@@ -31,10 +31,27 @@
 (declare (uses commonmod))
 (import commonmod)
 
 (include "common_records.scm")
 
+;;======================================================================
+;; D A S H B O A R D   U S E R   V I E W S
+;;======================================================================
+
+;; first read ~/views.config if it exists, then read $MTRAH/views.config if it exists
+;;
+(define (common:load-views-config)
+  (let* ((view-cfgdat    (make-hash-table))
+	 (home-cfgfile   (conc (get-environment-variable "HOME") "/.mtviews.config"))
+	 (mthome-cfgfile (conc *toppath* "/.mtviews.config")))
+    (if (common:file-exists? mthome-cfgfile)
+	(read-config mthome-cfgfile view-cfgdat #t))
+    ;; we load the home dir file AFTER the MTRAH file so the user can clobber settings when running the dashboard in read-only areas
+    (if (common:file-exists? home-cfgfile)
+	(read-config home-cfgfile view-cfgdat #t))
+    view-cfgdat))
+
 
 ;; (require-library margs)
 ;; (include "margs.scm")
 
 ;; (define old-exit exit)
@@ -42,5 +59,93 @@
 ;; (define (exit . code)
 ;;   (if (null? code)
 ;;       (old-exit)
 ;;       (old-exit code)))
 
+;;======================================================================
+;; 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
+;;======================================================================
+
+;; (map print (map car (hash-table->alist (read-config "runconfigs.config" #f #t))))
+;;
+(define (common:get-runconfig-targets #!key (configf #f))
+  (let ((targs       (sort (map car (hash-table->alist
+				     (or configf ;; NOTE: There is no value in using runconfig:read here.
+					 (read-config (conc *toppath* "/runconfigs.config")
+						      #f #t)
+					 (make-hash-table))))
+			   string<?))
+	(target-patt (args:get-arg "-target")))
+    (if target-patt
+	(filter (lambda (x)
+		  (patt-list-match x target-patt))
+		targs)
+	targs)))
+
+;; Lookup a value in runconfigs based on -reqtarg or -target
+;; 
+(define (runconfigs-get config var)
+  (let ((targ (common:args-get-target))) ;; (or (args:get-arg "-reqtarg")(args:get-arg "-target")(getenv "MT_TARGET"))))
+    (if targ
+	(or (configf:lookup config targ var)
+	    (configf:lookup config "default" var))
+	(configf:lookup config "default" var))))
+
+(define (common:args-get-state)
+  (or (args:get-arg "-state")(args:get-arg ":state")))
+
+(define (common:args-get-status)
+  (or (args:get-arg "-status")(args:get-arg ":status")))
+
+(define (common:args-get-testpatt rconf)
+  (let* (;; (tagexpr       (args:get-arg "-tagexpr"))
+         ;; (tags-testpatt (if tagexpr (string-join (runs:get-tests-matching-tags tagexpr) ",") #f))
+         (testpatt-key  (or (args:get-arg "-modepatt") (args:get-arg "--modepatt") "TESTPATT"))
+         (args-testpatt (or (args:get-arg "-testpatt") (args:get-arg "-runtests") "%"))
+         (rtestpatt     (if rconf (runconfigs-get rconf testpatt-key) #f)))
+    (cond
+     ((args:get-arg "--modepatt") ;; modepatt is a forced setting, when set it MUST refer to an existing PATT in the runconfig
+      (if rconf
+	  (runconfigs-get rconf testpatt-key)
+	  #f))     ;; We do NOT fall back to "%"
+     ;; (tags-testpatt
+     ;;  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "-tagexpr "tagexpr" selects testpatt "tags-testpatt)
+     ;;  tags-testpatt)
+     ((and (equal? args-testpatt "%") rtestpatt)
+      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "testpatt defined in "testpatt-key" from runconfigs: " rtestpatt)
+      rtestpatt)
+     (else args-testpatt))))
+
+;; '(print (string-intersperse (map cadr (hash-table-ref/default (read-config "megatest.config" \#f \#t) "disks" '"'"'("none" ""))) "\n"))'
+(define (common:get-disks #!key (configf #f))
+  (hash-table-ref/default 
+   (or configf (read-config "megatest.config" #f #t))
+   "disks" '("none" "")))
+
+;; TODO: for multiple areas, we will have multiple watchdogs; and multiple threads to manage
+(define (common:watchdog)
+  (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "common:watchdog entered.")
+  (if (launch:setup)
+      (if (common:on-homehost?)
+	  (let ((dbstruct (db:setup #t)))
+	    (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "after db:setup with dbstruct=" dbstruct)
+	    (cond
+	     ((dbr:dbstruct-read-only dbstruct)
+	      (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "loading read-only watchdog")
+	      (common:readonly-watchdog dbstruct))
+	     (else
+	      (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "loading writable-watchdog.")
+              (let* ((syncer (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "sync-method") "brute-force-sync")))
+                (cond
+                 ((equal? syncer "brute-force-sync")
+                  (server:writable-watchdog-bruteforce dbstruct))
+                 ((equal? syncer "delta-sync")
+                  (server:writable-watchdog-deltasync dbstruct))
+                 (else
+                  (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Unknown server/sync-method specified ("syncer") - valid values are brute-force-sync and delta-sync.")
+                  (exit 1)))
+                ;;(debug:print 1 *default-log-port* "INFO: ["(common:human-time)"] Syncer started (method="syncer")")
+                )))
+	    (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "watchdog done."))
+	  (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "no need for watchdog on non-homehost"))))
+