Index: apimod.scm
==================================================================
--- apimod.scm
+++ apimod.scm
@@ -403,16 +403,16 @@
 ;;                 api:process-request
 ;;                    db:*
 ;;
 ;; NB// Runs on the server as part of the server loop
 ;;
-(define (api:process-request dbstruct $) ;; the $ is the request vars proc
+(define (api:process-request dbstruct indat) ;; the $ is the request vars proc
   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "server-id:"  *server-id*)
-  (let* ((cmd-in  ($ 'cmd))
+  (let* ((cmd-in  (alist-ref 'cmd indat)) ;; ($ 'cmd))
 	 (cmd     (if (string? cmd-in)(string->symbol cmd-in) cmd-in))
-	 (params  (string->sexpr ($ 'params)))
-         (key     ($ 'key))    ;; TODO - add this back
+	 (params  (string->sexpr (alist-ref 'params indat)))
+         (key     (alist-ref 'key indat))    ;; TODO - add this back
 	 )
     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "cmd:" cmd " with params " params "key " key)
     (if (equal? key "nokey") ;; *server-id*) ;; TODO - get real key involved
 	(begin
 	  (set! *api-process-request-count* (+ *api-process-request-count* 1))

Index: commonmod.scm
==================================================================
--- commonmod.scm
+++ commonmod.scm
@@ -3781,8 +3781,8 @@
    exn
    (begin
      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: string->sexpr bad input \""instr"\"")
      #f)
    (with-input-from-string instr
-     (lambda ()(read)))))
+     read)))
 
 )

Index: fullrununit.sh
==================================================================
--- fullrununit.sh
+++ fullrununit.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 (killall mtest -v;sleep 1;killall mtest -v -9;rm -f tests/simplerun/.db/* tests/simplerun/logs/* tests/basicserver.log) &
 ck5 make -j install &&
 wait  &&
-ck5 make unit
+script -c "ck5 make unit" 

Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -51,11 +51,12 @@
 	chicken.process
 	chicken.process-context
 	chicken.process-context.posix
 	chicken.sort
 	chicken.string
-	chicken.tcp	chicken.random
+	;; chicken.tcp
+	chicken.random
 	chicken.time
 	chicken.time.posix
 	(prefix sqlite3 sqlite3:)
 	
 	directory-utils
@@ -272,12 +273,12 @@
     (rmt:general-open-connection conns apath dbname)
     (rmt:send-receive-real conns apath dbname cmd params)))
 
 (define (rmt:send-receive-setup conn)
   (if (not (rmt:conn-inport conn))
-      (let-values ((i o) (tcp-connect (rmt:conn-ipaddr conn)
-				      (rmt:conn-port port)))
+      (let-values (((i o) (tcp-connect (rmt:conn-ipaddr conn)
+				      (rmt:conn-port conn))))
 	(rmt:conn-inport-set! conn i)
 	(rmt:conn-outport-set! conn o))))
   
 ;; db is at apath/.db/dbname, rid is an intermediary solution and will be removed
 ;; sometime in the future
@@ -296,10 +297,12 @@
 			   (rmt:conn-inport conn)
 			 read-string))))
       (if (string? res)
 	  (string->sexpr res)
 	  res))))
+
+
 
 ;; db is at apath/.db/dbname, rid is an intermediary solution and will be removed
 ;; sometime in the future.
 ;;
 ;; Purpose - call the main.db server and request a server be started
@@ -1810,28 +1813,30 @@
 (define (server-address srv-pkt)
   (conc (alist-ref 'host srv-pkt) ":"
 	(alist-ref 'port srv-pkt)))
 	
 (define (server-ready? host port key) ;; server-address is host:port
-  ;; ping the server and ask it
-  ;; if it ready
-  ;; (let* ((sdat (servdat-init #f host port #f)))
-  ;;   (http-transport:send-receive sdat "abc" 'ping '())))
-
-  #;(let* ((res (with-input-from-request
-	       (conc "http://"host":"port"/ping") ;; returns *toppath*/dbname
-	       #f
-	       read-string)))
-    (if (equal? res key)
-	#t
+  (let-values (((i o)(handle-exceptions
+		      exn
+		      (values #f #f)
+		      (tcp-connect host port))))
+    (if (and i o)
 	(begin
-	  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "server-ready? key="key", received="res)
-  #f)))
-
-  #f
-  )
-	      
+	  (write `((cmd . ping)
+		   (key . ,key)
+		   (params . ())) o)
+	  (let ((res (with-input-from-port i
+		       read)))
+	    (close-output-port o)
+	    (close-input-port i)
+	    (if (string? res)
+		(string->sexpr res)
+		res)))
+	(begin ;; connection failed
+	  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Server at "host":"port" is not responding.")
+	  #f))))
+ 	      
 (define (loop-test host port data) ;; server-address is host:port
   ;; ping the server and ask it
   ;; if it ready
   ;; (let* ((sdat (servdat-init #f host port #f)))
   ;;   (http-transport:send-receive sdat "abc" 'ping '())))

Index: tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
==================================================================
--- tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
+++ tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@
 ;;
 ;;  ./rununittest.sh server 1;(cd simplerun;megatest -stop-server 0)
 
 (import rmtmod trace http-client apimod dbmod
 	launchmod)
+
 (trace-call-sites #t)
 (trace
  ;; db:get-dbdat
  ;; rmt:find-main-server
  rmt:send-receive-real
@@ -39,11 +40,13 @@
  ;; common:watchdog
  ;; rmt:find-main-server
  ;; get-all-server-pkts
  ;; get-viable-servers
  ;; get-best-candidate
- ;; api:run-server-process
+ api:run-server-process
+ rmt:run
+ rmt:try-start-server
  )
 
 (test #f #t (rmt:remote? (let ((r (make-rmt:remote)))
 			   (set! *rmt:remote* r)
 			   r)))
@@ -70,10 +73,13 @@
 (define remote *rmt:remote*)
 (define keyvals  '(("SYSTEM" "a")("RELEASE" "b")))
 
 (test #f 'server-started (api:execute-requests *db* 'get-server (list *toppath* ".db/2.db")))
 (set! *dbstruct-db* #f)
+
+(exit)
+
 (test #f #t (rmt:open-main-connection remote apath))
 (test #f #t (rmt:conn? (rmt:get-conn *rmt:remote* *toppath* ".db/main.db")))
 (test #f 'server-started (rmt:send-receive-real *rmt:remote* *toppath* ".db/main.db" 'get-server `(,apath ,dbname)))
 
 (thread-sleep! 2)