/%/n 4C16G
+;; % nbgeneral
+;; 
+;; [jobtools]
+;; # if defined and not "no" flexi-launcher will bypass "launcher" unless no match.
+;; flexi-launcher yes  
+;; launcher nbfake
+;;
+(define (launch:get-launcher configdat testname itempath)
+  (let ((fallback-launcher (configf:lookup configdat "jobtools" "launcher")))
+    (if (and (configf:lookup configdat "jobtools" "flexi-launcher") ;; overrides launcher
+	     (not (equal? (configf:lookup configdat "jobtools" "flexi-launcher") "no")))
+	(let* ((launchers         (hash-table-ref/default configdat "launchers" '())))
+	  (if (null? launchers)
+	      fallback-launcher
+	      (let loop ((hed (car launchers))
+			 (tal (cdr launchers)))
+		(let ((patt      (car hed))
+		      (host-type (cadr hed)))
+		  (if (tests:match patt testname itempath)
+		      (begin
+			(debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "Have flexi-launcher match for " testname "/" itempath " = " host-type)
+			(let ((launcher (configf:lookup configdat "host-types" host-type)))
+			  (if launcher
+			      (let* ((launcher-parts (string-split launcher))
+				     (launcher-exe   (car launcher-parts)))
+				(if (equal? launcher-exe "#MTLOWESTLOAD") ;; this is our special case, we will find the lowest load and craft a nbfake commandline
+				    (let host-loop ((targ-host (common:get-least-loaded-host (cdr launcher-parts) host-type configdat))
+						    (count     100))
+				      (if targ-host
+					  (conc "remrun " targ-host)
+					  (if (> count 0)
+					      (begin
+						(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: Waiting for a host for host-type " host-type)
+						(thread-sleep! (- 101 count))
+						(host-loop (common:get-least-loaded-host (cdr launcher-parts) host-type configdat)
+							   (- count 1)))
+					      (begin
+						(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "FATAL: Failed to find a host from #MTLOWESTLOAD for host-type " host-type)
+						(exit)))))
+				    launcher))
+			      (begin
+				(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: no launcher found for host-type " host-type)
+				(if (null? tal)
+				    fallback-launcher
+				    (loop (car tal)(cdr tal)))))))
+		      ;; no match, try again
+		      (if (null? tal)
+			  fallback-launcher
+			  (loop (car tal)(cdr tal))))))))
+	fallback-launcher)))
+