Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -249,33 +249,10 @@
 (define (common:get-sync-lock-filepath)
   (let* ((tmp-area     (common:get-db-tmp-area))
          (lockfile     (conc tmp-area "/megatest.db.sync-lock")))
     lockfile))
 
-;;======================================================================
-;; when called from a wrapper I need sometimes to find the calling
-;; wrapper, this is for dashboard to find the correct megatest.
-;;
-(define (common:find-local-megatest #!optional (progname "megatest"))
-  (let ((res (filter file-exists?
-		     (map (lambda (updir)
-			    (let* ((lm  (car (argv)))
-				   (dir (pathname-directory lm))
-				   (exe (pathname-strip-directory lm)))
-			      (conc (if dir (conc dir "/") "")
-				    (case (string->symbol exe)
-				      ((dboard)    (conc updir progname))
-				      ((mtest)     (conc updir progname))
-				      ((dashboard) progname)
-				      (else exe)))))
-			  '("../../" "../")))))
-    (if (null? res)
-	(begin
-	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Failed to find this executable! Using what can be found on the path")
-	  progname)
-	(car res))))
-
 (define *common:logpro-exit-code->status-sym-alist*
   '( ( 0 . pass )
      ( 1 . fail )
      ( 2 . warn )
      ( 3 . check )

Index: commonmod.scm
==================================================================
--- commonmod.scm
+++ commonmod.scm
@@ -17,10 +17,11 @@
 ;;     along with Megatest.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (declare (unit commonmod))
+;; (declare (uses debugprint))
 
 (use srfi-69)
 
 (module commonmod
 	*
@@ -40,10 +41,12 @@
 	regex-case
 	srfi-1
 	srfi-18
 	srfi-69
 	typed-records
+
+	;; debugprint
 	)
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; CONTENTS
 ;;
@@ -535,7 +538,30 @@
 
 (define (db:hoh-get dat key1 key2)
   (let* ((subhash (hash-table-ref/default dat key1 #f)))
     (and subhash
 	 (hash-table-ref/default subhash key2 #f))))
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; when called from a wrapper I need sometimes to find the calling
+;; wrapper, this is for dashboard to find the correct megatest.
+;;
+(define (common:find-local-megatest #!optional (progname "megatest"))
+  (let ((res (filter file-exists?
+		     (map (lambda (updir)
+			    (let* ((lm  (car (argv)))
+				   (dir (pathname-directory lm))
+				   (exe (pathname-strip-directory lm)))
+			      (conc (if dir (conc dir "/") "")
+				    (case (string->symbol exe)
+				      ((dboard)    (conc updir progname))
+				      ((mtest)     (conc updir progname))
+				      ((dashboard) progname)
+				      (else exe)))))
+			  '("../../" "../")))))
+    (if (null? res)
+	(begin
+	  ;; (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Failed to find this executable! Using what can be found on the path")
+	  progname)
+	(car res))))
 
 )

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -22,10 +22,20 @@
 ;; Database access
 ;;======================================================================
 
 ;; dbstruct vector containing all the relevant dbs like main.db, megatest.db, run.db etc
 
+(declare (unit db))
+(declare (uses common))
+(declare (uses debugprint))
+(declare (uses dbmod))
+(declare (uses dbfile))
+(declare (uses keys))
+(declare (uses ods))
+(declare (uses client))
+(declare (uses mt))
+
 (use (srfi 18)
      extras
      tcp
      stack
      (prefix sqlite3 sqlite3:)
@@ -44,28 +54,19 @@
      z3
      typed-records
      matchable
      files)
 
-(declare (unit db))
-(declare (uses common))
-(declare (uses dbmod))
-;; (declare (uses debugprint))
-(declare (uses dbfile))
-(declare (uses keys))
-(declare (uses ods))
-(declare (uses client))
-(declare (uses mt))
-
 (include "common_records.scm")
 (include "db_records.scm")
 (include "key_records.scm")
 (include "run_records.scm")
 
 (define *number-of-writes* 0)
 (define *number-non-write-queries* 0)
 
+(import debugprint)
 (import dbmod)
 (import dbfile)
 
 ;; record for keeping state,status and count for doing roll-ups in
 ;; iterated tests

Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -41,11 +41,12 @@
 	commonmod
 	;; debugprint
 	)
 
 (define keep-age-param (make-parameter 10)) ;; qif file age, if over move to attic
-(define num-run-dbs (make-parameter 10))     ;; number of db's in .megatest
+(define num-run-dbs    (make-parameter 10))     ;; number of db's in .megatest
+(define dbfile:testsuite-name (make-parameter #f))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;;  R E C O R D S
 ;;======================================================================
 

Index: dbmemmod.scm
==================================================================
--- dbmemmod.scm
+++ dbmemmod.scm
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@
 ;;     along with Megatest.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (declare (unit dbmemmod))
-;; (declare (uses debugprint))
+(declare (uses debugprint))
 (declare (uses commonmod))
 
 (module dbmemmod
 	*
 	
@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@
 	srfi-69
 	stack
 	files
 	ports
 
