Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -46,10 +46,11 @@
 (define *test-meta-updated* (make-hash-table))
 (define *globalexitstatus*  0) ;; attempt to work around possible thread issues
 (define *passnum*           0) ;; when running track calls to run-tests or similar
 (define *write-frequency*   (make-hash-table)) ;; run-id => (vector (current-seconds) 0))
 (define *alt-log-file* #f)  ;; used by -log
+(define *common:denoise*    (make-hash-table)) ;; for low noise printing
 
 ;; DATABASE
 (define *dbstruct-db*  #f)
 (define *db-stats* (make-hash-table)) ;; hash of vectors < count duration-total >
 (define *db-stats-mutex*      (make-mutex))
@@ -119,10 +120,20 @@
 (define *fdb* #f)
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; U S E F U L   S T U F F
 ;;======================================================================
+
+(define (common:low-noise-print waitval . keys)
+  (let* ((key      (string-intersperse (map conc keys) "-" ))
+	 (lasttime (hash-table-ref/default *common:denoise* key 0))
+	 (currtime (current-seconds)))
+    (if (> (- currtime lasttime) waitval)
+	(begin
+	  (hash-table-set! *common:denoise* key currtime)
+	  #t)
+	#f)))
 
 (define (common:get-megatest-exe)
   (if (getenv "MT_MEGATEST") (getenv "MT_MEGATEST") "megatest"))
 
 (define (common:read-encoded-string instr)

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -457,19 +457,20 @@
 			      (hash-table-set! numrecs tablename (+ 1 (hash-table-ref/default numrecs tablename 0)))))))
 		    fromdat)))
 		(sqlite3:finalize! stmth)))
 	    (append (list todb) slave-dbs))))
        tbls)
-      (let ((runtime (- (current-milliseconds) start-time)))
-	(debug:print 0 "INFO: db sync, total run time " runtime " ms")
+      (let* ((runtime      (- (current-milliseconds) start-time))
+	     (should-print (common:low-noise-print 30 "db sync" (> runtime 500)))) ;; low and high sync times treated as separate.
+	(if should-print (debug:print 0 "INFO: db sync, total run time " runtime " ms"))
 	(for-each 
 	 (lambda (dat)
 	   (let ((tblname (car dat))
 		 (count   (cdr dat)))
 	     (set! tot-count (+ tot-count count))
 	     (if (> count 0)
-		 (debug:print 0 (format #f "    ~10a ~5a" tblname count)))))
+		 (if should-print (debug:print 0 (format #f "    ~10a ~5a" tblname count))))))
 	 (sort (hash-table->alist numrecs)(lambda (a b)(> (cdr a)(cdr b))))))
       tot-count)))
   (mutex-unlock! *db-sync-mutex*))
 
 ;; options:

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -490,25 +490,35 @@
 	 (bestsize 0))
     (if disks 
 	(for-each 
 	 (lambda (disk-num)
 	   (let* ((dirpath    (cadr (assoc disk-num disks)))
-		  (freespc    (if (and (directory? dirpath)
-				       (file-write-access? dirpath))
-				  (get-df dirpath)
-				  (begin
-				    (debug:print 0 "WARNING: path " dirpath " in [disks] section not valid or writable")
-				    0))))
+		  (freespc    (cond
+			       ((not (directory? dirpath))
+				(if (common:low-noise-print 20 "disks" disk-num)
+				    (debug:print 0 "WARNING: disk " disk-num " at path " dirpath " is not a directory - ignoring it."))
+				-1)
+			       ((not (file-write-access? dirpath))
+				(if (common:low-noise-print 20 "disks" disk-num)
+				    (debug:print 0 "WARNING: disk " disk-num " at path " dirpath " is not writeable - ignoring it."))
+				-1)
+			       ((not (eq? (string-ref dirpath 0) #\/))
+				(if (common:low-noise-print 20 "disks" disk-num)
+				    (debug:print 0 "WARNING: disk " disk-num " at path " dirpath " is not a fully qualified path - ignoring it."))
+				-1)
+			       (else
+				(get-df dirpath)))))
 	     (if (> freespc bestsize)
 		 (begin
 		   (set! best     dirpath)
 		   (set! bestsize freespc)))))
 	 (map car disks)))
-    (if best
+    (if (and best (> bestsize 0))
 	best
 	(begin
-	  (debug:print 0 "ERROR: No valid disks found in megatest.config. Please add some to your [disks] section")
+	  (if (common:low-noise-print 20 "disks" disk-num)
+	      (debug:print 0 "ERROR: No valid disks found in megatest.config. Please add some to your [disks] section and ensure the directory exists!"))
 	  (exit 1)))))
 
 ;; Desired directory structure:
 ;;
 ;;  <linkdir> - <target> - <testname> -.

Index: tests/fullrun/megatest.config
==================================================================
--- tests/fullrun/megatest.config
+++ tests/fullrun/megatest.config
@@ -143,10 +143,11 @@
 ## name host:/path/to/area
 ## -or-
 ## name /path/to/area
 [disks]
 disk0 /foobarbazz
+disk1 not-a-disk
 [include config/mt_include_2.config]
 
 [include #{getenv USER}_testing.config]
 
 [jobgroups]