Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -200,31 +200,36 @@
 ;;
 (define (rmt:open-main-connection remdat apath)
   (let* ((fullpath (db:dbname->path apath "/.db/main.db"))
 	 (conns    (servdat-conns remdat))
 	 (conn     (hash-table-ref/default conns fullpath #f)) ;; TODO - create call for this
-	 (myconn   (if *db-serv-info*
-		       (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*)
-		       (let* ((th1 (make-thread (lambda ()(rmt:run (get-host-name))) "non-db mode server")))
-			 (thread-start! th1)
-			 (let loop ((count 0))
-			   (assert (< count 30) "FATAL: responder failed to initialize in rmt:open-main-connection")
-			   (if (not *db-serv-info*)
-			       (begin
-				 (thread-sleep! 1)
-				 (loop (+ count 1)))
-			       (begin
-				 (servdat-mode-set! *db-serv-info* 'non-db)
-				 (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*))))))))
+	 (start-rmt:run (lambda ()
+			  (let* ((th1 (make-thread (lambda ()(rmt:run (get-host-name))) "non-db mode server")))
+			    (thread-start! th1)
+			    (thread-sleep! 1)
+			    (let loop ((count 0))
+			      (assert (< count 30) "FATAL: responder failed to initialize in rmt:open-main-connection")
+			      (if (or (not *db-serv-info*)
+				      (not (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*)))
+				  (begin
+				    (thread-sleep! 1)
+				    (loop (+ count 1)))
+				  (begin
+				    (servdat-mode-set! *db-serv-info* 'non-db)
+				    (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*)))))))
+	 (myconn    (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*)))
     (cond
+     ((not myconn)
+      (start-rmt:run)
+      (rmt:open-main-connection remdat apath))
      ((and conn                                             ;; conn is NOT a socket, just saying ...
 	   (< (current-seconds) (conndat-expires conn)))
       #t) ;; we are current and good to go - we'll deal elsewhere with a server that was killed or died 
      ((and conn
 	   (>= (current-seconds)(conndat-expires conn)))
       (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "connection to "fullpath" server expired. Reconnecting.")
-      (hash-table-set! conns fullpath #f) ;; clean up
+      (hash-table-delete! conns fullpath) ;; clean up
       (rmt:open-main-connection remdat apath))
      (else
       ;; Below we will find or create and connect to main
       (let* ((dbname         (db:run-id->dbname #f))
 	     (the-srv        (rmt:find-main-server myconn apath dbname))
@@ -336,21 +341,15 @@
 (define *dbstruct* (make-dbr:dbstruct))
 
 ;; Defaults to current area
 ;;
 (define (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 1)(area-dat #f))
-  ;; (if (not *remotedat*)(set! *remotedat* (make-remotedat)))
   (let* ((apath      *toppath*)
 	 (sinfo      *db-serv-info*)
 	 (dbname     (db:run-id->dbname rid)))
     (if *localmode*
-	(let* ((dbdat    (dbr:dbstruct-get-dbdat *dbstruct* dbname))
-	       (indat    `((cmd . ,cmd)(params . ,params))))
-	  (api:execute-requests *dbstruct* cmd params)
-	  ;; (api:process-request *dbstruct* indat)
-	  ;; (api:process-request dbdat indat)
-	  )
+	(api:execute-requests *dbstruct* cmd params)
 	(begin
 	  (rmt:open-main-connection sinfo apath)
 	  (if rid (rmt:general-open-connection sinfo apath dbname))
 	  (rmt:send-receive-real sinfo apath dbname cmd params)))))
 
@@ -358,15 +357,11 @@
 ;; sometime in the future
 ;;
 (define (rmt:send-receive-real sinfo apath dbname cmd params)
   (let* ((cdat (rmt:get-conn sinfo apath dbname)))
     (assert cdat "FATAL: rmt:send-receive-real called without the needed channels opened")
-    (let* ((key     #f)
-	   #;(payload `(,cmd ;; (cmd    . ,cmd)(key    .
-		      ,(conndat-srvkey cdat)
-		      ,params))
-	   (uconn    (servdat-uconn sinfo))
+    (let* ((uconn    (servdat-uconn sinfo))
 	   (res      (send-receive uconn (conndat-hostport cdat) cmd params))) ;; payload)))
       (if (member res '("#<unspecified>")) ;; TODO - fix this in string->sexpr
 	  #f
 	  res))))
 
@@ -1798,13 +1793,14 @@
   (let* ((params `((cmd . ping)(key . ,key)))
 	 (data `((cmd . ping)
 		 (key . ,key)
 		 (params . ,params))) ;; I don't get it.
 	 (res  (send-receive uconn host-port 'ping data)))
-    (if res
-	(car res)
-	res)))
+    (if (eq? res 'ack) ;; yep, likely it is who we want on the other end
+	res
+	#f)))
+;; (begin (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "server-ready? => "res) #f))))
 
 ; from the pkts return servers associated with dbpath
 ;; NOTE: Only one can be alive - have to check on each
 ;;       in the list of pkts returned
 ;;

Index: tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
==================================================================
--- tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
+++ tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
@@ -27,18 +27,18 @@
 