+	debugprint
 	commonmod
-	;; debugprint
 	)
 
 (define keep-age-param (make-parameter 10)) ;; qif file age, if over move to attic
 (define num-run-dbs (make-parameter 10))     ;; number of db's in .megatest
 

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -33,17 +33,19 @@
 (declare (uses common))
 (declare (uses commonmod))
 (declare (uses configf))
 (declare (uses db))
 (declare (uses ezsteps))
+(declare (uses dbfile))
 
 (include "common_records.scm")
 (include "key_records.scm")
 (include "db_records.scm")
 (include "megatest-fossil-hash.scm")
 
-(import commonmod)
+(import commonmod
+	dbfile)
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; ezsteps
 ;;======================================================================
 
@@ -1143,11 +1145,14 @@
 	      (setenv "MT_TESTSUITENAME" (common:get-testsuite-name)))
 	    (begin
 	      (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "failed to find the top path to your Megatest area.")
 	      (set! *toppath* #f) ;; force it to be false so we return #f
 	      #f))
-	
+
+	;; needed by various transport and db modules
+	(dbfile:testsuite-name (get-testsuite-name *toppath* *configdat*))
+
         ;; one more attempt to cache the configs for future reading
         (let* ((cachefiles   (launch:get-cache-file-paths areapath toppath target mtconfig))
                (mtcachef     (car cachefiles))
                (rccachef     (cdr cachefiles)))
 

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -25,10 +25,12 @@
 (declare (uses common))
 ;; (declare (uses megatest-version))
 (declare (uses margs))
 (declare (uses commonmod))
 (declare (uses commonmod.import))
+(declare (uses mtargs))
+(declare (uses mtargs.import))
 (declare (uses debugprint))
 (declare (uses debugprint.import))
 (declare (uses runs))
 (declare (uses launch))
 (declare (uses server))
@@ -50,14 +52,13 @@
 (declare (uses dbfile))
 (declare (uses dbfile.import))
 (declare (uses dbmod))
 (declare (uses dbmod.import))
 (declare (uses tcp-transportmod))
+(declare (uses tcp-transportmod.import))
 ;; (declare (uses debugprint))
 ;; (declare (uses debugprint.import))
-;; (declare (uses mtargs))
-;; (declare (uses mtargs.import))
 
 ;; (declare (uses ftail))
 ;; (import ftail)
 
 (import debugprint
@@ -85,12 +86,12 @@
 (require-library mutils)
 
 (define *usage-log-file* #f)    ;; put path to file for logging usage in this var in the ~/.megatestrc file
 (define *usage-use-seconds* #t) ;; for Epoc seconds in usage logging change this to #t in ~/.megatestrc file
 
+;; set some parameters here
 (include "transport-mode.scm")
-
 (dbfile:db-init-proc db:initialize-main-db)
 
 ;; load the ~/.megatestrc file, put (use trace)(trace-call-sites #t)(trace function-you-want-to-trace) in this file
 ;;
 (let ((debugcontrolf (conc (get-environment-variable "HOME") "/.megatestrc")))

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -21,20 +21,22 @@
 (use format typed-records) ;; RADT => purpose of json format??
 
 (declare (unit rmt))
 (declare (uses api))
 (declare (uses http-transport))
+(declare (uses commonmod))
 (declare (uses dbfile))
 (declare (uses dbmemmod))
 (declare (uses tcp-transportmod))
 (include "common_records.scm")
 ;; (declare (uses rmtmod))
 
 ;; used by http-transport
 (import dbfile) ;; rmtmod)
 
-(import dbmemmod
+(import commonmod
+	dbmemmod
 	tcp-transportmod)
 
 (define rmt:transport-mode (make-parameter 'http))
 ;;
 ;; THESE ARE ALL CALLED ON THE CLIENT SIDE!!!

Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -42,21 +42,22 @@
 	  message-digest
 	  ports
 	  posix
 	  regex
 	  regex-case
+	  s11n
 	  srfi-1
 	  srfi-18
 	  srfi-4
 	  srfi-69
 	  stack
 	  typed-records
 	  tcp-server
 	  tcp
 	  
-	  commonmod
 	  debugprint
+	  commonmod
 	  dbfile
 	  dbmod
 	)
 
 ;;======================================================================
@@ -67,10 +68,13 @@
 
 (defstruct tt-conn
   host
   port
   dbfname
+  server-id
+  server-start
+  pid
 )
 
 (defstruct tt
   ;; client related
   (conns (make-hash-table)) ;; dbfname -> conn
@@ -89,12 +93,38 @@
   )
 
 (define (tt:make-remote areapath)
   (make-tt area: areapath))
 
