Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -535,17 +535,17 @@
 		(current-output-port *alt-log-file*)))))
     (if (server:check-if-running run-id)
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: Server for run-id " run-id " already running")
 	  (exit 0)))
-    (let loop ((server-id (tasks:server-lock-slot (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id))
+    (let loop ((server-id (tasks:server-lock-slot (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id 'http))
 	       (remtries  4))
       (if (not server-id)
 	  (if (> remtries 0)
 	      (begin
 		(thread-sleep! 2)
-		(loop (tasks:server-lock-slot (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id)
+		(loop (tasks:server-lock-slot (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id 'http)
 		      (- remtries 1)))
 	      (begin
 		;; since we didn't get the server lock we are going to clean up and bail out
 		(debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "INFO: server pid=" (current-process-id) ", hostname=" (get-host-name) " not starting due to other candidates ahead in start queue")
 		(tasks:server-delete-records-for-this-pid (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) " http-transport:launch")

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -700,11 +700,11 @@
 ;;     *toppath*
 ;;   side effects:
 ;;     sets; *configdat*    (megatest.config info)
 ;;           *runconfigdat* (runconfigs.config info)
 ;;           *configstatus* (status of the read data)
-;;
+;;           *transport-type*
 (define (launch:setup #!key (force #f))
   (let* ((toppath  (or *toppath* (getenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))) ;; preserve toppath
 	 (runname  (common:args-get-runname))
 	 (target   (common:args-get-target))
 	 (linktree (common:get-linktree))
@@ -827,10 +827,12 @@
     (if (and *toppath*
 	     (directory-exists? *toppath*))
 	(setenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*)
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "failed to find the top path to your Megatest area.")))
+    (server:set-transport)
+    ;;(BB> "Transport is >"*transport-type*"<")
     *toppath*))
 
 (define (get-best-disk confdat testconfig)
   (let* ((disks   (or (and testconfig (hash-table-ref/default testconfig "disks" #f))
 		      (hash-table-ref/default confdat "disks" #f)))

Index: rpc-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- rpc-transport.scm
+++ rpc-transport.scm
@@ -47,43 +47,51 @@
         (daemon:ize))
     (if (server:check-if-running run-id)
         (begin
           (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: Server for run-id " run-id " already running")
           (exit 0)))
-    (let loop ((server-id (tasks:server-lock-slot (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id))
+    (let loop ((server-id (tasks:server-lock-slot (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id 'rpc))
                (remtries  4))
       (if (not server-id)
           (if (> remtries 0)
               (begin
                 (thread-sleep! 2)
-                (loop (tasks:server-lock-slot (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id)
+                (loop (tasks:server-lock-slot (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id 'rpc)
                       (- remtries 1)))
               (begin
                 ;; since we didn't get the server lock we are going to clean up and bail out
                 (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "INFO: server pid=" (current-process-id) ", hostname=" (get-host-name) " not starting due to other candidates ahead in start queue")
                 (tasks:server-delete-records-for-this-pid (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) " rpc-transport:launch")))
           (begin
+
             (rpc-transport:run (if (args:get-arg "-server")(args:get-arg "-server") "-") run-id server-id)
             (exit))))))
 
+(define *rpc-listener-port* #f)
+(define *rpc-listener-port-bind-timestamp* #f)
+
 (define (rpc-transport:run hostn run-id server-id)
+  (BB> "rpc-transport:run fired for hostn="hostn" run-id="run-id" server-id="server-id)
   (debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "Attempting to start the rpc server ...")
    ;; (trace rpc:publish-procedure!)
 
