Index: configf.scm
==================================================================
--- configf.scm
+++ configf.scm
@@ -91,13 +91,15 @@
 (define (shell cmd)
   (let* ((output (cmd-run->list cmd))
 	 (res    (car output))
 	 (status (cadr output)))
     (if (equal? status 0)
-	(string-intersperse 
-	 res
-	 "\n")
+	(let ((outres (string-intersperse 
+		       res
+		       "\n")))
+	  (debug:print 4 "INFO: shell result:\n" outres)
+	  outres)
 	(begin
 	  (with-output-to-port (current-error-port)
 	    (print "ERROR: " cmd " returned bad exit code " status))
 	  ""))))
 
@@ -149,13 +151,15 @@
 							  (let ((alist (hash-table-ref/default res curr-section-name '()))
 								(val-proc (lambda ()
 									    (let* ((cmdres  (cmd-run->list cmd))
 										   (status  (cadr cmdres))
 										   (res     (car  cmdres)))
+									      (debug:print 4 "INFO: " inl "\n => " (string-intersperse res "\n"))
 									      (if (not (eq? status 0))
 										  (begin
-										    (debug:print 0 "ERROR: problem with " inl ", return code " status)
+										    (debug:print 0 "ERROR: problem with " inl ", return code " status
+												 " output: " cmdres)
 										    (exit 1)))
 									      (if (null? res)
 										  ""
 										  (string-intersperse res " "))))))
 							    (hash-table-set! res curr-section-name 

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -536,11 +536,11 @@
 	 (mt-bindir-path #f)
 	 (item-path (item-list->path itemdat))
 	 (testinfo   (rdb:get-test-info db run-id test-name item-path))
 	 (test-id    (db:test-get-id testinfo))
 	 (debug-param (if (args:get-arg "-debug")(list "-debug" (args:get-arg "-debug")) '())))
-  (if hosts (set! hosts (string-split hosts)))
+    (if hosts (set! hosts (string-split hosts)))
     ;; set the megatest to be called on the remote host
     (if (not remote-megatest)(set! remote-megatest local-megatest)) ;; "megatest"))
     (set! mt-bindir-path (pathname-directory remote-megatest))
     (if launcher (set! launcher (string-split launcher)))
     ;; set up the run work area for this test
@@ -553,38 +553,38 @@
 	(begin
 	  (set! work-area (conc test-path "/tmp_run"))
 	  (create-directory work-area #t)
 	  (debug:print 0 "WARNING: No disk work area specified - running in the test directory under tmp_run")))
     (set! cmdparms (base64:base64-encode (with-output-to-string
-				    (lambda () ;; (list 'hosts     hosts)
-				      (write (list (list 'testpath  test-path)
-						   (list 'work-area work-area)
-						   (list 'test-name test-name) 
-						   (list 'runscript runscript) 
-						   (list 'run-id    run-id   )
-						   (list 'test-id   test-id  )
-						   (list 'itemdat   itemdat  )
-						   (list 'megatest  remote-megatest)
-						   (list 'ezsteps   ezsteps) 
- 						   (list 'env-ovrd  (hash-table-ref/default *configdat* "env-override" '())) 
-						   (list 'set-vars  (if params (hash-table-ref/default params "-setvars" #f)))
-						   (list 'runname   runname)
-						   (list 'mt-bindir-path mt-bindir-path))))))) ;; (string-intersperse keyvallst " "))))
+					   (lambda () ;; (list 'hosts     hosts)
+					     (write (list (list 'testpath  test-path)
+							  (list 'work-area work-area)
+							  (list 'test-name test-name) 
+							  (list 'runscript runscript) 
+							  (list 'run-id    run-id   )
+							  (list 'test-id   test-id  )
+							  (list 'itemdat   itemdat  )
+							  (list 'megatest  remote-megatest)
+							  (list 'ezsteps   ezsteps) 
+							  (list 'env-ovrd  (hash-table-ref/default *configdat* "env-override" '())) 
+							  (list 'set-vars  (if params (hash-table-ref/default params "-setvars" #f)))
+							  (list 'runname   runname)
+							  (list 'mt-bindir-path mt-bindir-path))))))) ;; (string-intersperse keyvallst " "))))
     ;; clean out step records from previous run if they exist
     (db:delete-test-step-records db run-id test-name itemdat)
     (change-directory work-area) ;; so that log files from the launch process don't clutter the test dir
     (cond
      ((and launcher hosts) ;; must be using ssh hostname
       (set! fullcmd (append launcher (car hosts)(list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms) debug-param)))
-      ;; (set! fullcmd (append launcher (car hosts)(list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms))))
+     ;; (set! fullcmd (append launcher (car hosts)(list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms))))
      (launcher
       (set! fullcmd (append launcher (list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms) debug-param)))
-      ;; (set! fullcmd (append launcher (list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms))))
+     ;; (set! fullcmd (append launcher (list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms))))
      (else
       (if (not useshell)(debug:print 0 "WARNING: internal launching will not work well without \"useshell yes\" in your [jobtools] section"))
       (set! fullcmd (append (list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms) debug-param (list (if useshell "&" ""))))))
-      ;; (set! fullcmd (list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms (if useshell "&" "")))))
+    ;; (set! fullcmd (list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms (if useshell "&" "")))))
     (if (args:get-arg "-xterm")(set! fullcmd (append fullcmd (list "-xterm"))))
     (debug:print 1 "Launching megatest for test " test-name " in " work-area" ...")
     (test-set-status! db test-id "LAUNCHED" "n/a" #f #f) ;; (if launch-results launch-results "FAILED"))
     ;; set pre-launch-env-vars before launching, keep the vars in prevvals and put the envionment back when done
     (debug:print 4 "fullcmd: " fullcmd)