Index: commonmod.scm
==================================================================
--- commonmod.scm
+++ commonmod.scm
@@ -1436,11 +1436,11 @@
     csv->test-data
 
     ;; MISC
     sync-inmem->db
 
-    ;; TESTMETA
+    ;; TESTMETAl
     testmeta-add-record
     testmeta-update-field
 
     ;; TASKS
     tasks-add

Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -70,21 +70,27 @@
 	      cinfo
 	      (if (server:check-if-running areapath)
 		  (client:setup areapath)
 		  #f))))
 
-(define *send-receive-mutex* (make-mutex)) ;; should have separate mutex per run-id
-
+;; return the handle struct for sending queries to a specific database
+;;  - initializes the connection object if this is the first access
+;;    - finds the "captain" and asks who to talk to for the given dbfname
+;;    - establishes the connection to the current dbowner
+;;
 (define (rmt:connect alldat dbfname)
   (let* ((ulexdat    (let ((uconn (alldat-ulexdat alldat)))
 		       (if uconn
 			   uconn
 			   (let* ((new-ulexdat (ulex:setup))) ;; establish connection to ulex
 			     (alldat-ulexdat-set! alldat new-ulexdat)
 			     new-ulexdat)))))
     (ulex:connect ulexdat dbfname)))
 
+;; set up a connection to the current owner of the dbfile associated with rid
+;; then send the query to that dbfile owner and wait for a response.
+;;
 (define (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 1)(area-dat #f)) ;; start attemptnum at 1 so the modulo below works as expected
   (let* ((alldat   *alldat*)
 	 (areapath (alldat-areapath alldat))
 	 (dbfname  (if (or (not rid)(< rid 1)) ;; this is the criteria for "main.db"
 		       "main.db"

Index: ulex/ulex.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex/ulex.scm
+++ ulex/ulex.scm
@@ -24,21 +24,66 @@
 ;;   Why sql-de-lite and not say, dbi?  - performance mostly, then simplicity.
 ;;
 ;;======================================================================
 
 ;; (use rpc pkts mailbox sqlite3)
-  
+
 (module ulex
     *
 
 (import scheme posix chicken data-structures ports extras files mailbox)
-(import rpc srfi-18 pkts matchable regex
+(import srfi-18 pkts matchable regex
 	typed-records srfi-69 srfi-1
 	srfi-4 regex-case
 	(prefix sqlite3 sqlite3:)
 	foreign
-	tcp) ;; ulex-netutil)
+	tcp6
+	;; ulex-netutil
+	hostinfo)
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; network utilities
+;;======================================================================
+
+(define (rate-ip ipaddr)
+  (regex-case ipaddr
+    ( "^127\\..*" _ 0 )
+    ( "^(10\\.0|192\\.168)\\..*" _ 1 )
+    ( else 2 ) ))
+
+;; Change this to bias for addresses with a reasonable broadcast value?
+;;
+(define (ip-pref-less? a b)
+  (> (rate-ip a) (rate-ip b)))
+  
+
+(define (get-my-best-address)
+  (let ((all-my-addresses (get-all-ips))
+        ;;(all-my-addresses-old (vector->list (hostinfo-addresses (hostname->hostinfo (get-host-name)))))
+        )
+    (cond
+     ((null? all-my-addresses)
+      (get-host-name))                                          ;; no interfaces?
+     ((eq? (length all-my-addresses) 1)
+      (car all-my-addresses))                      ;; only one to choose from, just go with it
+     
+     (else
+      (car (sort all-my-addresses ip-pref-less?)))
+     ;; (else 
+     ;;  (ip->string (car (filter (lambda (x)                      ;; take any but 127.
+     ;;    			 (not (eq? (u8vector-ref x 0) 127)))
+     ;;    		       all-my-addresses))))
+
+     )))
+
+(define (get-all-ips-sorted)
+  (sort (get-all-ips) ip-pref-less?))
+
+(define (get-all-ips)
+  (map ip->string (vector->list 
+		   (hostinfo-addresses
+		    (host-information (current-hostname))))))
 
 ;; make it a global? Well, it is local to area module
 
 (define *captain-pktspec*
   `((captain (host     . h)
@@ -59,11 +104,22 @@
   (captain-address #f)
   (captain-host    #f)
   (captain-port    #f)
   (captain-pid     #f)
   (cpkts-dir       (conc (get-environment-variable "HOME") "/.ulex/pkts"))
-  (cpkt-spec       *captain-pktspec*))
+  (cpkt-spec       *captain-pktspec*)
+  (my-cpkt-key     #f)   ;; put Z card here when I create a pkt for myself as captain
+  (my-address      #f)
+  (my-hostname     #f)
+  (my-port         #f)
+  (my-pid          (current-process-id))
+  (serv-listener   #f)
+  )
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; Captain pkt functions
+;;======================================================================
 
 ;; given a pkts dir read 
 ;;
 (define (get-all-captain-pkts udata)
   (let* ((pktsdir       (let ((d (udat-cpkts-dir udata)))
@@ -76,23 +132,76 @@
 	 (pkt-spec      (udat-cpkt-spec udata)))
     (map (lambda (pkt-file)
 	   (read-pkt->alist pkt-file pktspec: pkt-spec))
 	 all-pkt-files)))
 