   (rpc:publish-procedure! 'server:login server:login)
   (rpc:publish-procedure! 'testing (lambda () "Just testing"))
-
+  (BB> "flag1")
   (let* ((db              #f)
-	 (hostname        (get-host-name))
-	 (ipaddrstr       (let ((ipstr (if (string=? "-" hostn)
+         (tdbdat          (tasks:open-db))
+	 (hostname        (let ((res (get-host-name))) (BB> "hostname="res) res))
+	 (ipaddrstr       (let* ((ipstr (if (string=? "-" hostn)
 					   ;; (string-intersperse (map number->string (u8vector->list (hostname->ip hostname))) ".")
 					   (server:get-best-guess-address hostname)
-					   #f)))
-			    (if ipstr ipstr hostn))) ;; hostname))) 
-	 (start-port      (open-run-close tasks:server-get-next-port tasks:open-db))
+					   #f))
+                                 (res (if ipstr ipstr hostn)))
+                            (BB> "ipaddrstr="res)                             
+                            res)) ;; hostname))) 
+	 (start-port      (let ((res (portlogger:open-run-close portlogger:find-port))) (BB> "start-port="res) res))
 	 (link-tree-path  (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))
-	 (rpc:listener    (rpc-transport:find-free-port-and-open (rpc:default-server-port)))
+	 (rpc:listener    (rpc-transport:find-free-port-and-open start-port))
 	 (th1             (make-thread
 			   (lambda ()
 			     ((rpc:make-server rpc:listener) #t))
 			   "rpc:server"))
 			   ;; (cute (rpc:make-server rpc:listener) "rpc:server")
@@ -92,19 +100,21 @@
 			      (get-host-name) 
 			      hostn))
 	 (ipaddrstr       (if (string=? "-" hostn)
 			      (server:get-best-guess-address hostname) ;; (string-intersperse (map number->string (u8vector->list (hostname->ip hostname))) ".")
 			      #f))
-	 (portnum         (rpc:default-server-port))
+	 (portnum         (let ((res (rpc:default-server-port))) (BB> "rpc:default-server-port="res" rpc-listener-port="*rpc-listener-port*) res))
 	 (host:port       (conc (if ipaddrstr ipaddrstr hostname) ":" portnum))
 	 (tdb             (tasks:open-db)))
+    (BB> "Got here before thread start of rpc listener")
     (thread-start! th1)
+    (BB> "started thread th1="th1)
     (set! db *inmemdb*)
-    (open-run-close tasks:server-set-interface-port 
-		    tasks:open-db 
-		    server-id 
-		    ipaddrstr portnum)
+    (tasks:server-set-interface-port 
+     (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat)
+     server-id 
+     ipaddrstr portnum)
     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Server started on " host:port)
     
     ;; (trace rpc:publish-procedure!)
     ;; (rpc:publish-procedure! 'server:login server:login)
     ;; (rpc:publish-procedure! 'testing (lambda () "Just testing"))
@@ -112,14 +122,14 @@
     ;;======================================================================
     ;;	  ;; end of publish-procedure section
     ;;======================================================================
     ;;
     (on-exit (lambda ()
-	       (open-run-close tasks:server-set-state! tasks:open-db server-id "stopped")))
+	       (tasks:server-set-state! (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) server-id "stopped")))
 
     (set! *rpc:listener* rpc:listener)
-    (tasks:server-set-state! tdb server-id "running")
+    (tasks:server-set-state! (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) server-id "running")
     (set! *inmemdb*  (db:setup run-id))
     ;; if none running or if > 20 seconds since 
     ;; server last used then start shutdown
     (let loop ((count 0))
       (thread-sleep! 5) ;; no need to do this very often
@@ -135,20 +145,23 @@
 	      (thread-sleep! 10)
 	      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Max cached queries was " *max-cache-size*)
 	      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Server shutdown complete. Exiting")
 	      ))))))
 
