Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -597,20 +597,26 @@
           (pathname-file *toppath*)
           #f))) ;; (pathname-file (current-directory)))))
 
 (define common:get-area-name common:get-testsuite-name)
 
-(define (common:get-db-tmp-area)
+(define (common:get-db-tmp-area . junk)
   (if *db-cache-path*
       *db-cache-path*
-      (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)
+      (if *toppath* ;; common:get-create-writeable-dir
+	  (handle-exceptions
+	      exn
+	      (begin
+		(debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Couldn't create path to " dbdir)
+		(exit 1))
+	    (let ((dbpath (common:get-create-writeable-dir
+			   (list (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*))
 

Index: configf.scm
==================================================================
--- configf.scm
+++ configf.scm
@@ -423,10 +423,19 @@
 		  (cadr match)
 		  #f))
 	    ))
       #f))
 
+;; use to have definitive setting:
+;;  [foo]
+;;  var yes
+;;
+;;  (configf:var-is? cfgdat "foo" "var" "yes") => #t
+;;
+(define (configf:var-is? cfgdat section var expected-val)
+  (equal? (configf:lookup cfgdat section var) expected-val))
+
 (define configf:lookup config-lookup)
 (define configf:read-file read-config)
 
 ;; safely look up a value that is expected to be a number, return
 ;; a default (#f unless provided)

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -188,19 +188,11 @@
 ;; NB// #f => return dbdir only
 ;;      (was planned to be;  zeroth db with name=main.db)
 ;; 
 ;; If run-id is #f return to create and retrieve the path where the db will live.
 ;;
-(define (db:dbfile-path . junk) ;;  run-id)
-  (let* ((dbdir           (common:get-db-tmp-area)))
-    (handle-exceptions
-     exn
-     (begin
-       (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Couldn't create path to " dbdir)
-       (exit 1))
-     (if (not (directory? dbdir))(create-directory dbdir #t)))
-    dbdir))
+(define db:dbfile-path common:get-db-tmp-area)
 
 (define (db:set-sync db)
   (let ((syncprag (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "sychronous")))
     (sqlite3:execute db (conc "PRAGMA synchronous = " (or syncprag 0) ";"))))