Index: Makefile
==================================================================
--- Makefile
+++ Makefile
@@ -30,11 +30,12 @@
    ezsteps.scm lock-queue.scm sdb.scm \
    rmt.scm api.scm subrun.scm \
    portlogger.scm archive.scm env.scm diff-report.scm cgisetup/models/pgdb.scm 
 
 # module source files
-MSRCFILES = ftail.scm rmtmod.scm
+MSRCFILES = ftail.scm rmtmod.scm commonmod.scm
+
 
 # Eggs to install (straightforward ones)
 EGGS=matchable readline apropos base64 regex-literals format regex-case test coops trace csv \
 dot-locking posix-utils posix-extras directory-utils hostinfo tcp-server rpc csv-xml fmt \
 json md5 awful http-client spiffy uri-common intarweb spiffy-request-vars \
@@ -71,11 +72,11 @@
 PNGFILES = $(shell cd docs/manual;ls *png)
 
 #all : $(PREFIX)/bin/.$(ARCHSTR) mtest dboard mtut ndboard
 all : $(PREFIX)/bin/.$(ARCHSTR) mtest dboard mtut tcmt
 
-mtest: $(OFILES) readline-fix.scm megatest.o $(MOFILES) mofiles/ftail.o mofiles/rmtmod.o
+mtest: $(OFILES) readline-fix.scm megatest.o $(MOFILES) mofiles/ftail.o mofiles/rmtmod.o mofiles/commonmod.o
 	csc $(CSCOPTS) $(OFILES) $(MOFILES) megatest.o -o mtest
 
 showmtesthash:
 	@echo $(MTESTHASH)
 
@@ -108,10 +109,11 @@
 	ods.o \
 	portlogger.o \
 	process.o \
 	rmt.o \
         mofiles/rmtmod.o \
+        mofiles/commonmod.o \
         rpc-transport.o \
 	runconfig.o \
 	runs.o \
 	server.o \
 	tasks.o \
@@ -160,10 +162,13 @@
 vg.o dashboard.o : vg_records.scm
 dcommon.o : run_records.scm
 # Temporary while transitioning to new routine
 # runs.o : run-tests-queue-classic.scm  run-tests-queue-new.scm
 
+# for the modularized stuff
+mofiles/rmtmod.o : mofiles/commonmod.o
+
 megatest-fossil-hash.scm : $(SRCFILES) megatest.scm *_records.scm
 	echo "(define megatest-fossil-hash \"$(MTESTHASH)\")" > megatest-fossil-hash.new
 	if ! diff -q megatest-fossil-hash.new megatest-fossil-hash.scm ; then echo copying .new to .scm;cp -f megatest-fossil-hash.new megatest-fossil-hash.scm;fi
 
 $(OFILES) $(GOFILES) : common_records.scm 

Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -26,10 +26,12 @@
      (prefix sqlite3 sqlite3:)
      pkts (prefix dbi dbi:)
      )
 
 (declare (unit common))
+(declare (uses commonmod))
+(import commonmod)
 
 (include "common_records.scm")
 
 
 ;; (require-library margs)

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -80,21 +80,11 @@
   ;;
   (let* ((start-time    (current-seconds)) ;; snapshot time so all use cases get same value
          (areapath      *toppath*);; TODO - resolve from dbstruct to be compatible with multiple areas
 	 (runremote     (or area-dat
 			    *runremote*))
-	 (readonly-mode (if (and runremote
-				 (remote-ro-mode-checked runremote))
-			    (remote-ro-mode runremote)
-			    (let* ((dbfile  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db"))
-				   (ro-mode (not (file-write-access? dbfile)))) ;; TODO: use dbstruct or runremote to figure this out in future
-			      (if runremote
-				  (begin
-				    (remote-ro-mode-set! runremote ro-mode)
-				    (remote-ro-mode-checked-set! runremote #t)
-				    ro-mode)
-				  ro-mode)))))
+	 (readonly-mode (rmtmod:calc-ro-mode runremote *toppath*)))
 
