@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@
 		   (config:assoc-safe-add
 		    (hash-table-ref/default cfgdat section-name '())
 		    var value metadata: metadata)))
 
 (define (config:eval-string-in-environment str)
-  (handle-exceptions
+  (common:debug-handle-exceptions #t
    exn
    (begin
      (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "problem evaluating \"" str "\" in the shell environment")
      #f)
    (let ((cmdres (process:cmd-run->list (conc "echo " str))))
@@ -109,11 +109,11 @@
 				   (conc "(lambda (ht)(config-lookup ht \"" sect "\" \"" var "\"))")))
 				((runconfigs-get rget) (conc "(lambda (ht)(runconfigs-get ht \"" cmd "\"))"))
 				;; ((rget)           (conc "(lambda (ht)(runconfigs-get ht \"" cmd "\"))"))
 				(else "(lambda (ht)(print \"ERROR\") \"ERROR\")"))))
 		;; (print "fullcmd=" fullcmd)
-		(handle-exceptions
+		(common:debug-handle-exceptions #t
 		 exn
 		 (begin
 		   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: failed to process config input \"" l "\"")
 		   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
 		   ;; (print "exn=" (condition->list exn))
@@ -653,19 +653,31 @@
      (lambda (section)
        (hash-table-set! ht (car section)(cdr section)))
      adat)
     ht))
 
+;; if 
 (define (configf:read-alist fname)
-  (configf:alist->config
-   (with-input-from-file fname read)))
+  (handle-exceptions
+      exn
+      #f
+    (configf:alist->config
+     (with-input-from-file fname read))))
 
 (define (configf:write-alist cdat fname)
-  (with-output-to-file fname
-    (lambda ()
-      (pp (configf:config->alist cdat)))))
-     
+  (let ((dat  (configf:config->alist cdat)))
+    (with-output-to-file fname ;; first write out the file
+      (lambda ()
+	(pp dat)))
+    (if (file-exists? fname)   ;; now verify it is readable
+	(if (configf:read-alist fname)
+	    #t ;; data is good.
+	    (begin
+	      (delete-file fname)
+	      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: content " dat " for cache " fname " is not readable. Deleting generated file.")
+	      #f))
+	#f)))
 
 ;; convert hierarchial list to ini format
 ;;
 (define (configf:config->ini data)
   (map