Index: debugprint.scm
==================================================================
--- debugprint.scm
+++ debugprint.scm
@@ -115,11 +115,13 @@
 	(lambda ()
 	  ;; (if *logging*
 	      ;; (db:log-event (apply conc params))
 	  (apply print params)
 	  (debug:handle-remote-logging params)
-	  )))) ;; )
+	  )))
+  #t ;; only here to make remote stuff happy. It'd be nice to fix that ...
+  )
 
 (define (debug:print-error n e . params)
   ;; normal print
   (if (debug:debug-mode n)
       (with-output-to-port (if (port? e) e (current-error-port))

Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -202,10 +202,14 @@
 	 (all-srvpkts (get-all-server-pkts pktsdir *srvpktspec*))
 	 ;; (dbpath      (conc apath "/" dbname))
 	 (viable-srvs (get-viable-servers all-srvpkts dbname)))
     (get-the-server apath viable-srvs)))
 
+
+(define *connstart-mutex* (make-mutex))
+(define *last-main-start* 0)
+
 ;; looks for a connection to main, returns if have and not exired
 ;; creates new otherwise
 ;; 
 ;; connections for other servers happens by requesting from main
 ;;
@@ -215,17 +219,22 @@
   (let* ((fullpath (db:dbname->path apath "/.db/main.db"))
 	 (conns    (remotedat-conns remdat))
 	 (conn     (hash-table-ref/default conns fullpath #f))) ;; TODO - create call for this
     (if (and conn                                             ;; conn is NOT a socket, just saying ...
 	     (< (current-seconds) (conndat-expires conn)))
-	conn ;; we are current and good to go - we'll deal elsewhere with a server that was killed or died 
+	#t ;; we are current and good to go - we'll deal elsewhere with a server that was killed or died 
 	;; Below we will find or create and connect to main
 	(let* ((dbname         (db:run-id->dbname #f))
 	       (the-srv        (rmt:find-main-server apath dbname))
 	       (start-main-srv (lambda () ;; call IF there is no the-srv found
-				 (api:run-server-process apath dbname)
-				 (thread-sleep! 1)
+				 (mutex-lock! *connstart-mutex*)
+				 (if (> (- (current-seconds) *last-main-start*) 5) ;; at least four seconds since last attempt to start main server
+				     (begin
+				       (api:run-server-process apath dbname)
+				       (set! *last-main-start* (current-seconds))
+				       (thread-sleep! 1)))
+				 (mutex-unlock! *connstart-mutex*)
 				 (rmt:open-main-connection remdat apath) ;; TODO: Add limit to number of tries
 				 )))
 	  (if (not the-srv) ;; have server, try connecting to it
 	      (start-main-srv)
 	      (let* ((srv-addr (server-address the-srv)) ;; need serv
@@ -245,12 +254,13 @@
 				   srvpkt: the-srv
 				   srvkey: srvkey ;; generated by rmt:get-signature on the server side
 				   lastmsg: (current-seconds)
 				   expires: (+ (current-seconds) 60) ;; this needs to be gathered during the ping
 				   )))
-		(hash-table-set! conns fullpath new-the-srv)))))))
-    
+		(hash-table-set! conns fullpath new-the-srv)))
+	  #t))))
+
 ;; NB// remdat is a remotedat struct
 ;;
 (define (rmt:general-open-connection remdat apath dbname #!key (num-tries 5))
   (assert (not (equal? dbname ".db/main.db")) "ERROR: general-open-connection should never be called with main as the db")
   (let* ((mdbname  (db:run-id->dbname #f))
@@ -305,14 +315,12 @@
 		  (else
 		   (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "return data from starting server did not match host port servkey pid ipaddr apath dbname " res)))
 		 res)
 	       (begin
 		 (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Unexpected result: " res)
-		 res))))))
-     
-
-     )))
+		 res)))))))
+     #t))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 
 ;; FOR DEBUGGING SET TO #t
 ;; (define *localmode* #t)

