Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -412,11 +412,13 @@
 		 ;; this should be rare, the case where there are only a couple of tests and the db is slow
 		 ;; delay a short while and continue
 		 ;; ((eq? (hash-table-ref/default test-registery (runs:make-full-test-name test-name item-path) #f) 'start)
 		 ;;  (thread-sleep! 0.01)
 		 ;;  (loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal) reruns))
-		 ((not (hash-table-ref/default test-registery (runs:make-full-test-name test-name item-path) #f))
+		 ;; count number of 'done, if more than 100 then skip on through.
+		 (;; (and (< (length (filter (lambda (x)(eq? x 'done))(hash-table-values test-registery))) 100) ;; why get more than 200 ahead?
+		  (not (hash-table-ref/default test-registery (runs:make-full-test-name test-name item-path) #f)) ;; ) ;; too many changes required. Implement later.
 		  (debug:print-info 4 "Pre-registering test " test-name "/" item-path " to create placeholder" )
 		  ;; NEED TO THREADIFY THIS
 		  (let ((th (make-thread (lambda ()
 		        		   (mutex-lock! registery-mutex)
 		        		   (hash-table-set! test-registery (runs:make-full-test-name test-name item-path) 'start)
@@ -432,14 +434,14 @@
 		    (thread-start! th))
 		  (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 		  (runs:shrink-can-run-more-tests-delay)   ;; DELAY TWEAKER (still needed?)
 		  (loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal) reruns))
 		 ;; At this point *all* test registrations must be completed.
-		 ((not (null? (filter (lambda (x)(not (eq? 'done x))) (hash-table-values test-registery))))
+		 ((not (null? (filter (lambda (x)(eq? 'start x))(hash-table-values test-registery))))
 		  (debug:print-info 0 "Waiting on test registrations: " (string-intersperse 
 									 (filter (lambda (x)
-										   (not (eq? (hash-table-ref/default test-registery x #f) 'done)))
+										   (eq? (hash-table-ref/default test-registery x #f) 'start))
 										 (hash-table-keys test-registery))
 									 ", "))
 		  (thread-sleep! 0.1)
 		  (loop hed tal reruns))
 		 ((not have-resources) ;; simply try again after waiting a second
@@ -450,10 +452,11 @@
 		 ((and have-resources
 		       (or (null? prereqs-not-met)
 			   (and (eq? testmode 'toplevel)
 				(null? non-completed))))
 		  (run:test run-id runname keyvallst test-record flags #f)
+		  (hash-table-set! test-registery (runs:make-full-test-name test-name item-path) 'running)
 		  (runs:shrink-can-run-more-tests-delay)  ;; DELAY TWEAKER (still needed?)
 		  ;; (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 		  (if (not (null? tal))
 		      (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) reruns)))
 		 (else ;; must be we have unmet prerequisites
@@ -468,18 +471,20 @@
 			  ;; we made new tal by sticking hed at the back of the list
 			  (loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal) reruns))
 			;; the waiton is FAIL so no point in trying to run hed ever again
 			(if (not (null? tal))
 			    (if (vector? hed)
-				(begin (debug:print 1 "WARN: Dropping test " (db:test-get-testname hed) "/" (db:test-get-item-path hed)
-						    " from the launch list as it has prerequistes that are FAIL")
-(runs:shrink-can-run-more-tests-delay)
-				       ;; (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
-				       (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) (cons hed reruns)))
+				(begin 
+				  (debug:print 1 "WARN: Dropping test " (db:test-get-testname hed) "/" (db:test-get-item-path hed)
+					       " from the launch list as it has prerequistes that are FAIL")
+				  (runs:shrink-can-run-more-tests-delay) ;; DELAY TWEAKER (still needed?)
+				  ;; (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
+				  (hash-table-set! test-registery (runs:make-full-test-name test-name item-path) 'removed)
+				  (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) (cons hed reruns)))
 				(begin
 				  (debug:print 1 "WARN: Test not processed correctly. Could be a race condition in your test implementation? " hed) ;;  " as it has prerequistes that are FAIL. (NOTE: hed is not a vector)")
-(runs:shrink-can-run-more-tests-delay)
+				  (runs:shrink-can-run-more-tests-delay) ;; DELAY TWEAKER (still needed?)
 				  ;; (thread-sleep! (+ 0.01 *global-delta*))
 				  (loop hed tal reruns))))))))) ;; END OF INNER COND
 	     
