Index: portlogger.scm
==================================================================
--- portlogger.scm
+++ portlogger.scm
@@ -17,11 +17,12 @@
 
 ;; lsof -i
 
 
 (define (portlogger:open-db fname)
-  (let* ((exists   (file-exists? fname))
+  (let* ((avail    (tasks:wait-on-journal fname 10)) ;; wait up to about 10 seconds for the journal to go away
+	 (exists   (file-exists? fname))
 	 (db       (sqlite3:open-database fname))
 	 (handler  (make-busy-timeout 136000))
 	 (canwrite (file-write-access? fname)))
     (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db handler)
     (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = 0;")
@@ -34,24 +35,25 @@
             fail_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
             update_time TIMESTAMP DEFAULT (strftime('%s','now')) );"))
     db))
 
 (define (portlogger:open-run-close proc . params)
-  (let ((fname  (conc "/tmp/." (current-user-name) "-portlogger.db")))
+  (let* ((fname  (conc "/tmp/." (current-user-name) "-portlogger.db"))
+	 (avail  (tasks:wait-on-journal fname 10))) ;; wait up to about 10 seconds for the journal to go away
     (handle-exceptions
      exn
      (begin
-       (release-dot-lock fname)
+       ;; (release-dot-lock fname)
        (debug:print 0 "ERROR: portlogger:open-run-close failed. " proc " " params)
        (debug:print 0 " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
        (debug:print 0 "exn=" (condition->list exn))
        (print-call-chain))
-     (let* ((lock   (obtain-dot-lock fname 2 9 10))
+     (let* (;; (lock   (obtain-dot-lock fname 2 9 10))
 	    (db     (portlogger:open-db fname))
 	    (res    (apply proc db params)))
        (sqlite3:finalize! db)
-       (release-dot-lock fname)
+       ;; (release-dot-lock fname)
        res))))
 
 ;; (fold-row PROC INIT DATABASE SQL . PARAMETERS) 
 (define (portlogger:take-port db portnum)
   (let* ((qry1 (sqlite3:prepare db "INSERT INTO ports (port,state) VALUES (?,?);"))

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -19,10 +19,26 @@
 (include "task_records.scm")
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Tasks db
 ;;======================================================================
+
+;; wait up to aprox n seconds for a journal to go away
+;;
+(define (tasks:wait-on-journal path n)
+  (let ((fullpath (conc path "-journal")))
+    (let loop ((journal-exists (file-exists? fullpath))
+	       (count          n)) ;; wait ten times ...
+      (if journal-exists
+	  (if (> count 0)
+	      #f
+	      (begin
+		(thread-sleep! 1)
+		(loop (file-exists? fullpath)
+		      (- count 1))))
+	  #t))))
+
 
 ;; If file exists AND
 ;;    file readable
 ;;         ==> open it
 ;; If file exists AND
@@ -32,10 +48,11 @@
 ;;    ==> open in-mem version
 ;;
 (define (tasks:open-db)
   (let* ((linktree     (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))
 	 (dbpath       (conc linktree "/.db/monitor.db"))
+	 (avail        (tasks:wait-on-journal dbpath 10)) ;; wait up to about 10 seconds for the journal to go away
 	 (exists       (file-exists? dbpath))
 	 (write-access (file-write-access? dbpath))
 	 (mdb          (cond
 			((file-write-access? *toppath*)(sqlite3:open-database dbpath))
 			((file-read-access? dbpath)    (sqlite3:open-database dbpath))