Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -1733,11 +1733,19 @@
 	(handle-exceptions
 	 exn
 	 #f
 	 (with-output-to-file fullpath (lambda ()(pp dat)))))
       #f))
-  
+
+(define (common:raw-get-remote-host-load remote-host)
+  (handle-exceptions
+   exn
+   #f ;; more specific handling of errors needed
+   (with-input-from-pipe 
+    (conc "ssh " remote-host " cat /proc/loadavg")
+    (lambda ()(list (read)(read)(read))))))
+
 ;; get cpu load by reading from /proc/loadavg, return all three values
 ;;
 (define (common:get-cpu-load remote-host)
   (handle-exceptions
    exn

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -2367,11 +2367,11 @@
           (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Failed to create HTML output in " toppath "/lt/runs-index.html"))
       (set! *didsomething* #t)))
 
 (if (args:get-arg "-syscheck")
     (begin
-      (mutils:syscheck)
+      (mutils:syscheck common:raw-get-remote-host-load)
       (set! *didsomething* #t)))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Exit and clean up
 ;;======================================================================

Index: mutils/mutils.scm
==================================================================
--- mutils/mutils.scm
+++ mutils/mutils.scm
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@
 	  srfi-69
 	  ;; ports
 	  extras
 	  regex
 	  posix
+	  data-structures
 	  )
 
 (define (mutils:hierhash-ref hh . keys)
   (if (null? keys)
       #f
@@ -186,34 +187,49 @@
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Other utils
 ;;======================================================================
 
-#;(define (check-write-create fpath)
+(define (check-write-create fpath)
   (and (file-write-access? fpath)
-       (let ((fname (conc fpath "/junk ". (current-seconds) "-" (random 10000))))
-	 (print "trying to create/remove " fname)
+       (let ((fname (conc fpath "/.junk-" (current-seconds) "-" (random 10000))))
+	 ;;(print "trying to create/remove " fname)
 	 (handle-exceptions
 	  exn
 	  #f
 	  (begin
 	    (with-output-to-file fname
 	      (lambda ()
 		(print "You can delete this file")))
 	    (delete-file fname)
 	    #t)))))
+
+;; (define (confirm-ssh-access-to-host hostname)
+  
 
 ;; do some sanity checks on the system
 ;;
-(define (mutils:syscheck)
+(define (mutils:syscheck proc)
   ;; current dir writeable and do megatest.config, runconfigs.config files exist/readable
   (print "Current directory " (current-directory) " writeable: " 
-	 (if #;(check-file-create ".")
-	  (file-write-access? ".")"yes" "no"))
+	 (if (check-write-create ".") "yes" "NO"))
   ;; home dir writeable
+  (print "Home directory " (get-environment-variable "HOME") " writeable: "
+	 (if (check-write-create (get-environment-variable "HOME")) "yes" "NO"))
   ;; /tmp writeable
+  (print "/tmp directory writeable: " (if (check-write-create "/tmp") "yes" "NO"))
   ;; load configs
+  (print "$DISPLAY set: " (if (get-environment-variable "DISPLAY")
+			      (conc  (get-environment-variable "DISPLAY") " yes")
+			      "NO"))
+
+  (print "$DISPLAY accessible? "
+	 (if (eq? (system "xdpyinfo -display $DISPLAY &>/dev/null;") 0)
+	     "yes" "NO"))
+
+
+  ;;    check load on homehost
   ;;    each run disk read/write
   ;;    link tree writeable
   )
   
 )