Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -186,11 +186,11 @@
 ;; called in http-transport and replicated in rmt.scm for *local* access. 
 ;;
 (define (dbfile:setup do-sync areapath tmppath)
   (cond
    (*dbstruct-dbs*
-    (dbfile:print-err "WARNING: dbfile:setup called when *dbstruct-dbs* is already initialized")
+    ;; (dbfile:print-err "WARNING: dbfile:setup called when *dbstruct-dbs* is already initialized")
     *dbstruct-dbs*) ;; TODO: when multiple areas are supported, this optimization will be a hazard
    (else
     (let* ((dbstruct (make-dbr:dbstruct)))
       (set! *dbstruct-dbs* dbstruct)
       (dbr:dbstruct-areapath-set! dbstruct areapath)
@@ -459,52 +459,61 @@
 ;; so watch for problems. I'm still not clear if it is needed to manually
 ;; finalize sqlite3 dbs with the sqlite3 egg.
 ;;
 
 (define (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname init-proc #!optional (tries-left 50))
-  (let* ((busy-file  (conc fname"-journal"))
-	 (delay-time (* (- 51 tries-left) 1.1))
-	 (retry      (lambda ()
-		       (thread-sleep! delay-time)
-		       (if (> tries-left 0)
-			   (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname init-proc (- tries-left 1))))))
-    (assert (>= tries-left 0) (conc "FATAL: too many attempts in dbfile:cautious-open-database of "fname", giving up."))
-    (if (and (file-write-access? fname)
-	     (file-exists? busy-file))
-	(begin
-	  (dbfile:print-err "INFO: dbfile:cautious-open-database: journal file " busy-file " exists, trying again in few seconds.")
-	  (thread-sleep! 1)
-	  (if (eq? tries-left 2)
-	      (begin
-		(dbfile:print-err "INFO: forcing journal rollup "busy-file)
-		(dbfile:brute-force-salvage-db fname)))
-	  (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname init-proc (- tries-left 1)))
-	(let* ((db-exists (file-exists? fname))
-	       (result (condition-case
-			   (let* ((db (sqlite3:open-database fname)))
-			     (if (and init-proc (not db-exists))
-				 (init-proc db))
-			     db)
-			(exn (io-error)
-			     (dbfile:print-err exn "ERROR: i/o error with " fname ". Check permissions, disk space etc. and try again.")
-			     (retry))
-			(exn (corrupt)
-			     (dbfile:print-err exn "ERROR: database " fname " is corrupt. Repair it to proceed.")
-			     (retry))
-			(exn (busy)
-			     (dbfile:print-err exn "ERROR: database " fname
-					       " is locked. Try copying to another location, remove original and copy back.")
-			     (retry))
-			(exn (permission)(dbfile:print-err exn "ERROR: database " fname " has some permissions problem.")
-			     (retry))
-			(exn ()
-			     (dbfile:print-err exn "ERROR: Unknown error with database " fname " message: "
-					       ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
-			     (retry)))))
-          #;(if (file-write-access? fname)
-	    (dbfile:simple-file-release-lock lock-file))
-	  result))))
+  (let* ((parent-dir   (or (pathname-directory fname)(current-directory))) ;; no parent? go local
+         (raw-fname    (pathname-file fname))
+	 (dir-writable (file-write-access? parent-dir))
+	 (file-exists  (file-exists? fname))
+	 (file-write   (if file-exists
+			   (file-write-access? fname)
+			   dir-writable )))
+    ;; (mutex-lock! *db-open-mutex*) ;; tried this mutex, not clear it helped.
+    (if file-write ;; dir-writable
+	(condition-case
+         (let* ((lockfname   (conc fname ".lock"))
+                (readyfname  (conc parent-dir "/.ready-" raw-fname))
+                (readyexists (file-exists? readyfname)))
+           (if (not readyexists)
+             (dbfile:simple-file-lock-and-wait lockfname)
+           )
+           (let ((db      (sqlite3:open-database fname)))
+             (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db (sqlite3:make-busy-timeout 136000))
+             (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = 0;")
+             (if (not file-exists)
+                 (init-proc db))
+             (if (not readyexists)
+                 (begin
+                   (dbfile:simple-file-release-lock lockfname)
+                   (with-output-to-file
+                       readyfname
+                     (lambda ()
+                       (print "Ready at " (current-seconds))))))
+             db))
+         (exn (io-error)  (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: i/o error with " fname ". Check permissions, disk space etc. and try again."))
+         (exn (corrupt)   (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: database " fname " is corrupt. Repair it to proceed."))
+         (exn (busy)      (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: database " fname " is locked. Try copying to another location, remove original and copy back."))
+         (exn (permission)(dbfile:print-err "ERROR: database " fname " has some permissions problem."))
+         (exn () (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: Unknown error with database " fname " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))))
+
+
+	(condition-case
+         (begin
+           (dbfile:print-err "WARNING: opening db in non-writable dir " fname)
+           (let ((db (sqlite3:open-database fname)))
+             (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db (sqlite3:make-busy-timeout 136000))
+             (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = 0;")
+	     ;; (mutex-unlock! *db-open-mutex*)
+             db))
+         (exn (io-error)  (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: i/o error with " fname ". Check permissions, disk space etc. and try again."))
+         (exn (corrupt)   (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: database " fname " is corrupt. Repair it to proceed."))
+         (exn (busy)      (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: database " fname " is locked. Try copying to another location, remove original and copy back."))
+         (exn (permission)(dbfile:print-err "ERROR: database " fname " has some permissions problem."))
+         (exn () (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: Unknown error with database " fname " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))))
+	)))
+
 
 (define (dbfile:brute-force-salvage-db fname)
   (let* ((backupfname (conc fname"-"(current-process-id)".bak"))
 	 (cmd (conc "cp "fname" "backupfname";mv "fname" "(conc fname ".delme;")
 		    "cp "backupfname" "fname)))