-;; sort by D then Z, return one
+;; sort by D then Z, return one, choose the oldest then
+;; differentiate if needed using the Z key
+;;
 (define (get-winning-pkt pkts)
   (if (null? pkts)
       #f
       (car (sort pkts (lambda (a b)
-			(let ((ad (alist-ref 'D a))
-			      (bd (alist-ref 'D b)))
+			(let ((ad (string->number (alist-ref 'D a)))
+			      (bd (string->number (alist-ref 'D b))))
 			  (if (eq? a b)
 			      (let ((az (alist-ref 'Z a))
 				    (bz (alist-ref 'Z b)))
 				(string>=? az bz))
 			      (> ad bd))))))))
 
+;; create a tcp listener and return a populated udat struct with
+;; my port, address, hostname, pid etc.
+;; return #f if fail to find a port to allocate.
+;;
+(define (start-server-find-port udata #!optional (port 9999)) 
+  (handle-exceptions
+      exn
+      (if (< port 65535)(start-server-find-port (+ port 1)) #f)
+    (start-server udata port)))
+
+(define (start-server udata port)
+  ;; (tcp-listener-socket LISTENER)(socket-name so)
+  ;; sockaddr-address, sockaddr-port, sockaddr->string
+  (let* ((tlsn (tcp-listen port 1000 #f)) ;; (tcp-listen TCPPORT [BACKLOG [HOST]])
+	 (addr (get-my-best-address))) ;; (hostinfo-addresses (host-information (current-hostname)))
+    (udat-my-address-set!    udata addr)
+    (udat-my-port-set!       udata port)
+    (udat-my-hostname-set!   udata (get-host-name))
+    (udat-serv-listener-set! udata tlsn)
+    udata))
+
+;; put the host, ip, port and pid into a pkt in
+;; the captain pkts dir
+;;  - assumes user has already fired up a server
+;;    which will be in the udata struct
+;;
+(define (create-captain-pkt udata)
+  (if (not (udat-serv-listener udata))
+      (begin
+	(print "ERROR: create-captain-pkt called with out a listener")
+	#f)
+      (let* ((pktdat `((port   . ,(udat-my-port udata))
+		       (host   . ,(udat-my-hostname udata))
+		       (ipaddr . ,(udat-my-address udata))
+		       (pid    . ,(udat-my-pid     udata))))
+	     (pktdir  (udat-cpkts-dir udata))
+	     (pktspec (udat-cpkt-spec udata))
+	     )
+	(udat-my-cpkt-key-set!
+	 udata
+	 (write-alist->pkt
+	  pktdir
+	  pktdat
+	  pktspec: pktspec
+	  ptype:   'captain))
+	(udat-my-cpkt-key udata))))
+    
+;;======================================================================
+;; connection setup and management functions
+;;======================================================================
+
 ;; find or become the captain, return a ulex object
 ;;
 (define (setup)
   (let* ((udata (make-udat))
 	 (cpkts (get-all-captain-pkts udata)) ;; read captain pkts
@@ -115,10 +224,13 @@
 	udata
 	)))
     
 (define (connect udata dbfname)
   udata)
+
+) ;; END OF ULEX
+
 
 ;;; ;;======================================================================
 ;;; ;; D E B U G   H E L P E R S
 ;;; ;;======================================================================
 ;;;     
@@ -160,29 +272,29 @@
 ;; Syntax for defining macros in a simple style similar to function definiton,
 ;;  when there is a single pattern for the argument list and there are no keywords.
 ;;
 ;; (define-simple-syntax (name arg ...) body ...)
 ;;
-
-(define-syntax define-simple-syntax
-  (syntax-rules ()
-    ((_ (name arg ...) body ...)
-     (define-syntax name (syntax-rules () ((name arg ...) (begin body ...)))))))
-
-(define-simple-syntax (catch-and-dump proc procname)
-  (handle-exceptions
-   exn
-   (begin
-     (print-call-chain (current-error-port))
-     (with-output-to-port (current-error-port)
-       (lambda ()
-         (print ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
-         (print "Callback error in " procname)
-         (print "Full condition info:\n" (condition->list exn)))))
-   (proc)))
-
-
+;; 
+;; (define-syntax define-simple-syntax
+;;   (syntax-rules ()
+;;     ((_ (name arg ...) body ...)
+;;      (define-syntax name (syntax-rules () ((name arg ...) (begin body ...)))))))
+;; 
+;; (define-simple-syntax (catch-and-dump proc procname)
+;;   (handle-exceptions
+;;    exn
+;;    (begin
+;;      (print-call-chain (current-error-port))
+;;      (with-output-to-port (current-error-port)
+;;        (lambda ()
+;;          (print ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
+;;          (print "Callback error in " procname)
+;;          (print "Full condition info:\n" (condition->list exn)))))
+;;    (proc)))
+;; 
+;; 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;;  R E C O R D S
 ;;======================================================================
 
 ;;; ;; information about me as a server
@@ -1497,6 +1609,6 @@
 ;;; 
 ;;; (define (get-all-ips-sorted)
 ;;;   (sort (get-all-ips) ip-pref-less?))
 ;;; 
 ;;; 
-)
+