Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -332,11 +332,14 @@
 (define (common:exit-on-version-changed)
   (if (common:on-homehost?)
       (if (common:api-changed?)
 	  (let* ((mtconf (conc (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME") "/megatest.config"))
                 (dbfile (conc (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME") "/megatest.db"))
-                (read-only (not (file-write-access? dbfile)))
+                (read-only (or
+                            (get-environment-variable "MT_FORCE_READONLY")
+                            (not (file-write-access? (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")))
+                            (not (file-write-access? dbfile))))
                 (dbstruct (db:setup #t)))
 	    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port*
 			 "WARNING: Version mismatch!\n"
 			 "   expected: " (common:version-signature) "\n"
 			 "   got:      " (common:get-last-run-version))

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -257,11 +257,18 @@
          (exn (permission)(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: database " fname " has some permissions problem."))
          (exn () (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: Unknown error with database " fname " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))))
 	)))
 
 
-
+(define (db:mtdbpath-writable? mtdbpath)
+  (let* ((parent-dir (pathname-directory mtdbpath))
+         (logdir     (conc parent-dir "/logs")))
+    (and
+     (file-write-access? parent-dir)
+     (file-write-access? mtdbpath)
+     (or (not (common:file-exists? logdir)) (file-write-access? logdir))
+     )))
 
 
 
 ;; ;; This routine creates the db. It is only called if the db is not already opened
 ;; ;; 
@@ -314,11 +321,11 @@
                
                (mtdb         (db:open-megatest-db))
                (mtdbpath     (db:dbdat-get-path mtdb))
                (tmpdb        (db:open-megatest-db path: dbpath)) ;; lock-create-open dbpath db:initialize-main-db))
                (refndb       (db:open-megatest-db path: dbpath name: "megatest_ref.db"))
-               (write-access (file-write-access? mtdbpath))
+               (write-access (db:mtdbpath-writable? mtdbpath)) ;; this determines if we are i readonly mode or not.
 	       (mtdbmodtime  (if mtdbexists (common:lazy-sqlite-db-modification-time mtdbpath)   #f))
 	       (tmpdbmodtime (if dbfexists  (common:lazy-sqlite-db-modification-time tmpdbfname) #f))
 	       (modtimedelta (and mtdbmodtime tmpdbmodtime (- mtdbmodtime tmpdbmodtime))))
 	  
           ;;(debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "db:open-db>> mtdbpath="mtdbpath" mtdbexists="mtdbexists" and write-access="write-access)