 (trace-call-sites #t)
 (trace
  ;; get-the-server
  ;; db:get-dbdat
- rmt:find-main-server
+ ;; rmt:find-main-server
 ;;  rmt:send-receive-real
 ;;  rmt:send-receive
  ;; sexpr->string
- server-ready?
+ ;; server-ready?
  ;; rmt:register-server
- api:run-server-process
- rmt:open-main-connection
+ ;; api:run-server-process
+ ;; rmt:open-main-connection
  ;; rmt:general-open-connection
  ;; rmt:get-conny
  ;; common:watchdog
  ;; rmt:find-main-server
  ;; get-all-server-pkts
@@ -79,34 +79,18 @@
 (print "*uconn*: " *uconn*)
 (test #f #t (ulex-listener? (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*)))
 (test #f #t (string? (udat-host-port *uconn*)))
 
 (run-in-thread
- (test #f #t (server-ready? *uconn* (udat-host-port *uconn*) (servdat-uuid *db-serv-info*))))
+ (test #f 'ack (server-ready? *uconn* (udat-host-port *uconn*) (servdat-uuid *db-serv-info*))))
   
 (test #f #t (rmt:open-main-connection *db-serv-info* *toppath*))
 ;; (pp (hash-table->alist (remotedat-conns *db-serv-info*)))
 (test #f #t (conndat? (rmt:get-conn *db-serv-info* *toppath* ".db/main.db")))
-(exit)
-
-(define *main*  (rmt:get-conn *db-serv-info* *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
-
-;; (for-each (lambda (tdat)
-;; 	    (test #f tdat (loop-test (rmt:conn-ipaddr *main*)
-;; 				     (rmt:conn-port *main*) tdat)))
-;; 	  (list 'a
-;; 		'(a "b" 123 1.23 )))
-(test #f #t (rmt:send-receive 'ping #f 'hello))
-
-(define *db* (db:setup ".db/main.db"))
-
-;; these let me cut and paste from source easily
-(define apath *toppath*)
-(define dbname ".db/2.db")
+
 (define remote *db-serv-info*)
 (define keyvals  '(("SYSTEM" "a")("RELEASE" "b")))
 
-(test #f '() (string->sexpr "()"))
-(test #f 'server-started (api:execute-requests *db* 'get-server (list *toppath* ".db/2.db")))
-(set! *dbstruct-db* #f)
+(run-in-thread
+ (test #f (map car keyvals) (rmt:get-keys)))
 
 (exit)

Index: ulex/ulex.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex/ulex.scm
+++ ulex/ulex.scm
@@ -210,25 +210,34 @@
 
 ;; send a request to the given host-port and register a mailbox in udata
 ;; wait for the mailbox data and return it
 ;;
 (define (send-receive uconn host-port cmd data)
-  (let* ((cmbox     (get-cmbox uconn)) ;; would it be better to keep a stack of mboxes to reuse?
-	 (qrykey    (car cmbox))
-	 (mbox      (cdr cmbox))
-	 (mbox-time (current-milliseconds)))
-    (if (eq? (send uconn host-port qrykey cmd data) 'ack)
-	(let* ((mbox-timeout-secs    120) ;; timeout)
-	       (mbox-timeout-result 'MBOX_TIMEOUT)
-	       (res                  (mailbox-receive! mbox mbox-timeout-secs mbox-timeout-result))
-	       (mbox-receive-time    (current-milliseconds)))
-	  (if (eq? res 'MBOX_TIMEOUT)
-	      #f  ;; convert to raising exception?
-	      res))
-	(begin
-	  (print "ERROR: Communication failed?")
-	  #f)))) ;; #f means failed to communicate
+  (cond
+   ((member cmd '(ping goodbye)) ;; these are immediate
+    (send uconn host-port 'ping cmd data))
+   (else
+    (let* ((cmbox     (get-cmbox uconn)) ;; would it be better to keep a stack of mboxes to reuse?
+	   (qrykey    (car cmbox))
+	   (mbox      (cdr cmbox))
+	   (mbox-time (current-milliseconds)))
+      (if (eq? (send uconn host-port qrykey cmd data) 'ack)
+	  (let* ((mbox-timeout-secs    (if (eq? 'primordial (thread-name (current-thread)))
+					   #f
+					   120)) ;; timeout)
+		 (mbox-timeout-result 'MBOX_TIMEOUT)
+		 (res                  (mailbox-receive! mbox mbox-timeout-secs mbox-timeout-result))
+		 (mbox-receive-time    (current-milliseconds)))
+	    (put-cmbox uconn cmbox) ;; reuse mbox and cookie. is it worth it?
+	    (if (eq? res 'MBOX_TIMEOUT)
+		(begin
+		  (print "WARNING: mbox timed out for query "cmd", with data "data)
+		  #f)  ;; convert to raising exception?
+		res))
+	  (begin
+	    (print "ERROR: Communication failed?")
+	    #f)))))) ;; #f means failed to communicate
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; responder side
 ;;======================================================================
 
@@ -244,11 +253,11 @@
      (let ((mbox (hash-table-ref/default (udat-mboxes uconn) qrykey #f)))
        (case cmd
 	 ;; ((ack )(print "Got ack! But why? Should NOT get here.") 'ack)
 	 ((ping)
 	  ;; (print "Got Ping!")
-	  (add-to-work-queue uconn rdat)
+	  ;; (add-to-work-queue uconn rdat)
 	 'ack)
 	 ((goodbye)
 	  ;; just clear out references to the caller
 	  (add-to-work-queue uconn rdat)
 	  'ack)