@@ -23,18 +23,18 @@
 
 ;; return list (path fullpath configname)
 (define (find-config configname #!key (toppath #f))
   (if toppath
       (let ((cfname (conc toppath "/" configname)))
-	(if (file-exists? cfname)
+	(if (common:file-exists? cfname)
 	    (list toppath cfname configname)
 	    (list #f      #f     #f)))
       (let* ((cwd (string-split (current-directory) "/")))
 	(let loop ((dir cwd))
 	  (let* ((path     (conc "/" (string-intersperse dir "/")))
 		 (fullpath (conc path "/" configname)))
-	    (if (file-exists? fullpath)
+	    (if (common:file-exists? fullpath)
 		(list path fullpath configname)
 		(let ((remcwd (take dir (- (length dir) 1))))
 		  (if (null? remcwd)
 		      (list #f #f #f) ;;  #f #f) 
 		  (loop remcwd)))))))))
@@ -235,11 +235,11 @@
 					  ((port?   path) "port")
 					  (else (conc path))))
                          (T      . configf))
 		       *configdat* #t add-only: #t))
   (if (and (not (port? path))
-	   (not (file-exists? path))) ;; for case where we are handed a port
+	   (not (common:file-exists? path))) ;; for case where we are handed a port
       (begin 
 	(debug:print-info 1 *default-log-port* "read-config - file not found " path " current path: " (current-directory))
 	;; WARNING: This is a risky change but really, we should not return an empty hash table if no file read?
 	#f) ;; (if (not ht)(make-hash-table) ht))
       (let ((inp        (if (string? path)
@@ -288,11 +288,11 @@
 										(common:nice-path 
 										 (conc (if curr-conf-dir
 											   curr-conf-dir
 											   ".")
 										       "/" include-file)))))
-							(if (file-exists? full-conf)
+							(if (common:file-exists? full-conf)
 							    (begin
 							      ;; (push-directory conf-dir)
 							      (debug:print 9 *default-log-port* "Including: " full-conf)
 							      (read-config full-conf res allow-system environ-patt: environ-patt curr-section: curr-section-name sections: sections settings: settings keep-filenames: keep-filenames)
 							      ;; (pop-directory)
@@ -304,11 +304,11 @@
 	       (configf:script-rx ( x include-script params);; handle-exceptions
                                   ;;    exn
                                   ;;    (begin
                                   ;;      (debug:print '(0 2 9) #f "INFO: include from script " include-script " failed.")
                                   ;;      (loop (configf:read-line inp res (calc-allow-system allow-system curr-section-name sections) settings) curr-section-name #f #f))
-							 (if (and (file-exists? include-script)(file-execute-access? include-script))
+							 (if (and (common:file-exists? include-script)(file-execute-access? include-script))
 							     (let* ((new-inp-port (open-input-pipe (conc include-script " " params))))
 							       (debug:print '(2 9) *default-log-port* "Including from script output: " include-script)
 							      ;;  (print "We got here, calling read-config next. Port is: " new-inp-port)
 							       (read-config new-inp-port res allow-system environ-patt: environ-patt curr-section: curr-section-name sections: sections settings: settings keep-filenames: keep-filenames)
 							       (close-input-port new-inp-port)
@@ -517,11 +517,11 @@
 	  (if (null? tal)
 	      newres
 	      (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) newres))))))
 
 (define (configf:file->list fname)
-  (if (file-exists? fname)
+  (if (common:file-exists? fname)
       (let ((inp (open-input-file fname)))
 	(let loop ((inl (read-line inp))
 		   (res '()))
 	  (if (eof-object? inl)
 	      (begin
@@ -621,11 +621,11 @@
 
 ;; reads a refdb into an assoc array of assoc arrays
 ;;   returns (list dat msg)
 (define (configf:read-refdb refdb-path)
   (let ((sheets-file  (conc refdb-path "/sheet-names.cfg")))
-    (if (not (file-exists? sheets-file))
+    (if (not (common:file-exists? sheets-file))
 	(list #f (conc "ERROR: no refdb found at " refdb-path))
 	(if (not (file-read-access? sheets-file))
 	    (list #f (conc "ERROR: refdb file not readable at " refdb-path))
 	    (let* ((sheets (with-input-from-file sheets-file
 			     (lambda ()
@@ -693,36 +693,33 @@
       #f
     (configf:alist->config
      (with-input-from-file fname read))))
 
 (define (configf:write-alist cdat fname)
-    (if (common:faux-lock fname)
-        (let* ((dat  (configf:config->alist cdat))
-               (res
-                (begin
-                  (with-output-to-file fname ;; first write out the file
-                    (lambda ()
-                      (pp dat)))
-                  
-                  (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))
-                            #f))
-                      #f))))
-          
-          (common:faux-unlock fname)
-          res)
-        (begin
-          (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: could not get faux-lock on " fname)
-          #f)))
-
+  (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))
+         (res
+          (begin
+            (with-output-to-file fname ;; first write out the file
+              (lambda ()
+                (pp dat)))
+            
+            (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))
+                      #f))
+                #f))))
+    (common:faux-unlock fname)
+    res))
+  
 ;; convert hierarchial list to ini format
 ;;
 (define (configf:config->ini data)
   (map 
    (lambda (section)