-(define (rpc-transport:find-free-port-and-open port)
+(define (rpc-transport:find-free-port-and-open port #!key )
   (handle-exceptions
    exn
-	  (begin
+   (begin
      (print "Failed to bind to port " (rpc:default-server-port) ", trying next port")
      (rpc-transport:find-free-port-and-open (+ port 1)))
    (rpc:default-server-port port)
+   (set! *rpc-listener-port* port) ;; a bit paranoid about rpc:default-server-port parameter not changing across threads (as params are wont to do).  keeping this global in my back pocket in case this causes problems
+   (set! *rpc-listener-port-bind-timestamp* (current-milliseconds)) ;; may want to test how long it has been since the last bind attempt happened...
    (tcp-read-timeout 240000)
+   (BB> "rpc-transport> attempting to bind tcp port "port)
    (tcp-listen (rpc:default-server-port) 10000)))
-
+  
 (define (rpc-transport:ping run-id host port)
   (handle-exceptions
    exn
    (begin
      (print "SERVER_NOT_FOUND")

Index: server.scm
==================================================================
--- server.scm
+++ server.scm
@@ -60,21 +60,26 @@
 ;; 	      (rpc-transport:launch run-id)))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; S E R V E R   U T I L I T I E S 
 ;;======================================================================
+
+;; set global *transport-type* based on -transport switch and serer/transport configuration.  default http otherwise.
+;; called by launch:setup
+(define (server:set-transport)
+  (let ((ttype (string->symbol
+                (or (args:get-arg "-transport")
+                    (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "transport")
+                    "http"))))
+    (set! *transport-type* ttype)
+    ttype))
 
 ;; Get the transport
 (define (server:get-transport)
   (if *transport-type*
       *transport-type*
-      (let ((ttype (string->symbol
-		    (or (args:get-arg "-transport")
-			(configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "transport")
-			"rpc"))))
-	(set! *transport-type* ttype)
-	ttype)))
+      (server:set-transport)))
 	    
 ;; Generate a unique signature for this server
 (define (server:mk-signature)
   (message-digest-string (md5-primitive) 
 			 (with-output-to-string

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -170,21 +170,21 @@
 (define (tasks:hostinfo-get-pubport     vec)    (vector-ref  vec 3))
 (define (tasks:hostinfo-get-transport   vec)    (vector-ref  vec 4))
 (define (tasks:hostinfo-get-pid         vec)    (vector-ref  vec 5))
 (define (tasks:hostinfo-get-hostname    vec)    (vector-ref  vec 6))
 
-(define (tasks:server-lock-slot mdb run-id)
+(define (tasks:server-lock-slot mdb run-id transport-type)
   (tasks:server-clean-out-old-records-for-run-id mdb run-id " tasks:server-lock-slot")
   (if (< (tasks:num-in-available-state mdb run-id) 4)
       (begin 
-	(tasks:server-set-available mdb run-id)
+	(tasks:server-set-available mdb run-id transport-type)
 	(thread-sleep! (/ (random 1500) 1000)) ;; (thread-sleep! 2) ;; Try removing this. It may not be needed.
 	(tasks:server-am-i-the-server? mdb run-id))
       #f))
 	
 ;; register that this server may come online (first to register goes though with the process)
-(define (tasks:server-set-available mdb run-id)
+(define (tasks:server-set-available mdb run-id transport-type)
   (sqlite3:execute 
    mdb 
    "INSERT INTO servers (pid,hostname,port,pubport,start_time,      priority,state,mt_version,heartbeat,   interface,transport,run_id)
                    VALUES(?, ?,       ?,   ?, strftime('%s','now'), ?,       ?,    ?,-1,?,        ?,        ?);"
    (current-process-id)          ;; pid
@@ -194,11 +194,11 @@
    (random 1000)                 ;; priority (used a tiebreaker on get-available)
    "available"                   ;; state
    (common:version-signature)    ;; mt_version
    -1                            ;; interface
    ;; (conc (server:get-transport)) ;; transport
-   (conc *transport-type*)    ;; transport
+   (conc transport-type)    ;; transport
    run-id
    ))
 
 (define (tasks:num-in-available-state mdb run-id)
   (let ((res 0))