Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -656,11 +656,11 @@
 (if (args:any? "-run" "-runall" "-remove-runs" "-set-state-status" "-kill-runs" "-kill-rerun")
     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* (string-intersperse (argv) " ")))
 
 ;; some switches imply homehost. Exit here if not on homehost
 ;;
-(let ((homehost-required  (list "-cleanup-db" "-server")))
+(let ((homehost-required  (list "-cleanup-db")))
   (if (apply args:any? homehost-required)
       (if (not (common:on-homehost?))
 	  (for-each
 	   (lambda (switch)
 	     (if (args:get-arg switch)

Index: server.scm
==================================================================
--- server.scm
+++ server.scm
@@ -445,27 +445,28 @@
 			      (>= (list-ref (hash-table-ref serversdat a) 2)
 				  (list-ref (hash-table-ref serversdat b) 2))))))
     (if (not (null? by-time-asc))
 	(let* ((oldest     (last by-time-asc))
 	       (oldest-dat (hash-table-ref serversdat oldest))
-	       (host       (list-ref oldest-dat 1))
+	       (host       (list-ref oldest-dat 0))
 	       (all-valid  (filter (lambda (x)
-				     (equal? host (list-ref (hash-table-ref serversdat x) 1)))
+				     (equal? host (list-ref (hash-table-ref serversdat x) 0)))
 				   by-time-asc)))
 	  (case mode
 	    ((info)
 	     (print "oldest: "oldest-dat", selected host: "host", all-valid: "all-valid)
 	     (print "youngest: "(hash-table-ref serversdat (car all-valid))))
 	    ((home) host)
 	    ((best)(if (> (length all-valid) 5)
 		       (map (lambda (x)
 			      (hash-table-ref serversdat x))
-			    (take all-valid 5))))
+			    (take all-valid 5))
+		       all-valid))
 	    (else
 	     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: invalid command "mode)
-	     #f))
-	  #f))))
+	     #f)))
+	#f)))
 
 (define (server:get-homehost #!key (trynum 5))
   ;; called often especially at start up. use mutex to eliminate collisions
   (mutex-lock! *homehost-mutex*)
   (cond
@@ -481,45 +482,24 @@
 	  (server:get-homehost trynum: (- trynum 1)))
 	#f))
    (else
     (let* ((currhost (get-host-name))
 	   (bestadrs (server:get-best-guess-address currhost))
-	   ;; first look in config, then look in file .homehost, create it if not found
-	   (homehost (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "homehost" )
-			 (handle-exceptions
-			     exn
-			     (if (> trynum 0)
-				 (let ((delay-time (* (- 5 trynum) 5)))
-				   (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
-				   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)"] Failed to read .homehost file, delaying "
-						delay-time " seconds and trying again, message: "  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn)
-						", exn=" exn)
-				   (thread-sleep! delay-time)
-				   (server:get-homehost trynum: (- trynum 1)))
-				 (begin
-				   (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
-				   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)
-						"] Failed to read .homehost file after trying five times. Giving up and exiting, message: "
-						((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
-				   (exit 1)))
-			   (let ((hhf (conc *toppath* "/.homehost")))
-			     (if (common:file-exists? hhf)
-				 (with-input-from-file hhf read-line)
-				 (if (file-write-access? *toppath*)
-				     (begin
-				       (with-output-to-file hhf
-					 (lambda ()
-					   (print bestadrs)))
-				       (begin
-					 (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
-					 (car (server:get-homehost))))
-				     #f))))))
+	   (homehost (server:choose-server *toppath* 'home))
 	   (at-home  (or (equal? homehost currhost)
 			 (equal? homehost bestadrs))))
-      (set! *home-host* (cons homehost at-home))
-      (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
-      *home-host*))))
+
+      ;; if no homehost start server, wait a bit and check again
+      (if homehost
+	  (begin
+	    (set! *home-host* (cons homehost at-home))
+	    (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
+	    *home-host*)
+	  (begin
+	    (server:kind-run *toppath*)
+	    (thread-sleep! 5)
+	    (server:get-homehost trynum: (- trynum 1))))))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; am I on the homehost?
 ;;
 (define (common:on-homehost?)
@@ -533,12 +513,13 @@
 ;; area to be launched
 ;;
 (define (server:kind-run areapath)
   ;; look for $MT_RUN_AREA_HOME/logs/server-start-last
   ;; and wait for it to be at least <server idletime> seconds old
-  (server:wait-for-server-start-last-flag areapath)
-  (if (not (server:check-if-running areapath)) ;; why try if there is already a server running?
+  ;; (server:wait-for-server-start-last-flag areapath)
+  (server:run areapath)
+  #;(if (not (server:check-if-running areapath)) ;; why try if there is already a server running?
       (let* ((lock-file    (conc areapath "/logs/server-start.lock")))
 	(let* ((start-flag (conc areapath "/logs/server-start-last")))
 	  (common:simple-file-lock-and-wait lock-file expire-time: 25)
 	  (debug:print-info  2 *default-log-port* "server:kind-run: touching " start-flag)
 	  (system (conc "touch " start-flag)) ;; lazy but safe