@@ -325,13 +325,13 @@
 		       (thread-start! th1)
 		       (thread-join! th2)))))
       (set-signal-handler! signal/int sighand)
       (set-signal-handler! signal/term sighand))
 
-    ;; force the starting of a server
-    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "waiting on server...")
-    (server:start-and-wait *toppath*)
+    ;; force the starting of a server -- removed BB 17ww28 - no longer needed.
+    ;;(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "waiting on server...")
+    ;;(server:start-and-wait *toppath*)
     
     (runs:set-megatest-env-vars run-id inkeys: keys inrunname: runname) ;; these may be needed by the launching process
     (set! runconf (if (common:file-exists? runconfigf)
 		      (setup-env-defaults runconfigf run-id *already-seen-runconfig-info* keyvals target)
 		      (begin
@@ -595,10 +595,11 @@
 	  '()
 	  reg)))
 
 (define runs:nothing-left-in-queue-count 0)
 
+;; BB: for future reference - suspect target vars are not expanded to env vars at this point (item expansion using [items]\nwhatever [system echo $TARGETVAR] doesnt work right whereas [system echo #{targetvar}] does.. Tal and Randy have tix on this.  on first pass, var not set, on second pass, ok.  
 (define (runs:expand-items hed tal reg reruns regfull newtal jobgroup max-concurrent-jobs run-id waitons item-path testmode test-record can-run-more items runname tconfig reglen test-registry test-records itemmaps)
   (let* ((loop-list       (list hed tal reg reruns))
 	 (prereqs-not-met (let ((res (rmt:get-prereqs-not-met run-id waitons hed item-path mode: testmode itemmaps: itemmaps)))
 			    (if (list? res)
 				res
@@ -1270,17 +1271,18 @@
 			   itemmaps:    itemmaps
 			   ;; prereqs-not-met: prereqs-not-met
 			   )))
 	(runs:dat-regfull-set! runsdat regfull)
 
+        ;; -- removed BB 17ww28 - no longer needed.
 	;; every 15 minutes verify the server is there for this run
-	(if (and (common:low-noise-print 240 "try start server"  run-id)
-		 (not (or (and *runremote*
-			       (remote-server-url *runremote*)
-			       (server:ping (remote-server-url *runremote*)))
-			  (server:check-if-running *toppath*))))
-	    (server:kind-run *toppath*))
+	;; (if (and (common:low-noise-print 240 "try start server"  run-id)
+	;; 	 (not (or (and *runremote*
+	;; 		       (remote-server-url *runremote*)
+	;; 		       (server:ping (remote-server-url *runremote*)))
+	;; 		  (server:check-if-running *toppath*))))
+	;;     (server:kind-run *toppath*))
 	
 	(if (> num-running 0)
 	  (set! last-time-some-running (current-seconds)))
 
       (if (> (current-seconds)(+ last-time-some-running (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "give-up-waiting") 36000)))
@@ -1408,11 +1410,11 @@
 	      (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) reg reruns)))
 	    
 	 ;; if items is a proc then need to run items:get-items-from-config, get the list and loop 
 	 ;;    - but only do that if resources exist to kick off the job
 	 ;; EXPAND ITEMS
-	 ((or (procedure? items)(eq? items 'have-procedure))
+	 ((or (procedure? items)(eq? items 'have-procedure)) ;; BB - target vars are env vars here? to allow expansion of [items]\nsomething [system echo $SOMETARGVAR], which is wonky
 	  (let ((can-run-more    (runs:can-run-more-tests runsdat run-id jobgroup max-concurrent-jobs)))
 	    (if (and (list? can-run-more)
 		     (car can-run-more))
 		(let ((loop-list (runs:expand-items hed tal reg reruns regfull newtal jobgroup max-concurrent-jobs run-id waitons item-path testmode test-record can-run-more items runname tconfig reglen test-registry test-records itemmaps)))
 		  (if loop-list
@@ -1960,11 +1962,26 @@
   (let* ((run-dir       (db:test-get-rundir test))    ;; run dir is from the link tree
 	 (real-dir      (if (common:file-exists? run-dir)
 			    ;; (resolve-pathname run-dir)
 			    (common:nice-path run-dir)
 			    #f))
-         (clean-mode    (or mode 'remove-all)))
+         (clean-mode    (or mode 'remove-all))
+         (test-id       (db:test-get-id test))
+        ;; (lock-key      (conc "test-" test-id))
+        ;; (got-lock      (let loop ((lock        (rmt:no-sync-get-lock lock-key))
+	;; 			     (expire-time (+ (current-seconds) 30))) ;; give up on getting the lock and steal it after 15 seconds
+	;; 		    (if (car lock)
+	;; 			#t
+	;; 			(if (> (current-seconds) expire-time)
+	;; 			    (begin
+	;; 			      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Timed out waiting for a lock to clean test with id " test-id)
+	;; 			      (rmt:no-sync-del! lock-key) ;; destroy the lock
+	;; 			      (loop (rmt:no-sync-get-lock lock-key) expire-time)) ;; 
+	;; 			    (begin
+	;; 			      (thread-sleep! 1)
+	 ;; 			      (loop (rmt:no-sync-get-lock lock-key) expire-time)))))))
+	 )
     (case clean-mode
       ((remove-data-only)(mt:test-set-state-status-by-id (db:test-get-run_id test)(db:test-get-id test) "CLEANING" "LOCKED" #f))
       ((remove-all)      (mt:test-set-state-status-by-id (db:test-get-run_id test)(db:test-get-id test) "REMOVING" "LOCKED" #f))
       ((archive-remove)  (mt:test-set-state-status-by-id (db:test-get-run_id test)(db:test-get-id test) "ARCHIVE_REMOVING" #f #f)))
     (debug:print-info 1 *default-log-port* "Attempting to remove " (if real-dir (conc " dir " real-dir " and ") "") " link " run-dir)
@@ -2000,11 +2017,13 @@
 	    ))
     ;; Only delete the records *after* removing the directory. If things fail we have a record 
     (case clean-mode
       ((remove-data-only)(mt:test-set-state-status-by-id (db:test-get-run_id test)(db:test-get-id test) (db:test-get-state test)(db:test-get-status test) #f))
       ((archive-remove)  (mt:test-set-state-status-by-id (db:test-get-run_id test)(db:test-get-id test) "ARCHIVED" #f #f))
-      (else (rmt:delete-test-records (db:test-get-run_id test) (db:test-get-id test))))))
+      (else (rmt:delete-test-records (db:test-get-run_id test) (db:test-get-id test))))
+    ;; (rmt:no-sync-del! lock-key)
+    ))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Routines for manipulating runs
 ;;======================================================================