Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -56,12 +56,13 @@
 (define (stop-the-train)
   (thread-start! (make-thread (lambda ()
 				(let loop ()
 				  (if (and *toppath*
 					   (file-exists? (conc *toppath*"/stop-the-train")))
-				      (begin
-					(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: found file "*toppath*"/stop-the-train, exiting immediately")
+				      (let* ((msg (conc "ERROR: found file "*toppath*"/stop-the-train, exiting immediately")))
+					(print msg)
+					(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* msg)
 					(exit 1)))
 				  (thread-sleep! 5)
 				  (loop))))))
 
 ;; execute thunk, return value.  If exception thrown, trap exception, return #f, and emit nonfatal condition note to *default-log-port* .

Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -537,11 +537,11 @@
    db
    (lambda ()
      (condition-case
       (let* ((curr-val (db:no-sync-get/default db keyname #f)))
 	(if curr-val
-	    (match (db:extract-time-identifier curr-val)
+	    (match (db:extract-time-identifier curr-val) ;; result->timestamp, identifier
 	       ((timestamp ident)
 		(if (equal? ident identifier)
 		    #t     ;; this *is* my lock
 		    #f))   ;; nope, not my lock
 	       (else #f))  ;; nope, not my lock

Index: dbmod.scm
==================================================================
--- dbmod.scm
+++ dbmod.scm
@@ -184,37 +184,42 @@
 			 (if (not (file-exists? tmpdir))(create-directory tmpdir))
 			 ;; check if tmpdb already exists, either delete it or
 			 ;; add something to the name
 			 fname))
 	 (inmem        (dbmod:open-inmem-db init-proc
-					    (if (eq? (dbfile:cache-method) 'inmem)
-						#f
-						tmpdb)
+					    ;; (if (eq? (dbfile:cache-method) 'inmem)
+					    ;; 	#f
+					    tmpdb
+					    ;; )
 					    ))
 	 (write-access (file-write-access? dbpath))
 	 (db           (dbmod:safely-open-db dbfullname init-proc write-access))
 	 (tables       (db:sync-all-tables-list keys)))
     (if (not (and (sqlite3:database? inmem)
 		  (sqlite3:database? db)))
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: Failed to properly open "dbfname-in", exiting immediately.")
-	  (exit)))
-    ;; (assert (sqlite3:database? inmem) "FATAL: open-dbmoddb: inmem is not a db")
+	  (exit)))    ;; (assert (sqlite3:database? inmem) "FATAL: open-dbmoddb: inmem is not a db")
     ;; (assert (sqlite3:database? db) "FATAL:  open-dbmoddb: db is not a db")
     (dbr:dbstruct-inmem-set!     dbstruct inmem)
     (dbr:dbstruct-ondiskdb-set!  dbstruct db)
     (dbr:dbstruct-dbfile-set!    dbstruct dbfullname)
     (dbr:dbstruct-dbfname-set!   dbstruct dbfname)
     (dbr:dbstruct-sync-proc-set! dbstruct
 				 (lambda (last-update)
 				   (if *sync-in-progress*
 				       (debug:print 3 *default-log-port* "WARNING: overlapping calls to sync to disk")
-				       (begin
+				       (let* ((sync-cmd (conc "megatest -db2db -from "tmpdb" -to "dbfullname)))
 					 (mutex-lock! *db-with-db-mutex*) ;; this mutex is used when overloaded or during a query that modifies the db
 					 (set! *sync-in-progress* #t)
-					 (dbmod:sync-gasket tables last-update inmem db
-							    dbfullname syncdir keys)
+					 ;; (if (eq? (dbfile:cache-method) 'inmem)
+					 ;;     (dbmod:sync-gasket tables last-update inmem db
+					 ;; 			dbfullname syncdir keys)
+					 (thread-start! (make-thread
+							 (lambda ()
+							   (debug:print-info "Running "sync-cmd)
+							   (system sync-cmd))))
 					 (mutex-unlock! *db-with-db-mutex*)
 					 (thread-sleep! 0.5) ;; ensure at least 1/2 second down time between sync calls
 					 (set! *sync-in-progress* #f)))))
     ;; (dbmod:sync-tables tables #f db inmem)
     ;; (if db
@@ -229,10 +234,11 @@
 ;; direction: 'fromdest 'todest
 ;;
 (define (dbmod:sync-gasket tables last-update inmem dbh dbfname direction keys)
   (assert (sqlite3:database? inmem) "FATAL: sync-gasket: inmem is not a db")
   (assert (sqlite3:database? inmem) "FATAL: sync-gasket: dbh is not a db")
+  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "dbmod:sync-gasket called with sync-method="(dbfile:sync-method))
   (case (dbfile:sync-method)
     ((none) #f)
     ((attach)
      (dbmod:attach-sync tables inmem dbfname direction))
     ((newsync)
@@ -526,11 +532,11 @@
 ;;
 ;; Idea: youngest in dest is last_update time
 ;;
 (define (dbmod:new-sync tables dbh1 dbh2 destdbfile direction #!key
 			   (mode 'full))
-  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Doing sync "direction" "destdbfile)
+  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Doing new-sync "direction" "destdbfile)
   (if (not (sqlite3:auto-committing? dbh1))
       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Skipping sync due to transaction in flight.")
       (let* ((table-names  (map car tables))
 	     (dest-exists  (file-exists? destdbfile)))
 	(assert dest-exists "FATAL: sync called with non-existant file, "destdbfile)

