@@ -65,11 +65,11 @@
   ;;	  (equal? "!" (substring str 0 1))) ;; null string or starts with ! are preserved but NOT set in the environment
       str
       (handle-exceptions
        exn
        (begin
-	 (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "problem evaluating \"" str "\" in the shell environment")
+	 (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "problem evaluating \"" str "\" in the shell environment, exn=" exn)
 	 #f)
        (let ((cmdres (process:cmd-run->list (conc "echo " str))))
 	 (if (null? cmdres) ""
 	     (caar cmdres))))) ;; )
 
@@ -130,11 +130,11 @@
 				(else "(lambda (ht)(print \"ERROR\") \"ERROR\")"))))
 		;; (print "fullcmd=" fullcmd)
 		(handle-exceptions
 		 exn
 		 (begin
-		   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: failed to process config input \"" l "\"")
+		   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: failed to process config input \"" l "\", exn=" exn)
 		   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
 		   ;; (print "exn=" (condition->list exn))
 		   (set! result (conc "#{( " cmdtype ") " cmd "}, full expansion: " fullcmd)))
 		 (if (or allow-system
 			 (not (member cmdtype '("system" "shell" "sh"))))
@@ -334,11 +334,15 @@
                                                              (common:nice-path 
                                                               (conc (if curr-conf-dir
                                                                         curr-conf-dir
                                                                         ".")
                                                                     "/" include-file)))))
-				     (let ((all-matches (sort (handle-exceptions exn (list) (glob full-conf)) string<=?)))
+				     (let ((all-matches (sort (handle-exceptions exn
+								(begin
+								 (debug:print '(2 9) *default-log-port* "glob of " full-conf " gave no match. , exn=" exn)
+								 (list))
+								(glob full-conf)) string<=?)))
 				       (if (null? all-matches)
 					   (begin
 					     (debug:print '(2 9) #f "INFO: include file(s) matching " include-file " not found (called from " path ")")
 					     (debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "        " full-conf))
 					   (for-each
@@ -775,14 +779,16 @@
     ht))
 
 ;; if 
 (define (configf:read-alist fname)
   (handle-exceptions
-   exn
-   #f
-   (configf:alist->config
-    (with-input-from-file fname read))))
+      exn
+    (begin
+      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "read of alist " fname " failed. exn=" exn)
+      #f)
+    (configf:alist->config
+     (with-input-from-file fname read))))
 
 (define (configf:write-alist cdat fname)
   (if (not (common:faux-lock fname))
       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: Could not get lock on " fname))
   (let* ((dat  (configf:config->alist cdat))
@@ -795,14 +801,16 @@
             (if (common:file-exists? fname)   ;; now verify it is readable
                 (if (configf:read-alist fname)
                     #t ;; data is good.
                     (begin
                       (handle-exceptions
-                       exn
-                       #f
-                       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: content " dat " for cache " fname " is not readable. Deleting generated file.")
-                       (delete-file fname))
+			  exn
+			(begin
+			  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "deleting " fname " failed, exn=" exn)
+			  #f)
+			(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: content " dat " for cache " fname " is not readable. Deleting generated file.")
+			(delete-file fname))
                       #f))
                 #f))))
     (common:faux-unlock fname)
     res))