Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@
 (define *incoming-data*      '())
 (define *incoming-last-time* (current-seconds))
 (define *incoming-mutex*     (make-mutex))
 (define *cache-on* #f)
 
-(define (open-db) ;;  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db") (car *configinfo*)))
-  (let* ((dbpath    (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db")) ;; fname)
+(define (open-db #!key (path #f)) ;;  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db") (car *configinfo*)))
+  (let* ((dbpath    (conc (if path path *toppath*) "/megatest.db")) ;; fname)
 	 (dbexists  (file-exists? dbpath))
 	 (db        (sqlite3:open-database dbpath)) ;; (never-give-up-open-db dbpath))
 	 (handler   (make-busy-timeout (if (args:get-arg "-override-timeout")
 					   (string->number (args:get-arg "-override-timeout"))
 					   36000)))) ;; 136000)))

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -348,17 +348,19 @@
 ;; set up the very basics needed for doing anything here.
 (define (setup-for-run)
   ;; would set values for KEYS in the environment here for better support of env-override but 
   ;; have chicken/egg scenario. need to read megatest.config then read it again. Going to 
   ;; pass on that idea for now.
-  (set! *configinfo* (find-and-read-config (if (args:get-arg "-config")(args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config") environ-patt: "env-override"))
-  (set! *configdat*  (if (car *configinfo*)(car *configinfo*) #f))
-  (set! *toppath*    (if (car *configinfo*)(cadr *configinfo*) #f))
-  (if *toppath*
-      (setenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*) ;; to be deprecated
-      (debug:print 0 "ERROR: failed to find the top path to your run setup."))
-  *toppath*)
+  (find-and-read-config (if (args:get-arg "-config")
+			    (args:get-arg "-config") 
+			    "megatest.config")
+			environ-patt: "env-override"))
+        ;; (*configdat*  (if (car *configinfo*)(car *configinfo*) #f))
+	;; (*toppath*    (if (car *configinfo*)(cadr *configinfo*) #f)))
+    ;; (if *toppath*
+    ;;	(setenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*) ;; to be deprecated
+    ;;	(debug:print 0 "ERROR: failed to find the top path to your run setup."))
 
 (define (get-best-disk confdat)
   (let* ((disks    (hash-table-ref/default confdat "disks" #f))
 	 (best     #f)
 	 (bestsize 0))

Index: process.scm
==================================================================
--- process.scm
+++ process.scm
@@ -76,6 +76,37 @@
          (if (eq? pid-val 0)
 	     (begin
 	       (thread-sleep! 2)
 	       (loop (+ i 1)))
 	     (values pid-val exit-status exit-code))))))
-  
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; A persistent shell to which we can send many commands
+;;    WATCH for flush issues!
+;;    ALWAYS call with > /dev/null OR > logfile to cmd
+;;======================================================================  
+(define (cmdshell:make-shell cmd . params)
+  ;; (print "Called with cmd=" cmd ", proc=" proc ", params=" params)
+  (handle-exceptions
+   exn
+   (begin
+     (print "ERROR:  Failed to run command: " cmd " " (string-intersperse params " "))
+     #f)
+   (let-values (((fh fho pid) (if (null? params)
+				  (process cmd)
+				  (process cmd params))))
+      (vector fh fho pid))))
+
+;; WARNING!! This will fail horribly if varname or varvalue have escaped or quoted portions
+(define (cmdshell:set-env-var cmdshell varname varvalue)
+  (with-output-to-port (vector-ref cmdshell 1)
+    (lambda ()
+      (print "export " varname "=" varvalue))))
+
+(define (cmdshell:run-cmd cmdshell cmd)
+  (with-output-to-port (vector-ref cmdshell 1)
+    (lambda ()
+      (print cmd))))
+
+      ;; (close-input-port fh)
+      ;;   (close-output-port fho)
+