Index: tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
==================================================================
--- tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
+++ tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
@@ -45,20 +45,20 @@
  ;; 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)))
-(test #f #f (rmt:get-conn *rmt:remote* *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
+(test #f #t (remotedat? (let ((r (make-remotedat)))
+			  (set! *remotedat* r)
+			  r)))
+(test #f #f (rmt:get-conn *remotedat* *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
 (test #f #f (rmt:find-main-server *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
-(test #f #t (rmt:open-main-connection *rmt:remote* *toppath*))
-(pp (hash-table->alist (rmt:remote-conns *rmt:remote*)))
-(test #f #t (rmt:conn? (rmt:get-conn *rmt:remote* *toppath* ".db/main.db")))
+(test #f #t (rmt:open-main-connection *remotedat* *toppath*))
+(pp (hash-table->alist (remotedat-conns *remotedat*)))
+(test #f #t (conndat? (rmt:get-conn *remotedat* *toppath* ".db/main.db")))
 
-(define *main*  (rmt:get-conn *rmt:remote* *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
+(define *main*  (rmt:get-conn *remotedat* *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
 
 ;; (for-each (lambda (tdat)
 ;; 	    (test #f tdat (loop-test (rmt:conn-ipaddr *main*)
 ;; 				     (rmt:conn-port *main*) tdat)))
 ;; 	  (list 'a
@@ -68,13 +68,13 @@
 (define *db* (db:setup ".db/main.db"))
 
 ;; these let me cut and paste from source easily
 (define apath *toppath*)
 (define dbname ".db/2.db")
-(define remote *rmt:remote*)
+(define remote *remotedat*)
 (define keyvals  '(("SYSTEM" "a")("RELEASE" "b")))
 
 (test #f '() (string->sexpr "()"))
 (test #f 'server-started (api:execute-requests *db* 'get-server (list *toppath* ".db/2.db")))
 (set! *dbstruct-db* #f)
 
 (exit)

Index: tests/unittests/server.scm
==================================================================
--- tests/unittests/server.scm
+++ tests/unittests/server.scm
@@ -52,31 +52,34 @@
 (define *db* (db:setup ".db/main.db"))
 
 ;; these let me cut and paste from source easily
 (define apath *toppath*)
 (define dbname ".db/2.db")
-(define remote *rmt:remote*)
+(define remote *remotedat*)
 (define keyvals  '(("SYSTEM" "a")("RELEASE" "b")))
 
 (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 #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)))
+(test #f #t (conndat? (rmt:get-conn *remotedat* *toppath* ".db/main.db")))
+(test #f #t (conndat? (rmt:get-conn *remotedat* *toppath* ".db/main.db")))
+(test #f ".db/2.db" (list-ref (rmt:send-receive-real *remotedat* *toppath* ".db/main.db" 'get-server `(,apath ,dbname))
+			      6))
 
 (thread-sleep! 2)
-(test #f #t (list? (rmt:general-open-connection *rmt:remote* *toppath* ".db/2.db")))
+(test #f #t (rmt:general-open-connection *remotedat* *toppath* ".db/2.db"))
+
+(exit)
 
 (test #f '("SYSTEM" "RELEASE") (rmt:get-keys))
 (test #f 1 (rmt:send-receive 'register-run #f (list keyvals "run1" "new" "n/a" "justme" #f)))
 (print "Got here.")
 
 (test #f 1 (rmt:send-receive 'register-run 1 (list keyvals "run1" "new" "n/a" "justme" #f)))
 
 (test #f 2 (rmt:register-run keyvals "run2" "new" "n/a" "justme" #f))
-;; (test #f 2 (rmt:deregister-server *rmt:remote* *toppath* iface port server-key dbname
+;; (test #f 2 (rmt:deregister-server *remotedat* *toppath* iface port server-key dbname
 
-(test #f 2 (rmt:get-count-servers *rmt:remote* *toppath*))
+(test #f 2 (rmt:get-count-servers *remotedat* *toppath*))
 
 (test #f "run2" (rmt:get-run-name-from-id 2))
 
 ;; (exit)