 	     ;; case where an items came in as a list been processed
 	     ((and (list? items)     ;; thus we know our items are already calculated
@@ -663,11 +668,11 @@
 	    ;;
 	    (set! test-id (open-run-close db:get-test-id db run-id test-name item-path))
 	    (if (not test-id)
 		(begin
 		  (debug:print 2 "WARN: Test not pre-created? test-name=" test-name ", item-path=" item-path ", run-id=" run-id)
-		  (cdb:tests-register-test *run-remote* run-id test-name item-path)
+		  (cdb:tests-register-test *runremote* run-id test-name item-path)
 		  (set! test-id (open-run-close db:get-test-id db run-id test-name item-path))))
 	    (debug:print-info 4 "test-id=" test-id ", run-id=" run-id ", test-name=" test-name ", item-path=\"" item-path "\"")
 	    (set! testdat (cdb:get-test-info-by-id *runremote* test-id))))
       (set! test-id (db:test-get-id testdat))
       (change-directory test-path)

Index: tests/fdktestqa/testqa/runsuite.sh
==================================================================
--- tests/fdktestqa/testqa/runsuite.sh
+++ tests/fdktestqa/testqa/runsuite.sh
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 (cd ../../..;make && make install) || exit 1
+export PATH=$PWD/../../../bin:$PATH
 
 for i in a b c d e f;do
   # g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z;do
   megatest -runtests % -target a/b :runname $i &
 done
 
 echo "" > num-running.log
 while true; do
   foo=`megatest -list-runs % | grep RUNNING | wc -l`
-  echo "Num running: $foo"
-  echo $foo >> num-running.log
+  echo "Num running at `date` $foo"
+  echo "$foo at `date`" >> num-running.log
+  # to make the test go at a reasonable clip only gather this info ever minute
+  sleep 1m
 done

Index: tests/fdktestqa/testqa/tests/bigrun/testconfig
==================================================================
--- tests/fdktestqa/testqa/tests/bigrun/testconfig
+++ tests/fdktestqa/testqa/tests/bigrun/testconfig
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
 # waiton setup
 priority 0
 
 # Iteration for your tests are controlled by the items section
 [items]
-NUMBER #{scheme (string-intersperse (map number->string (sort (let loop ((a 0)(res '()))(if (< a 300)(loop (+ a 1)(cons a res)) res)) >)) " ")}
+NUMBER #{scheme (string-intersperse (map number->string (sort (let loop ((a 0)(res '()))(if (< a 150)(loop (+ a 1)(cons a res)) res)) >)) " ")}
 
 # test_meta is a section for storing additional data on your test
 [test_meta]
 author matt
 owner  matt

Index: tests/fdktestqa/testqa/tests/bigrun2/testconfig
==================================================================
--- tests/fdktestqa/testqa/tests/bigrun2/testconfig
+++ tests/fdktestqa/testqa/tests/bigrun2/testconfig
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@
 mode itemmatch
 
 
 # Iteration for your tests are controlled by the items section
 [items]
-NUMBER #{scheme (string-intersperse (map number->string (sort (let loop ((a 0)(res '()))(if (< a 300)(loop (+ a 1)(cons a res)) res)) >)) " ")}
+NUMBER #{scheme (string-intersperse (map number->string (sort (let loop ((a 0)(res '()))(if (< a 150)(loop (+ a 1)(cons a res)) res)) >)) " ")}
 
 # test_meta is a section for storing additional data on your test
 [test_meta]
 author matt
 owner  matt