-(define (tt:client-connect-to-server ttdat)
-  #f)
+;;
+;; DUPLICATED WITH tt:handler (I think)
+;;
+
+(define (tt:client-connect-to-server ttdat dbfname run-id)
+  (let* ((conn (hash-table-ref/default (tt-conns ttdat) dbfname #f)))
+    (if conn
+	conn ;; we are already connected to the server
+	(let* ((sdat (tt:get-current-server-info ttdat dbfname run-id)))
+	  (match sdat
+	    ((host port start-time server-id pid)
+	     (let ((conn (make-tt-conn
+			  host: host
+			  port: port
+			  dbfname: dbfname
+			  server-id: server-id
+			  server-start: start-time
+			  pid: pid)))
+	       (hash-table-set! (tt-conns ttdat) dbfname conn)
+	       conn))
+	    (else
+	     (tt:server-process-run
+	      (tt-areapath ttdat)
+	      (dbfile:testsuite-name)
+	      (common:find-local-megatest)
+	      run-id)
+	     (thread-sleep! 1)
+	     (tt:client-connect-to-server ttdat dbfname run-id)))))))
 
 ;; client side handler
 ;;
 (define (tt:handler runremote cmd rid params attemptnum area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe)
   ;; NOTE: areapath is passed in and in tt struct. We'll use passed in value for now.
@@ -123,15 +153,33 @@
 			     readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe)))))))
 
 (define (tt:bid-for-servership run-id)
   #f)
 
-(define (tt:get-current-server run-id)
-  #f)
+(define (tt:get-current-server-info ttdat dbfname run-id)
+  (let* ((sfiles (tt:find-server ttdat dbfname)))
+    (case (length sfiles)
+      ((0) #f) ;; no server around
+      ((1) (tt:server-get-info (car sfiles)))
+      (else #f) ;; we'll want to wait until extra servers have exited
+      )))
 
 (define (tt:send-receive ttdat conn cmd run-id params)
-  #f)
+  (let* ((host-port (conc (tt-conn-host conn)":"(tt-conn-port conn)))
+	 (dat       (list cmd run-id params)))
+    (let-values (((inp oup)(tcp-connect host-port)))
+      (let ((res (if (and inp oup)
+		     (begin
+		       (serialize dat oup)
+		       (close-output-port oup)
+		       (deserialize inp))
+		     (begin
+		       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: send called but no receiver has been setup. Please call setup first!")
+		       #f))))
+	(close-input-port inp)
+	;; (mutex-unlock! *send-mutex*) ;; DOESN'T SEEM TO HELP
+	res))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; server
 ;;======================================================================
 
@@ -243,10 +291,59 @@
 (define (tt:find-server ttdat dbfname)
   (let* ((areapath (tt-areapath ttdat))
 	 (servdir  (tt:get-servinfo-dir areapath))
 	 (sfiles   (glob (conc servdir"/*:"dbfname))))
     sfiles))
+
+;; given a path to a server info file return: host port startseconds server-id
+;; example of what it's looking for in the log file:
+;;     SERVER STARTED: 10.38.175.67:50216 AT 1616502350.0 server-id: 4907e90fc55c7a09694e3f658c639cf4 
+;;
+(define (tt:server-get-info logf)
+  (let ((server-rx    (regexp "^SERVER STARTED: (\\S+):(\\d+) AT ([\\d\\.]+) server-id: (\\S+) pid: (\\d+)")) ;; SERVER STARTED: host:port AT timesecs server id
+        (dbprep-rx    (regexp "^SERVER: dbprep"))
+        (dbprep-found 0)
+	(bad-dat      (list #f #f #f #f #f)))
+    (handle-exceptions
+     exn
+     (begin
+       ;; WARNING: this is potentially dangerous to blanket ignore the errors
+       (if (file-exists? logf)
+	   (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "Unable to get server info from "logf", exn=" exn))
+       bad-dat) ;; no idea what went wrong, call it a bad server
+     (with-input-from-file
+	 logf
+       (lambda ()
+	 (let loop ((inl  (read-line))
+		    (lnum 0))
+	   (if (not (eof-object? inl))
+	       (let ((mlst (string-match server-rx inl))
+		     (dbprep (string-match dbprep-rx inl)))
+		 (if dbprep (set! dbprep-found 1))
+		 (if (not mlst)
+		     (if (< lnum 500) ;; give up if more than 500 lines of server log read
+			 (loop (read-line)(+ lnum 1))
+			 (begin 
+                           (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Unable to get server info from first 500 lines of " logf )
+                           bad-dat))
+		     (match mlst
+			    ((_ host port start server-id pid)
+			     (list host
+				   (string->number port)
+				   (string->number start)
+				   server-id
+				   (string->number pid)))
+			    (else
+			     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: did not recognise SERVER line info "mlst)
+			     bad-dat))))
+	       (begin 
+		 (if dbprep-found
+		     (begin
+		       (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "Server is in dbprep at " (common:human-time))
+		       (thread-sleep! 0.5)) ;; was 25 sec but that blocked things from starting?
+		     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Unable to get server info from " logf " at " (seconds->time-string (current-seconds))))
+		 bad-dat))))))))
 
 ;; Given an area path,  start a server process    ### NOTE ### > file 2>&1 
 ;; if the target-host is set 
 ;; try running on that host
 ;;   incidental: rotate logs in logs/ dir.