Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -561,16 +561,18 @@
           (pathname-file (current-directory)))))
 
 (define (common:get-db-tmp-area)
   (if *db-cache-path*
       *db-cache-path*
-      (let ((dbpath (create-directory (conc "/tmp/" (current-user-name)
-					    "/megatest_localdb/"
-					    (common:get-testsuite-name) "/"
-					    (string-translate *toppath* "/" ".")) #t)))
-	(set! *db-cache-path* dbpath)
-	dbpath)))
+      (if *toppath*
+	  (let ((dbpath (create-directory (conc "/tmp/" (current-user-name)
+						"/megatest_localdb/"
+						(common:get-testsuite-name) "/"
+						(string-translate *toppath* "/" ".")) #t)))
+	    (set! *db-cache-path* dbpath)
+	    dbpath)
+	  #f)))
 
 (define (common:get-area-path-signature)
   (message-digest-string (md5-primitive) *toppath*))
 
 ;;======================================================================
@@ -1005,10 +1007,17 @@
   (let ((hh (common:get-homehost)))
     (if hh
 	(cdr hh)
 	#f)))
 
+;; do we honor the caches of the config files?
+;;
+(define (common:use-cache?)
+  (not (or (args:get-arg "-no-cache")
+	   (and *configdat*
+		(equal? (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "use-cache") "no")))))
+
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; M I S C   L I S T S
 ;;======================================================================
 
 ;; items in lista are matched value and position in listb

Index: dashboard.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard.scm
+++ dashboard.scm
@@ -99,21 +99,21 @@
 (if (args:get-arg "-h")
     (begin
       (print help)
       (exit)))
 
-(if (not (common:on-homehost?))
-    (begin
-      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: Current policy requires running dashboard on homehost: " (common:get-homehost))))
-    
 ;; TODO: Move this inside (main)
 ;;
 (if (not (launch:setup))
     (begin
       (print "Failed to find megatest.config, exiting") 
       (exit 1)))
 
+(if (not (common:on-homehost?))
+    (begin
+      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: Current policy requires running dashboard on homehost: " (common:get-homehost))))
+    
 ;; RA => Might require revert for filters 
 ;; create a watch dog to move changes from lt/.db/*.db to megatest.db
 ;;
 ;;;(if (file-write-access? (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db"))
 ;;(debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "Before common:watchdog spawn")

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -760,11 +760,12 @@
       (let ((res (launch:setup-body force: force areapath: areapath)))
 	(mutex-unlock! *launch-setup-mutex*)
 	res)))
 
 (define (launch:setup-body #!key (force #f) (areapath #f))
-  (let* ((toppath  (or *toppath* areapath (getenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))) ;; preserve toppath
+  (let* ((use-cache (common:use-cache?))
+	 (toppath  (or *toppath* areapath (getenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))) ;; preserve toppath
 	 (runname  (common:args-get-runname))
 	 (target   (common:args-get-target))
 	 (linktree (common:get-linktree))
 	 (sections (if target (list "default" target) #f)) ;; for runconfigs
 	 (mtconfig (or (args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config")) ;; allow overriding megatest.config 
@@ -782,11 +783,11 @@
     (cond
      ;; data was read and cached and available in *configstatus*, toppath has already been set
      ((eq? *configstatus* 'fulldata)
       *toppath*)
      ;; if mtcachef exists just read it, however we need to assume toppath is available in $MT_RUN_AREA_HOME
-     ((and mtcachef (file-exists? mtcachef) (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))
+     ((and mtcachef (file-exists? mtcachef) (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME") use-cache)
       (set! *configdat*    (configf:read-alist mtcachef))
       (set! *runconfigdat* (configf:read-alist rccachef))
       (set! *configinfo*   (list *configdat*  (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")))
       (set! *configstatus* 'fulldata)
       (set! *toppath*      (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))
@@ -893,10 +894,11 @@
 	  (setenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*)
 	  (setenv "MT_TESTSUITENAME" (common:get-testsuite-name)))
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "failed to find the top path to your Megatest area.")
           ;;(exit 1)
+	  (set! *toppath* #f) ;; force it to be false so we return #f
           #f
           ))
     *toppath*))
 
 (define (get-best-disk confdat testconfig)

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -87,10 +87,11 @@
   -set-run-status status  : sets status for run to status, requires -target and -runname
   -get-run-status         : gets status for run specified by target and runname
   -run-wait               : wait on run specified by target and runname
   -preclean               : remove the existing test directory before running the test
   -clean-cache            : remove the cached megatest.config and runconfig.config files
+  -no-cache               : do not use the cached config files. 
 
