Index: dashboard-tests.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard-tests.scm
+++ dashboard-tests.scm
@@ -401,11 +401,12 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 ;;
 ;;======================================================================
 (define (examine-test run-id test-id) ;; run-id run-key origtest)
   (let* ((db-path       (db:dbfile-path run-id)) ;; (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/db/" run-id ".db"))
-	 (dbstruct      (make-dbr:dbstruct path: (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") local: #t))
+	 (dbstruct      (make-dbr:dbstruct path:  (db:dbfile-path #f) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") 
+					   local: #t))
 	 (testdat       (db:get-test-info-by-id dbstruct run-id test-id))
 	 (db-mod-time   0) ;; (file-modification-time db-path))
 	 (last-update   0) ;; (current-seconds))
 	 (request-update #t))
     (if (not testdat)

Index: dashboard.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard.scm
+++ dashboard.scm
@@ -85,11 +85,11 @@
 (if (not (launch:setup-for-run))
     (begin
       (print "Failed to find megatest.config, exiting") 
       (exit 1)))
 
-(define *dbdir* (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
+(define *dbdir* (db:dbfile-path #f)) ;; (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
 (define *dbstruct-local*  (make-dbr:dbstruct path:  *dbdir*
 					     local: #t))
 (define *db-file-path* (db:dbfile-path 0))
 
 ;; HACK ALERT: this is a hack, please fix.

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -137,27 +137,32 @@
 ;; ;;
 ;; (define (db:get-path dbstruct id)
 ;;   (let ((fdb (db:get-filedb dbstruct)))
 ;;     (filedb:get-path db id)))
 
-;; NB// #f => zeroth db with name=main.db
+;; NB// #f => return dbdir only
+;;      (was planned to be;  zeroth db with name=main.db)
 ;;
 (define (db:dbfile-path run-id)
   (let* (;; (toppath      (dbr:dbstruct-get-path  dbstruct))
 	 (link-tree-path  (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))
 	 (dbpath          (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "dbdir"))
-	 (fname           (if (eq? run-id 0) "main.db" (conc run-id ".db")))
+	 (fname           (if run-id
+			      (if (eq? run-id 0) "main.db" (conc run-id ".db"))
+			      #f))
 	 (dbdir           (if dbpath
 			      dbpath
 			      (conc link-tree-path "/.db/"))))
     (handle-exceptions
      exn
      (begin
        (debug:print 0 "ERROR: Couldn't create path to " dbdir)
        (exit 1))
      (if (not (directory? dbdir))(create-directory dbdir #t)))
-    (conc dbdir fname)))
+    (if fname
+	(conc dbdir fname)
+	dbdir)))
 	       
 (define (db:set-sync db)
   (let ((syncprag (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "sychronous")))
     (sqlite3:execute db (conc "PRAGMA synchronous = " (or syncprag 1) ";"))))
 
@@ -269,11 +274,11 @@
 	  dbdat))))
 
 ;; Make the dbstruct, setup up auxillary db's and call for main db at least once
 ;;
 (define (db:setup run-id #!key (local #f))
-  (let* ((dbdir    (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
+  (let* ((dbdir    (db:dbfile-path #f)) ;; (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
 	 (dbstruct (make-dbr:dbstruct path: dbdir local: local)))
     dbstruct))
 
 ;; Open the classic megatest.db file in toppath
 ;;

Index: newdashboard.scm
==================================================================
--- newdashboard.scm
+++ newdashboard.scm
@@ -83,11 +83,11 @@
 ;; ease debugging by loading ~/.dashboardrc
 (let ((debugcontrolf (conc (get-environment-variable "HOME") "/.dashboardrc")))
   (if (file-exists? debugcontrolf)
       (load debugcontrolf)))
 
-(define *dbdir* (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
+(define *dbdir* (db:dbfile-path #f)) ;; (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
 (define *dbstruct-local*  (make-dbr:dbstruct path:  *dbdir*
 					     local: #t))
 (define *db-file-path* (db:dbfile-path 0))
 
 ;; HACK ALERT: this is a hack, please fix.

