@@ -271,11 +271,11 @@
 			       (> (length new-res) limit))
 			  new-res ;; (take new-res limit)  <= need intelligent sorting before this will work
 			  new-res)
 		      (loop (string-chomp (car tal)) (cdr tal) new-res)))))))))
 
-(define (server:get-num-alive srvlst)
+#;(define (server:get-num-alive srvlst)
   (let ((num-alive 0))
     (for-each
      (lambda (server)
         (handle-exceptions
           exn
@@ -326,35 +326,35 @@
 		     (list-ref b 3))))))
     (if (> (length slst) nums)
 	(take slst nums)
 	slst)))
 
-;; switch from server:get-list to server:get-servers-info
-;;
-(define (server:get-first-best areapath)
-  (let ((srvrs (server:get-best (server:get-list areapath))))
-    (if (and srvrs
-	     (not (null? srvrs)))
-	(car srvrs)
-	#f)))
-
-(define (server:get-rand-best areapath)
-  (let ((srvrs (server:get-best (server:get-list areapath))))
-    (if (and (list? srvrs)
-	     (not (null? srvrs)))
-	(let* ((len (length srvrs))
-	       (idx (random len)))
-	  (list-ref srvrs idx))
-	#f)))
+;; ;; switch from server:get-list to server:get-servers-info
+;; ;;
+;; (define (server:get-first-best areapath)
+;;   (let ((srvrs (server:get-best (server:get-list areapath))))
+;;     (if (and srvrs
+;; 	     (not (null? srvrs)))
+;; 	(car srvrs)
+;; 	#f)))
+;; 
+;; (define (server:get-rand-best areapath)
+;;   (let ((srvrs (server:get-best (server:get-list areapath))))
+;;     (if (and (list? srvrs)
+;; 	     (not (null? srvrs)))
+;; 	(let* ((len (length srvrs))
+;; 	       (idx (random len)))
+;; 	  (list-ref srvrs idx))
+;; 	#f)))
 
 (define (server:record->id servr)
   (handle-exceptions
    exn
    (begin 
      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port*  "Unable to get server id from " servr ", exn=" exn)     
    #f)
-  (match-let (((mod-time host port start-time server-id pid)
+  (match-let (((host port start-time server-id)
 	       servr))
     (if server-id
 	server-id
 	#f))))
 
@@ -362,11 +362,11 @@
   (handle-exceptions
    exn
    (begin 
      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port*  "Unable to get server url from " servr ", exn=" exn)     
    #f)
-  (match-let (((mod-time host port start-time server-id pid)
+  (match-let (((host port start-time server-id)
 	       servr))
     (if (and host port)
 	(conc host ":" port)
 	#f))))
 
@@ -448,21 +448,28 @@
 	(let* ((oldest     (last by-time-asc))
 	       (oldest-dat (hash-table-ref serversdat oldest))
 	       (host       (list-ref oldest-dat 0))
 	       (all-valid  (filter (lambda (x)
 				     (equal? host (list-ref (hash-table-ref serversdat x) 0)))
-				   by-time-asc)))
+				   by-time-asc))
+	       (best-five  (lambda ()
+			     (if (> (length all-valid) 5)
+				 (map (lambda (x)
+					(hash-table-ref serversdat x))
+				      (take all-valid 5))
+				 all-valid))))
 	  (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))
-		       all-valid))
+	    ((best-five)(best-five))
+	    ((valid) (map (lambda (x)(hash-table-ref serverdat x)) all-valid))
+	    ((best)(let* ((best-five (best-five))
+			  (len       (length best-five)))
+		     (list-ref best-five len)))
+			  
 	    (else
 	     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: invalid command "mode)
 	     #f)))
 	#f)))
 
@@ -535,35 +542,33 @@
     (let loop ((server-info (server:check-if-running areapath))
 	       (try-num    0))
       (if (or server-info
 	      (> (current-seconds) give-up-time)) ;; server-url will be #f if no server available.
 	  (server:record->url server-info)
-	  (let ((num-ok (length (server:get-best (server:get-list areapath)))))
+	  (let ((num-ok (length (server:choose-server areapath 'all-valid))))
 	    (if (and (> try-num 0)  ;; first time through simply wait a little while then try again
 		     (< num-ok 1))  ;; if there are no decent candidates for servers then try starting a new one
 		(server:kind-run areapath))
 	    (thread-sleep! 5)
 	    (loop (server:check-if-running areapath)
 		  (+ try-num 1)))))))
 
-(define server:try-running server:run) ;; there is no more per-run servers ;; REMOVE ME. BUG.
-
 (define (server:get-num-servers #!key (numservers 2))
   (let ((ns (string->number
 	     (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "numservers") "notanumber"))))
     (or ns numservers)))
 
 ;; no longer care if multiple servers are started by accident. older servers will drop off in time.
 ;;
 (define (server:check-if-running areapath) ;;  #!key (numservers "2"))
   (let* ((ns            (server:get-num-servers)) ;; get the setting the for maximum number of servers allowed
-	 (servers       (server:get-best (server:get-list areapath))))
+	 (servers       (server:choose-server areapath 'best-five))) ;; (server:get-best (server:get-list areapath))))
     (if (or (and servers
 		 (null? servers))
-	    (not servers)
-	    (and (list? servers)
-		 (< (length servers) (+ 1 (random ns))))) ;; somewhere between 1 and numservers
+	    (not servers))
+	    ;; (and (list? servers)
+	    ;;	 (< (length servers) (+ 1 (random ns))))) ;; somewhere between 1 and numservers
         #f
         (let loop ((hed (car servers))
                    (tal (cdr servers)))
           (let ((res (server:check-server hed)))
             (if res
@@ -574,15 +579,12 @@
 
 ;; ping the given server
 ;;
 (define (server:check-server server-record)
   (let* ((server-url (server:record->url server-record))
-         (server-id (server:record->id server-record)) 
-         (res        (case *transport-type*
-                       ((http)(server:ping server-url server-id))
-                       ;; ((nmsg)(nmsg-transport:ping (tasks:hostinfo-get-interface server)
-                       )))
+         (server-id  (server:record->id server-record)) 
+         (res        (server:ping server-url server-id)))
     (if res
         server-url
 	#f)))
 
 (define (server:kill servr)