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -742,10 +742,11 @@
 
 
 	      ;; for automated creation of the rollup html file this is a good place...
 	      (if (not (equal? item-path ""))
 		      (tests:summarize-items run-id test-id test-name #f))
+	      ;; BUG was this meant to be the antecnt of the if above?
 	      (tests:summarize-test run-id test-id)  ;; don't force - just update if no
               ;; Leave a .final-status file for the top level test
               (tests:save-final-status run-id test-id)
 	      (rmt:update-run-stats run-id (rmt:get-raw-run-stats run-id))) ;; end of let*
 
@@ -1155,15 +1156,20 @@
 	(let ((cfname (args:get-arg "-append-config")))
 	  (if (and cfname
 		   (file-read-access? cfname))
 	      (read-config cfname *configdat* #t))) ;; values are added to the hash, no need to do anything special.
 	;; have config at this time, this is a good place to set params based on config file settings
-	(let*  ((dbmode (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "dbcache-mode")))
+	(let*  ((dbmode   (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "dbcache-mode"))
+		(syncmode (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "sync-mode")))
 	  (if dbmode
 	      (begin
 		(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Overriding dbmode to "dbmode)
-		(dbcache-mode (string->symbol dbmode)))))
+		(dbcache-mode (string->symbol dbmode))))
+	  (if syncmode
+	      (begin
+		(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Overriding syncmode to "syncmode)
+		(dbfile:sync-method (string->symbol syncmode)))))
 	
 	*toppath*)))
 
 
 (define (get-best-disk confdat testconfig)

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -2578,19 +2578,24 @@
 	   (lockfile    (conc dest-db".lock"))
 	   (keys        (db:get-keys #f))
 	   )
       
       (if (and src-db dest-db)
-	  (begin
-	    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Attempting to sync data from "src-db" to "dest-db"...")
-	    (let ((res (dbmod:db-to-db-sync src-db dest-db 0 (dbfile:db-init-proc) keys)))
-	      (if res
-		  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Synced " res " records from "src-db" to "dest-db)
-		  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "No sync due to permissions or non-existant source db."))))
-	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Skipping sync, there is a sync in progress."))
-      (set! *didsomething* #t))
-    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Usage for -db2db; -to and -from must be specified"))
+	  (if (file-exists? src-db)
+	      (begin
+		(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Attempting to sync data from "src-db" to "dest-db"...")
+		(if (not (file-exists? dest-db))
+		    (begin
+		      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Using copy to create "dest-db" from "src-db)
+		      (file-copy src-db dest-db))
+		    (let ((res (dbmod:db-to-db-sync src-db dest-db 0 (dbfile:db-init-proc) keys)))
+		      (if res
+			  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Synced " res " records from "src-db" to "dest-db)
+			  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "No sync due to permissions or other issue.")))))
+	      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "No sync due to unreadble or non-existant source file"src-db))
+	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Usage for -db2db; -to and -from must be specified"))
+      (set! *didsomething* #t)))
 
 (if (args:get-arg "-list-test-time")
      (let* ((toppath (launch:setup))) 
      (task:get-test-times)  
      (set! *didsomething* #t)))

Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -516,11 +516,14 @@
 			(let* ((res (if db-locked-in
 					#t
 					(let* ((success (dbfile:with-no-sync-db
 							 nosyncdbpath
 							 (lambda (db)
-							   (db:no-sync-get-lock-with-id db dbfname (tt-servinf-file ttdat))))))
+							   (db:no-sync-get-lock-with-id db dbfname
+											;; (tt-servinf-file ttdat) ;; does NOT work, must be unique to the dbname which seems silly but makes sense!
+											areapath ;; as good as anything
+											)))))
 					  (if success
 					      (begin
 						(tt-state-set! ttdat 'running)
 						(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Got server lock for "
 							     dbfname)