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -222,11 +222,11 @@
     res))
 	  
 (define (rmt:open-qry-close-locally cmd run-id params #!key (remretries 5))
   (let* ((dbstruct-local (if *dbstruct-db*
 			     *dbstruct-db*
-			     (let* ((dbdir (conc    (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
+			     (let* ((dbdir (db:dbfile-path #f)) ;;  (conc    (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
 				    (db (make-dbr:dbstruct path:  dbdir local: #t)))
 			       (set! *dbstruct-db* db)
 			       db)))
 	 (db-file-path   (db:dbfile-path 0))
 	 ;; (read-only      (not (file-read-access? db-file-path)))

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -516,11 +516,11 @@
 ;; 
 (define (tasks:start-monitor db mdb)
   (if (> (tasks:get-num-alive-monitors mdb) 2) ;; have two running, no need for more
       (debug:print-info 1 "Not starting monitor, already have more than two running")
       (let* ((megatestdb     (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db"))
-	     (monitordbf     (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db/monitor.db"))
+	     (monitordbf     (conc (db:dbfile-path #f) "/monitor.db"))
 	     (last-db-update 0)) ;; (file-modification-time megatestdb)))
 	(task:register-monitor mdb)
 	(let loop ((count      0)
 		   (next-touch 0)) ;; next-touch is the time where we need to update last_update
 	  ;; if the db has been modified we'd best look at the task queue

Index: tdb.scm
==================================================================
--- tdb.scm
+++ tdb.scm
@@ -45,26 +45,34 @@
 (define (open-test-db work-area) 
   (debug:print-info 11 "open-test-db " work-area)
   (if (and work-area 
 	   (directory? work-area)
 	   (file-read-access? work-area))
-      (let* ((dbpath    (conc work-area "/testdat.db"))
-	     (tdb-writeable (file-write-access? dbpath))
-	     (dbexists  (file-exists? dbpath))
+      (let* ((dbpath              (conc work-area "/testdat.db"))
+	     (dbexists            (file-exists? dbpath))
+	     (work-area-writeable (file-write-access? work-area))
+	     (db                  (handle-exceptions  ;; open the db if area writeable or db pre-existing. open in-mem otherwise. if exception, open in-mem
+				   exn
+				   (begin
+				     (print-call-chain (current-error-port))
+				     (debug:print 2 "ERROR: problem accessing test db " work-area ", you probably should clean and re-run this test"
+						  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
+				     (set! dbexists #f) ;; must force re-creation of tables, more tom-foolery
+				     (sqlite3:open-database ":memory:")) ;; open an in-memory db to allow readonly access 
+				   (if (or work-area-writeable
+					   dbexists)
+				       (sqlite3:open-database dbpath)
+				       (sqlite3:open-database ":memory:"))))
+	     (tdb-writeable       (and (file-write-access? work-area)
+				       (file-write-access? dbpath)))
 	     (handler   (make-busy-timeout (if (args:get-arg "-override-timeout")
 					       (string->number (args:get-arg "-override-timeout"))
 					       136000))))
-	(handle-exceptions
-	 exn
-	 (begin
-	   (print-call-chain (current-error-port))
-	   (debug:print 2 "ERROR: problem accessing test db " work-area ", you probably should clean and re-run this test"
-			((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
-	   (set! db (sqlite3:open-database ":memory:")) ;; open an in-memory db to allow readonly access 
-	   (set! dbexists #f)) ;; must force re-creation of tables, more tom-foolery
-	 (set! db (sqlite3:open-database dbpath)))
-	(if *db-write-access* (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db handler))
+	
+	(if (and tdb-writeable
+		 *db-write-access*)
+	    (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db handler))
 	(if (not dbexists)
 	    (begin
 	      (db:set-sync db) ;; (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = FULL;")
 	      (debug:print-info 11 "Initialized test database " dbpath)
 	      (tdb:testdb-initialize db)))
@@ -80,16 +88,17 @@
 			((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
 	   #f)
 	 ;; Is there a cheaper single line operation that will check for existance of a table
 	 ;; and raise an exception ?
 	 (sqlite3:execute db "SELECT id FROM test_data LIMIT 1;"))
-	db)
-      (let ((baddb (sqlite3:open-database ":memory:")))
-	(debug:print-info 11 "open-test-db END (unsucessful)" work-area)
-	;; provide an in-mem db (this is dangerous!)
-	(tdb:testdb-initialize baddb)
-	baddb)))
+	db)))
+
+;;       (let ((baddb (sqlite3:open-database ":memory:")))
+;; 	(debug:print-info 11 "open-test-db END (unsucessful)" work-area)
+;; 	;; provide an in-mem db (this is dangerous!)
+;; 	(tdb:testdb-initialize baddb)
+;; 	baddb)))
 
 ;; find and open the testdat.db file for an existing test
 (define (tdb:open-test-db-by-test-id test-id #!key (work-area #f))
   (let* ((test-path (if work-area
 			work-area