Index: Makefile
==================================================================
--- Makefile
+++ Makefile
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@
            ezsteps.scm lock-queue.scm sdb.scm rmt.scm api.scm		\
            subrun.scm portlogger.scm archive.scm env.scm		\
            diff-report.scm cgisetup/models/pgdb.scm
 
 # module source files
-MSRCFILES = adjutant.scm mutils.scm
+MSRCFILES = adjutant.scm mutils.scm mttop.scm
 # ftail.scm rmtmod.scm commonmod.scm removed
 # MSRCFILES = ducttape-lib.scm pkts.scm stml2.scm cookie.scm mutils.scm	\
 #             mtargs.scm commonmod.scm dbmod.scm adjutant.scm ulex.scm	\
 #             rmtmod.scm apimod.scm
 

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -45,10 +45,13 @@
 (declare (uses mutils))
 (import mutils)
 
 (declare (uses adjutant))
 (import adjutant)
+
+(declare (uses mttop))
+(import mttop)
 
 ;; (declare (uses ftail))
 ;; (import ftail)
 
 (define *db* #f) ;; this is only for the repl, do not use in general!!!!
@@ -109,10 +112,11 @@
  
 Usage: megatest [options]
   -h                      : this help
   -manual                 : show the Megatest user manual
   -version                : print megatest version (currently " megatest-version ")
+  help                    : help for the new Megatest interface
 
 Launching and managing runs
   -run                    : run all tests or as specified by -testpatt
   -remove-runs            : remove the data for a run, requires -runname and -testpatt
                             Optionally use :state and :status, use -keep-records to remove only
@@ -275,10 +279,14 @@
 Version " megatest-version ", built from " megatest-fossil-hash ))
 
 ;;  -gui                    : start a gui interface
 ;;  -config fname           : override the runconfigs file with fname
 
+
+(mttop-run (command-line-arguments)
+	   '("help"))
+
 ;; process args
 (define remargs (args:get-args 
 		 (argv)
 		 (list  "-runtests"  ;; run a specific test
 			"-config"    ;; override the config file name
@@ -927,11 +935,14 @@
       (let loop ((wait-count 0))
 	(if (< wait-count 10) ;; 6 x 10 seconds = one minute
 	    (let* ((dat (rmt:no-sync-take-job host-type)))
 	      (match dat
 		((id ht vars exekey cmdline state event-time last-update)
-		 (system cmdline)
+		 (call-with-environment-variables
+		  vars
+		  (lambda ()
+		    (system cmdline)))
 		 (loop 0))
 		(else
 		 (thread-sleep! 10)
 		 (loop (+ wait-count 1)))))
 	    (print "I'm bored. Exiting.")))

ADDED   mttop.scm
Index: mttop.scm
==================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ mttop.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+;; Copyright 2006-2011, Matthew Welland.
+;; 
+;;  This program is made available under the GNU GPL version 2.0 or
+;;  greater. See the accompanying file COPYING for details.
+;; 
+;;  This program is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the
+;;  implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+;;  PURPOSE.
+
+;; This is from the perl world, a hash of hashes is a super easy way to keep a handle on
+;; lots of disparate data
+;;
+
+(declare (unit mttop))
+
+(module mttop
+    *
+
+(import chicken scheme
+	;; data-structures posix
+	srfi-1
+	;; srfi-13
+	srfi-69
+	ports
+	extras
+	regex
+	posix
+	data-structures
+	matchable
+	)
+
+(define (str-is-cmd cmd all-cmds)
+  (let* ((rx  (regexp (conc "^" cmd ".*")))
+	 (mx  (filter string? (map (lambda (x)
+				     (let ((res (string-match rx x)))
+				       (if res (car res) #f)))
+				   all-cmds))))
+    (if (eq? (length mx) 1) ;; have a command
+	(car mx)
+	#f)))
+
+(define (mttop-run args all-cmds)
+  ;; any path through this call must end in exit if it is NOT an old Megatest call
+  (if (null? args)
+      #f ;; continue on and do the old Megatest stuff
+      (let ((cmd (str-is-cmd (car args) all-cmds)))
+	(if cmd
+	    (begin
+	      (case (string->symbol cmd)
+		((help)(print "New help"))
+		(else (print "Command " cmd " is not implemented yet.")))
+	      (exit)) ;; always exit here
+	    #f))))    ;; or continue on to Megatest old stuff here
+  
+)