     ;; DOT INIT_RUNREMOTE; // leaving off - doesn't really add to the clarity
     ;; DOT MUTEXLOCK -> INIT_RUNREMOTE [label="no remote?"];
     ;; DOT INIT_RUNREMOTE -> MUTEXLOCK;
     ;; ensure we have a record for our connection for given area
@@ -941,7 +931,10 @@
   (rmt:send-receive 'test-set-archive-block-id run-id (list run-id test-id archive-block-id)))
 
 (define (rmt:test-get-archive-block-info archive-block-id)
   (rmt:send-receive 'test-get-archive-block-info #f (list archive-block-id)))
 
-(set-functions rmt:send-receive remote-server-url-set! http-transport:close-connections
-	       remote-conndat-set! debug:print debug:print-info)
+(set-functions rmt:send-receive                       remote-server-url-set!
+	       http-transport:close-connections	      remote-conndat-set!
+	       debug:print                            debug:print-info
+	       remote-ro-mode                         remote-ro-mode-set!
+	       remote-ro-mode-checked-set!            remote-ro-mode-checked)

Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -17,32 +17,61 @@
 ;;     along with Megatest.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (declare (unit rmtmod))
+(declare (uses commonmod))
 
 (module rmtmod
 	*
 	
 (import scheme chicken data-structures extras)
 (import (prefix sqlite3 sqlite3:) posix typed-records srfi-18)
+(import commonmod)
 
+;; Hack to make these functions visible to the refactored code, goal is to eliminate these over time.
 (define (rmt:send-receive . params) #f)
-(define (remote-server-url-set! . params) #f)
 (define (http-transport:close-connections . params) #f)
+;; from remote defstruct in common.scm
 (define (remote-conndat-set! . params) #f)
+(define (remote-server-url-set! . params) #f)
+(define (remote-ro-mode . params) #f)
+(define (remote-ro-mode-set! . params) #f)
+(define (remote-ro-mode-checked-set! . params) #f)
+(define (remote-ro-mode-checked . params) #f)
 (define (debug:print . params) #f)
 (define (debug:print-info . params) #f)
 
-(define (set-functions send-receive rsus close-connections rcs dbgp dbgpinfo) 
-  (set! rmt:send-receive send-receive)
-  (set! remote-server-url-set! rsus)
+(define (set-functions send-receive        rsus
+		       close-connections   rcs
+		       dbgp                dbgpinfo
+		       ro-mode             ro-mode-set
+		       ro-mode-checked-set ro-mode-checked
+		       ) 
+  (set! rmt:send-receive                 send-receive)
+  (set! remote-server-url-set!           rsus)
   (set! http-transport:close-connections close-connections)
-  (set! remote-conndat-set! rcs)
-  (set! debug:print dbgp)
-  (set! debug:print-info dbgpinfo))
+  (set! remote-conndat-set!              rcs)
+  (set! debug:print                      dbgp)
+  (set! debug:print-info                 dbgpinfo)
+  (set! remote-ro-mode                   ro-mode)
+  (set! remote-ro-mode-set!              ro-mode-set)
+  (set! remote-ro-mode-checked-set!      ro-mode-checked-set)
+  (set! remote-ro-mode-checked           ro-mode-checked))
 
+(define (rmtmod:calc-ro-mode runremote *toppath*)
+  (if (and runremote
+	   (remote-ro-mode-checked runremote))
+      (remote-ro-mode runremote)
+      (let* ((dbfile  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db"))
+	     (ro-mode (not (file-write-access? dbfile)))) ;; TODO: use dbstruct or runremote to figure this out in future
+	(if runremote
+	    (begin
+	      (remote-ro-mode-set! runremote ro-mode)
+	      (remote-ro-mode-checked-set! runremote #t)
+	      ro-mode)
+	    ro-mode))))
 
 (define (extras-readonly-mode rmt-mutex log-port cmd params)
   (mutex-unlock! rmt-mutex)
   (debug:print-info 12 log-port "rmt:send-receive, case 3")
   (debug:print 0 log-port "WARNING: write transaction requested on a readonly area.  cmd="cmd" params="params)