Index: commonmod.scm
==================================================================
--- commonmod.scm
+++ commonmod.scm
@@ -374,11 +374,12 @@
 							      ((w) 604800)
 							      ((M) 2628000) ;; aproximately one month
 							      ((y) 31536000)
 							      (else
 							       0)))))))
-		      (print "ERROR: can't parse timestring "tstr", component "part)
+		      ;; (print "ERROR: can't parse timestring "tstr", component "part)
+		      ;; can't (yet) use debugprint. rely on -show-config for user to find errors
 		      )))
 	      parts)
     time-secs))
 		       
 (define (seconds->hr-min-sec secs)

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -1642,10 +1642,62 @@
 	     res))) 
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Called without all necessary keys")
 	  #f))))
 
+(define (db:get-run-id dbstruct runname target)
+  (let ((runs (db:simple-get-runs dbstruct runname #f #f target #f))) ;; runpatt count offset target last-update
+    (if (null? runs)
+	#f
+	(simple-run-id (car runs)))))
+
+(define (db:insert-run dbstruct target runname run-meta)
+  (let* ((keys    (db:get-keys dbstruct)))
+    (if (null? runs)
+	;; need to insert run based on target and runname
+	(let* ((targvals (string-split target "/"))
+	       (keystr   (string-intersperse keys ","))
+	       (key?str  (string-intersperse (make-list (length targvals) "?") ","))
+	       (qrystr   (conc "INSERT INTO runs (runname,"keystr") VALUES (?,"key?str")"))
+	       (get-var  (lambda (db qrystr)
+			   (let* ((res #f))
+			     (sqlite3:for-each-row
+			      (lambda row
+				(set res (car row)))
+			      db qrystr)
+			     res))))
+	  (db:create-initial-run-record dbstruct runname target)
+    	  (let* ((run-id (db:get-run-id dbstruct runname target)))
+	    (for-each
+	     (lambda (keyval)
+	       (let* ((fieldname (car keyval))
+		      (getqry    (conc "SELECT "fieldname" FROM runs WHERE id=?;"))
+		      (setqry    (conc "UPDATE runs SET "fieldname"=? WHERE id=?;"))
+		      (val       (cdr keyval))
+		      (valnum    (if (number? val)
+				     val
+				     (if (string? val)
+					 (string->number val)
+					 #f))))
+		 (if (not (member fieldname (cons "runname" keys))) ;; don't attempt to tweak these
+		     (let* ((curr-val (get-var db getqry))
+			    (have-it  (or (equal? curr-val val)
+					  (equal? curr-val valnum))))
+		       (if (not have-it)
+			   (sqlite3:execute db setqry (or valnum val) run-id))))))
+	     run-meta))))))
+  
+(define (db:create-initial-run-record dbstruct runname target)	  
+  (let* ((targvals (string-split target "/"))
+	 (keystr   (string-intersperse keys ","))
+	 (key?str  (string-intersperse (make-list (length targvals) "?") ","))
+	 (qrystr   (conc "INSERT INTO runs (runname,"keystr") VALUES (?,"key?str")")))
+    (db:with-db
+     dbstruct #f #f
+     (lambda (dbdat db)
+       (apply sqlite3:execute db qrystr runname targvals)))))
+
 ;; replace header and keystr with a call to runs:get-std-run-fields
 ;;
 ;; keypatts: ( (KEY1 "abc%def")(KEY2 "%") )
 ;; runpatts: patt1,patt2 ...
 ;;
@@ -1685,17 +1737,13 @@
 		   qrystr
 		   )))
     (debug:print-info 11 *default-log-port* "db:get-runs END qrystr: " qrystr " keypatts: " keypatts " offset: " offset " limit: " count)
     (vector header res)))
 
-
-(define-record simple-run target id runname state status owner event_time)
-(define-record-printer (simple-run x out)
-  (fprintf out "#,(simple-run ~S ~S ~S ~S)"
-	   (simple-run-target x) (simple-run-id x) (simple-run-runname x) (time->string (seconds->local-time (simple-run-event_time x) ))))
-
 ;; simple get-runs
+;;
+;;  records used defined in dbfile
 ;;
 (define (db:simple-get-runs dbstruct runpatt count offset target last-update)
     (let* ((res       '())
 	   (keys       (db:get-keys dbstruct))
 	   (runpattstr (db:patt->like "runname" runpatt))

Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -105,10 +105,16 @@
   (dbh         #f)    
   (stmt-cache  (make-hash-table))
   (read-only   #f)
   (birth-sec   (current-seconds)))
 
+;; used in simple-get-runs (thanks Brandon!)
+(define-record simple-run target id runname state status owner event_time)
+(define-record-printer (simple-run x out)
+  (fprintf out "#,(simple-run ~S ~S ~S ~S)"
+	   (simple-run-target x) (simple-run-id x) (simple-run-runname x) (time->string (seconds->local-time (simple-run-event_time x) ))))
+
 (define *dbstruct-dbs* #f)
 (define *db-open-mutex* (make-mutex))
 (define *db-access-mutex* (make-mutex)) ;; used in common.scm
 (define *no-sync-db*   #f)
 (define *db-sync-in-progress* #f)

Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@
 
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (declare (unit rmtmod))
 (declare (uses commonmod))
+(declare (uses dbfile))    ;; needed for records
 ;; (declare (uses apimod))
 ;; (declare (uses apimod.import))
 ;; (declare (uses ulex))
 
 ;; (include "ulex/ulex.scm")
@@ -29,11 +30,11 @@
 (module rmtmod
 	*
 	
 (import scheme chicken data-structures extras matchable)
 (import (prefix sqlite3 sqlite3:) posix typed-records srfi-18)
-(import commonmod) ;; (prefix commonmod cmod:))
+(import commonmod dbfile) ;; (prefix commonmod cmod:))
 ;; (import apimod)
 ;; (import (prefix ulex ulex:))
 
 (defstruct alldat
   (areapath #f)
@@ -73,13 +74,21 @@
      (lambda (test-dat)
        (let* ((test-id  (car test-dat))
 	      (test-rec (cdr test-dat)))
 	 (rmt:insert-test run-id test-rec)))
      tests-data)))
-	 
+
+;; insert run if not there, return id either way
 (define (rmt:insert-run target runname run-meta)
-  (rmtmod:send-receive 'insert-run #f (list target runname run-meta)))
+  ;; look for id, return if found
+  (let* ((runs (rmtmod:send-receive 'simple-get-runs #f
+				    ;;    runpatt count offset target last-update)
+				    (list runname #f    #f     target #f))))
+    (if (null? runs)
+	(rmtmod:send-receive 'insert-run #f (list target runname run-meta)))
+
+    ))
 
 (define (rmt:insert-test run-id test-rec)
   (rmtmod:send-receive 'insert-test run-id test-rec))
 
 ;;======================================================================