@@ -215,11 +215,16 @@
     (if file-write ;; dir-writable
 	(let (;; (lock    (obtain-dot-lock fname 1 5 10))
 	      (db      (sqlite3:open-database fname)))
 	  (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db (make-busy-timeout 136000))
 	  (db:set-sync db) ;; (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = 0;")
-	  (if (not file-exists)(initproc db))
+	  (if (not file-exists)
+	      (begin
+		(if (string-match "^/tmp/.*" fname) ;; this is a file in /tmp
+		    (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL;")
+		    (print "Creating " fname " in NON-WAL mode."))
+		(initproc db)))
 	  ;; (release-dot-lock fname)
 	  db)
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "WARNING: opening db in non-writable dir " fname)
 	  (sqlite3:open-database fname))))) ;; )
@@ -315,15 +320,25 @@
 		(db:multi-db-sync #f 'old2new))  ;; migrate data from megatest.db automatically
 	    dbdat)))))
 
 ;; Make the dbstruct, setup up auxillary db's and call for main db at least once
 ;;
+;; called in http-transport and replicated in rmt.scm for *local* access. 
+;;
 (define (db:setup run-id #!key (local #f))
   (let* ((dbdir    (db:dbfile-path #f)) ;; (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
 	 (dbstruct (make-dbr:dbstruct path: dbdir local: local)))
     dbstruct))
 
+;; open the local db for direct access (no server)
+;;
+(define (db:open-local-db-handle)
+  (or *dbstruct-db*
+      (let ((dbstruct (db:setup #f local: #t)))
+	(set! *dbstruct-db* dbstruct)
+	dbstruct)))
+	  
 ;; Open the classic megatest.db file in toppath
 ;;
 (define (db:open-megatest-db #!key (path #f))
   (let* ((dbpath       (or path (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db")))
 	 (dbexists     (file-exists? dbpath))
@@ -1463,10 +1478,15 @@
     (if (and (null? incompleted)
 	     (null? oldlaunched)
 	     (null? toplevels))
 	#f
 	#t)))
+
+;; given a launch delay (minimum time from last launch) return amount of time to wait
+;;
+;; (define (db:launch-delay-left dbstruct run-id launch-delay)
+  
 
 ;;  select end_time-now from
 ;;      (select testname,item_path,event_time+run_duration as
 ;;                          end_time,strftime('%s','now') as now from tests where state in
 ;;      ('RUNNING','REMOTEHOSTSTART','LAUNCED'));