Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -69,16 +69,17 @@
 (define (any->number-if-possible val)
   (let ((num (any->number val)))
     (if num num val)))
 
 (define (patt-list-match item patts)
+  (debug:print 8 "INFO: patt-list-match item=" item " patts=" patts)
   (if (and item patts)  ;; here we are filtering for matches with -itempatt
       (let ((res #f))   ;; look through all the item-patts if defined, format is patt1,patt2,patt3 ... wildcard is %
 	(for-each 
 	 (lambda (patt)
 	   (if (string-match 
-		(regexp (string-substitute "%" ".*" "a%b")) ;;(glob->regexp (string-translate patt "%" "*"))
+		(regexp (string-substitute "%" ".*" patt)) ;;(glob->regexp (string-translate patt "%" "*"))
 		item)
 	       (set! res #t)))
 	 (string-split patts ","))
 	res)
       #t))

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -378,21 +378,20 @@
 (if (args:get-arg "-runall")
     (general-run-call 
      "-runall"
      "run all tests"
      (lambda (db target runname keys keynames keyvallst)
-       (let ((flags (make-hash-table)))
-	 (for-each (lambda (parm)
-		     (hash-table-set! flags parm (args:get-arg parm)))
-		   (list "-rerun" "-force"))
+;;       (let ((flags (make-hash-table)))
+;;	 (for-each (lambda (parm)
+;;		     (hash-table-set! flags parm (args:get-arg parm)))
+;;		   (list "-rerun" "-force" "-itempatt"))
 	 (runs:run-tests db
 			 target
 			 runname
-			 (args:get-arg "-testpatt")
-			 (args:get-arg "-itempatt")
+			 (args:get-arg "-runtests")
 			 user
-			 flags)))))
+			 args:arg-hash)))) ;; )
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; run one test
 ;;======================================================================
 
@@ -416,13 +415,12 @@
    (lambda (db target runname keys keynames keyvallst)
      (runs:run-tests db
 		     target
 		     runname
 		     (args:get-arg "-runtests")
-		     (args:get-arg "-itempatt")
 		     user
-		     (make-hash-table)))))
+		     args:arg-hash))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Rollup into a run
 ;;======================================================================
 (if (args:get-arg "-rollup")

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -158,11 +158,11 @@
 	  (debug:print 0 "ERROR: Called without all necessary keys")
 	  #f))))
 
 ;; This is a duplicate of run-tests (which has been deprecated). Use this one instead of run tests.
 ;; keyvals
-(define (runs:run-tests db target runname test-patts item-patts user flags)
+(define (runs:run-tests db target runname test-patts user flags)
   (let* ((keys        (rdb:get-keys db))
 	 (keyvallst   (keys:target->keyval keys target))
 	 (run-id      (runs:register-run db keys keyvallst runname "new" "n/a" user))  ;;  test-name)))
 	 (deferred    '()) ;; delay running these since they have a waiton clause
 	 ;; keepgoing is the defacto modality now, will add hit-n-run a bit later
@@ -267,11 +267,11 @@
 
 ;; test-records is a hash table testname:item_path => vector < testname testconfig waitons priority items-info ... >
 (define (runs:run-tests-queue db run-id runname test-records keyvallst flags)
     ;; At this point the list of parent tests is expanded 
     ;; NB// Should expand items here and then insert into the run queue.
-  (debug:print 5 "test-records: " test-records ", keyvallst: " keyvallst)
+  (debug:print 5 "test-records: " test-records ", keyvallst: " keyvallst " flags: " (hash-table->alist flags))
   (let ((sorted-test-names (tests:sort-by-priority-and-waiton test-records))
 	(item-patts        (hash-table-ref/default flags "-itempatt" #f)))
     (let loop (; (numtimes 0) ;; shouldn't need this
 	       (hed         (car sorted-test-names))
 	       (tal         (cdr sorted-test-names)))
@@ -299,11 +299,11 @@
 		    (run:test db run-id runname keyvallst test-record flags #f)
 		    (debug:print 1 "INFO: Skipping " (tests:testqueue-get-testname test-record) " " item-path " as it doesn't match " item-patts))
 		;; else the run is stuck, temporarily or permanently
 		(let ((newtal (append tal (list hed))))
 		  ;; couldn't run, take a breather
-		  (thread-sleep! 0.5)
+		  (thread-sleep! 0.1) ;; long sleep here - no resources, may as well be patient
 		  (loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal))))))
 	 