 Selectors (e.g. use for -runtests, -remove-runs, -set-state-status, -list-runs etc.)
   -target key1/key2/...   : run for key1, key2, etc.
   -reqtarg key1/key2/...  : run for key1, key2, etc. but key1/key2 must be in runconfig
   -testpatt patt1/patt2,patt3/...  : % is wildcard
@@ -302,10 +303,11 @@
 			"-daemonize"
 			"-preclean"
 			"-rerun-clean"
 			"-rerun-all"
 			"-clean-cache"
+			"-no-cache"
 			"-cache-db"
                         "-use-db-cache"
 			;; misc
 			"-repl"
 			"-lock"
@@ -851,11 +853,12 @@
 		     (conc (getenv "MT_LINKTREE") "/" (getenv "MT_TARGET") "/" (getenv "MT_RUNNAME"))
 		     #f))
 	 (cfgf   (if rundir (conc rundir "/.runconfig." megatest-version "-" megatest-fossil-hash) #f)))
     (if (and cfgf
 	     (file-exists? cfgf)
-	     (file-write-access? cfgf))
+	     (file-write-access? cfgf)
+	     (common:use-cache?))
 	(configf:read-alist cfgf)
 	(let* ((keys   (rmt:get-keys))
 	       (target (common:args-get-target))
 	       (key-vals (if target (keys:target->keyval keys target) #f))
 	       (sections (if target (list "default" target) #f))

Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -1144,17 +1144,19 @@
 ;; else if have cached copy in *testconfigs* return it IFF there is a section "have fulldata"
 ;; else read the testconfig file
 ;;   if have path to test directory save the config as .testconfig and return it
 ;;
 (define (tests:get-testconfig test-name item-path test-registry system-allowed #!key (force-create #f))
-  (let* ((cache-path   (tests:get-test-path-from-environment))
+  (let* ((use-cache    (common:use-cache?))
+	 (cache-path   (tests:get-test-path-from-environment))
 	 (cache-file   (and cache-path (conc cache-path "/.testconfig")))
 	 (cache-exists (and cache-file
 			    (not force-create)  ;; if force-create then pretend there is no cache to read
 			    (file-exists? cache-file)))
 	 (cached-dat   (if (and (not force-create)
-				cache-exists)
+				cache-exists
+				use-cache)
 			   (handle-exceptions
 			    exn
 			    #f ;; any issues, just give up with the cached version and re-read
 			    (configf:read-alist cache-file))
 			   #f))

Index: tests/fdktestqa/testqa/megatest.config
==================================================================
--- tests/fdktestqa/testqa/megatest.config
+++ tests/fdktestqa/testqa/megatest.config
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 [setup]
 testcopycmd cp --remove-destination -rlv TEST_SRC_PATH/. TEST_TARG_PATH/. >> TEST_TARG_PATH/mt_launch.log 2>> TEST_TARG_PATH/mt_launch.log
 # launchwait no
 launch-delay 0
 
+[server]
+runtime 180
+
 # All these are overridden in ../fdk.config
 # [jobtools]
 # launcher nbfake
 # launcher bsub -q priority -o $MT_TEST_RUN_DIR/openlava.log 
 

Index: tests/fdktestqa/testqa/runsuite.sh
==================================================================
--- tests/fdktestqa/testqa/runsuite.sh
+++ tests/fdktestqa/testqa/runsuite.sh
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-(cd ../../..;make && make install) || exit 1
-export PATH=$PWD/../../../bin:$PATH
+# (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 $i &
+  viewscreen megatest -run -testpatt % -target a/b -runname w$(date +%U.%u.%H)$i
 done
 
 echo "" > num-running.log
 while true; do
-  foo=`megatest -list-runs % | grep RUNNING | wc -l`
+  foo=$(megatest -list-runs % | grep RUNNING | wc -l)
   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
+  sleep 10
 done

Index: tests/fullrun/megatest.config
==================================================================
--- tests/fullrun/megatest.config
+++ tests/fullrun/megatest.config
@@ -238,10 +238,11 @@
 # Archives will be organised under these paths like this:
 #  <testsuite>/<creationdate>
 # Within the archive the data is structured like this:
 #  <target>/<runname>/<test>/
 disk0 /tmp/#{getenv USER}/adisk1
+disk1 /mfs/tmp/archive
 
 # Uncomment these to emulate a job queue with a long time (look in bin/sleeprunner for the time)
 [jobtools]
 launcher #{scheme (case (string->symbol (conc (getenv "datapath"))) \
                          ((none) "nbfake") \

Index: tests/fullrun/runconfigs.config
==================================================================
--- tests/fullrun/runconfigs.config
+++ tests/fullrun/runconfigs.config
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 [default]
 SOMEVAR This should show up in SOMEVAR3
 VARNOVAL
-VARNOVAL_WITHSPACE 
+VARNOVAL_WITHSPACE
+QUICK %
 
 # target based getting of config file, look at afs.config and nfs.config
 [include #{getenv fsname}.config]
 
 [include #{getenv MT_RUN_AREA_HOME}/common_runconfigs.config]

Index: tests/fullrun/tests/test_mt_vars/testconfig
==================================================================
--- tests/fullrun/tests/test_mt_vars/testconfig
+++ tests/fullrun/tests/test_mt_vars/testconfig
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 [test_meta]
 author matt
 owner  bob
 description This test runs a single ezstep which is expected to pass, no logpro file.
 
-tags first,single
+tags quick,first,single
 reviewed 09/10/2011, by Matt