Index: apimod.scm
==================================================================
--- apimod.scm
+++ apimod.scm
@@ -374,11 +374,11 @@
     ((general-call)                 (let ((stmtname   (car params))
 					  (run-id     (cadr params))
 					  (realparams (cddr params)))
 				      (db:general-call dbstruct stmtname run-id realparams)))
     ((sdb-qry)                      (apply sdb:qry params))
-    ((ping)                         `(#t ,(current-process-id) (cadr params))) ;; (current-process-id))
+    ((ping)                         `(#t ,(current-process-id) ,(cadr params))) ;; (current-process-id))
     ((get-changed-record-ids)       (apply db:get-changed-record-ids dbstruct params))
     ((get-run-record-ids) 	   (apply db:get-run-record-ids dbstruct params))	
     ;; TESTMETA
     ((testmeta-get-record)       (apply db:testmeta-get-record dbstruct params))
 

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -1067,15 +1067,17 @@
      		(else
      		 (pp data))))))
            (if out-file (close-output-port out-port))
            (exit) ;; yes, bending the rules here - need to exit since this is a utility
            ))
-     
-     (if (args:get-arg "-ping")
+
+  ;; disabled for now
+  
+     #;(if (args:get-arg "-ping")
          (let* ((server-id     (string->number (args:get-arg "-ping"))) ;; extract run-id (i.e. no ":"
      	   (host:port     (args:get-arg "-ping")))
-           (server:ping (or server-id host:port) #f do-exit: #t)))
+           (server-ready? (or server-id host:port) #f do-exit: #t)))
      
      ;;======================================================================
      ;; Capture, save and manipulate environments
      ;;======================================================================
      

Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -359,15 +359,15 @@
 ;;
 (define (rmt:send-receive-real sinfo apath dbname cmd params)
   (let* ((cdat (rmt:get-conn sinfo apath dbname)))
     (assert cdat "FATAL: rmt:send-receive-real called without the needed channels opened")
     (let* ((key     #f)
-	   (payload `((cmd    . ,cmd)
-		      (key    . ,(conndat-srvkey cdat))
-		      (params . ,params)))
+	   #;(payload `(,cmd ;; (cmd    . ,cmd)(key    .
+		      ,(conndat-srvkey cdat)
+		      ,params))
 	   (uconn    (servdat-uconn sinfo))
-	   (res      (send-receive uconn (conndat-hostport cdat) cmd payload)))
+	   (res      (send-receive uconn (conndat-hostport cdat) cmd params))) ;; payload)))
       (if (member res '("#<unspecified>")) ;; TODO - fix this in string->sexpr
 	  #f
 	  res))))
 
 ;; db is at apath/.db/dbname, rid is an intermediary solution and will be removed
@@ -1614,11 +1614,11 @@
 ;; NOTE: This is NOT called directly from clients as not all transports support a client running
 ;;       in the same process as the server. 
 ;;
 ;; conn is a conndat record
 ;;
-(define (server:ping uconn #!key (do-exit #f))
+#;(define (server:ping uconn #!key (do-exit #f))
   (let* ((srvkey (conndat-srvkey uconn))
 	 (msg (sexpr->string '(ping ,srvkey))))
     (send-receive uconn 'ping msg))) ;; (server-ready? host port server-id))
 
 ;;======================================================================
@@ -1647,12 +1647,14 @@
 	   (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*))
       (let* ((uconn (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*)))
 	(wait-and-close uconn))
       (let* ((port            (portlogger:open-run-close portlogger:find-port))
 	     (handler-proc    (lambda (rem-host-port qrykey cmd params) ;;
-				(let* ((prms (alist-ref 'params params)))
-				  (api:execute-requests *dbstruct-db* cmd prms #;params)))))
+				;;(let* ((prms (alist-ref 'params params)))
+				;; (api:execute-requests *dbstruct-db* cmd prms)))))
+				(assert (list? params) "FATAL: handler called with non-list params")
+				(api:execute-requests *dbstruct-db* cmd params))))
 	;; (api:process-request *dbstuct-db* 
 	(if (not *db-serv-info*)
 	    (set! *db-serv-info* (make-servdat host: hostn port: port)))
 	(let* ((uconn (run-listener handler-proc port))
 	       (rport (udat-port uconn))) ;; the real port
@@ -1791,13 +1793,14 @@
 (define (server-address srv-pkt)
   (conc (alist-ref 'host srv-pkt) ":"
 	(alist-ref 'port srv-pkt)))
 	
 (define (server-ready? uconn host-port key) ;; server-address is host:port
-  (let* ((data (sexpr->string  `((cmd . ping)
-				 (key . ,key)
-				 (params . ()))))
+  (let* ((params `((cmd . ping)(key . ,key)))
+	 (data `((cmd . ping)
+		 (key . ,key)
+		 (params . ,params))) ;; I don't get it.
 	 (res  (send-receive uconn host-port 'ping data)))
     (if res
 	(car res)
 	res)))
 

Index: ulex/ulex.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex/ulex.scm
+++ ulex/ulex.scm
@@ -150,11 +150,11 @@
     uconn))
 
 ;; run-listener does all the work of starting a listener in a thread
 ;; it then returns control
 ;;
-(define (run-listener handler-proc #!optional (port-suggestion #f))
+(define (run-listener handler-proc #!optional (port-suggestion 4242))
   (let* ((uconn (make-udat)))
     (udat-work-proc-set! uconn handler-proc)
     (if (setup-listener uconn port-suggestion)
 	(let* ((th1 (make-thread (lambda ()(ulex-cmd-loop uconn)) "Ulex command loop"))
 	       (th2 (make-thread (lambda ()(process-work-queue uconn)) "Ulex work queue processor")))
@@ -235,10 +235,11 @@
 ;; take a request, rdat, and if not immediate put it in the work queue
 ;;
 ;; Reserved cmds; ack ping goodbye response
 ;;
 (define (ulex-handler uconn rdat)
+  (assert (list? rdat) "FATAL: ulex-handler give rdat as not list")
   (match rdat ;;  (string-split controldat)
     ((rem-host-port qrykey cmd params)
      ;; (print "ulex-handler got: "rem-host-port" qrykey: "qrykey" cmd: "cmd" params: "params)
      (let ((mbox (hash-table-ref/default (udat-mboxes uconn) qrykey #f)))
        (case cmd