 	 ;; case where an items came in as a list been processed
 	 ((and (list? items)     ;; thus we know our items are already calculated
 	       (not   itemdat)) ;; and not yet expanded into the list of things to be done
@@ -319,11 +319,11 @@
 	   (lambda (my-itemdat)
 	     (let* ((new-test-record (let ((newrec (make-tests:testqueue)))
 				       (vector-copy! test-record newrec)
 				       newrec))
 		    (my-item-path (item-list->path my-itemdat)))
-	       (if (patt-list-match my-item-path item-patts)           ;; yes, we want to process this item
+	       (if (patt-list-match my-item-path item-patts)           ;; yes, we want to process this item, NOTE: Should not need this check here!
 		   (let ((newtestname (conc hed "/" my-item-path)))    ;; test names are unique on testname/item-path
 		     (tests:testqueue-set-items!     new-test-record #f)
 		     (tests:testqueue-set-itemdat!   new-test-record my-itemdat)
 		     (tests:testqueue-set-item_path! new-test-record my-item-path)
 		     (hash-table-set! test-records newtestname new-test-record)
@@ -348,11 +348,11 @@
 		      (begin
 			(debug:print 0 "ERROR: The proc from reading the setup did not yield a list - please report this")
 			(exit 1)))))
 	      (let ((newtal (append tal (list hed))))
 		;; if can't run more tests, lets take a breather
-		(thread-sleep! 0.5)
+		(thread-sleep! 0.1) ;; may as well wait a while for resources to free up
 		(loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal)))))
 
 	 ;; this case should not happen, added to help catch any bugs
 	 ((and (list? items) itemdat)
 	  (debug:print 0 "ERROR: Should not have a list of items in a test and the itemspath set - please report this")
@@ -368,11 +368,11 @@
 	    (if (not *runremote*)(exit)) ;; 
 	    #f) ;; return a #f as a hint that we are done
 	  ;; Here we need to check that all the tests remaining to be run are eligible to run
 	  ;; and are not blocked by failed
 	  (let ((newlst (tests:filter-non-runnable db run-id tal test-records))) ;; i.e. not FAIL, WAIVED, INCOMPLETE, PASS, KILLED,
-	    (thread-sleep! 0.5)
+	    (thread-sleep! 0.1)
 	    (if (not (null? newlst))
 		(loop (car newlst)(cdr newlst))))))))
 
 ;; parent-test is there as a placeholder for when parent-tests can be run as a setup step
 (define (run:test db run-id runname keyvallst test-record flags parent-test)

Index: tests/Makefile
==================================================================
--- tests/Makefile
+++ tests/Makefile
@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@
 test4 : cleanprep
 	$(MEGATEST) -runall -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_aa -v $(SERVER) >& aa.log &
 	$(MEGATEST) -runall -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_ab -v $(SERVER) >& ab.log &
 	$(MEGATEST) -runall -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_ac -v $(SERVER) >& ac.log &
 	$(MEGATEST) -runall -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_ad -v $(SERVER) >& ad.log &	
+	$(MEGATEST) -runtests runfirst -itempatt %/1 -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname w15.1.09.06_runfirst_1 -v
 
 cleanprep : ../*.scm Makefile *.config
 	sqlite3 megatest.db "delete from metadat where var='SERVER';"
 	mkdir -p /tmp/mt_runs /tmp/mt_links
 	cd ..;make install