Index: api.scm
==================================================================
--- api.scm
+++ api.scm
@@ -146,10 +146,11 @@
 ;;    - keep it simple, only return the actual result of the call, i.e. no meta info here
 ;;
 ;;    - returns #( flag result )
 ;;
 (define (api:execute-requests dbstruct dat)
+  (db:open-no-sync-db) ;; sets *no-sync-db*
   (handle-exceptions
    exn
    (let ((call-chain (get-call-chain)))
      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: api:execute-requests received an exception from peer, dat=" dat ", exn=" exn)
      (print-call-chain (current-error-port))

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -212,28 +212,28 @@
 	     (common:low-noise-print 120 "over-50-parallel-api-requests"))
 	(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* *api-process-request-count* " parallel api requests being processed in process " (current-process-id) ", throttling access"))
     (if (common:low-noise-print 600 (conc "parallel-api-requests" *max-api-process-requests*))
 	(debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "Parallel api request count: " *api-process-request-count* " max parallel requests: " *max-api-process-requests*))
     (condition-case
-     (begin
-       (if use-mutex (mutex-lock! *db-with-db-mutex*))
-       (let ((res (apply proc dbdat db params)))
-	 (if use-mutex (mutex-unlock! *db-with-db-mutex*))
-	 ;; (if (vector? dbstruct)(db:done-with dbstruct run-id r/w))
-	 (if dbdat (stack-push! (dbr:subdb-dbstack subdb) dbdat))
-	 res))
-     (exn (io-error)
-	  (db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: i/o error with " fname ". Check permissions, disk space etc. and try again."))
-     (exn (corrupt)
-	  (db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: database " fname " is corrupt. Repair it to proceed."))
-     (exn (busy)
-	  (db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: database " fname
-				     " is locked. Try copying to another location, remove original and copy back."))
-     (exn (permission)(db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: database " fname " has some permissions problem."))
-     (exn ()
-	  (db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: Unknown error with database " fname " message: "
-		       ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))))))
+	(begin
+	  (if use-mutex (mutex-lock! *db-with-db-mutex*))
+	  (let ((res (apply proc dbdat db params)))
+	    (if use-mutex (mutex-unlock! *db-with-db-mutex*))
+	    ;; (if (vector? dbstruct)(db:done-with dbstruct run-id r/w))
+	    (if dbdat (stack-push! (dbr:subdb-dbstack subdb) dbdat))
+	    res))
+      (exn (io-error)
+	   (db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: i/o error with " fname ". Check permissions, disk space etc. and try again."))
+      (exn (corrupt)
+	   (db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: database " fname " is corrupt. Repair it to proceed."))
+      (exn (busy)
+	   (db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: database " fname
+				      " is locked. Try copying to another location, remove original and copy back."))
+      (exn (permission)(db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: database " fname " has some permissions problem."))
+      (exn ()
+	   (db:generic-error-printout exn "ERROR: Unknown error with database " fname " message: "
+				      ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))))))
       
 
 ;; NB// #f => return dbdir only
 ;;      (was planned to be;  zeroth db with name=main.db)
 ;; 
@@ -2105,10 +2105,27 @@
 		(sqlite3:execute db "DELETE FROM metadat WHERE var=?;" var))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; no-sync.db - small bits of data to be shared between servers
 ;;======================================================================
+
+(define (db:no-sync-db db-in)
+  (if db-in
+      db-in
+      (if *no-sync-db*
+	  *no-sync-db*
+	  (begin
+	    (mutex-lock! *db-access-mutex*)
+	    (let ((dbpath (common:get-db-tmp-area))
+		  (db     (dbfile:open-no-sync-db dbpath)))
+	      (set! *no-sync-db* db)
+	      (mutex-unlock! *db-access-mutex*)
+	      db)))))
+
+(define (with-no-sync-db proc)
+  (let* ((db  (db:no-sync-db *no-sync-db*)))
+    (proc db)))
 
 (define (db:open-no-sync-db)
   (dbfile:open-no-sync-db (db:dbfile-path)))
 
 (define (db:no-sync-close-db db stmt-cache)
@@ -5009,12 +5026,20 @@
     ;; (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "lock-and-sync, dbfiles: "dbfiles)
     (for-each
      (lambda (file)
        (let* ((fname (conc (pathname-file file) ".db"))
 	      (fulln (conc *toppath*"/.db/"fname))
-	      (time1 (file-modification-time file))
-	      (time2 (file-modification-time fulln))
+	      (time1 (if (file-exists? file)
+			 (file-modification-time file)
+			 (begin
+			   (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Sync - I do not see file "file)
+			   1)))
+	      (time2 (if (file-exists? fulln)
+			 (file-modification-time fulln)
+			 (begin
+			   (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Sync - I do not see file "fulln)
+			   0)))
 	      (changed (> time1 time2))
 	      (do-cp (cond
 		      ((not (file-exists? fulln)) ;; shouldn't happen, but this might recover
 		       (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "File "fulln" not found! Copying "fname" to "fulln)
 		       #t)

Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -444,47 +444,62 @@
 
 ;; if we are not a server create a db handle. this is not finalized
 ;; so watch for problems. I'm still not clear if it is needed to manually
 ;; finalize sqlite3 dbs with the sqlite3 egg.
 ;;
-(define (db:no-sync-db db-in)
-  (if db-in
-      db-in
-      (if *no-sync-db*
-	  *no-sync-db*
-	  (begin
-	    (mutex-lock! *db-access-mutex*)
-	    (let ((db (dbfile:open-no-sync-db)))
-	      (set! *no-sync-db* db)
-	      (mutex-unlock! *db-access-mutex*)
-	      db)))))
+
+(define (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname #!optional (tries-left 5))
+  (let* ((retry (lambda ()
+		  (thread-sleep! 0.5)
+		  (if (> tries-left 0)
+		      (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname (- tries-left 1))))))
+    (condition-case
+	(sqlite3:open-database fname)
+      (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)))))
+
 
 (define (dbfile:open-no-sync-db dbpath)
-  (let* (;; (dbpath (db:dbfile-path))
-	 (dbname (conc dbpath "/no-sync.db"))
+  (if (not (file-exists? dbpath))
+      (create-directory dbpath #t))
+  (let* ((dbname    (conc dbpath "/no-sync.db"))
 	 (db-exists (file-exists? dbname))
-	 (db     (sqlite3:open-database dbname)))
+	 (db        (dbfile:cautious-open-database dbname))) ;; (sqlite3:open-database dbname)))
     (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db (sqlite3:make-busy-timeout 136000))
     (if (not db-exists)
 	(begin
 	  (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = 0;")
 	  (sqlite3:execute db "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS no_sync_metadat (var TEXT,val TEXT, CONSTRAINT no_sync_metadat_constraint UNIQUE (var));")
-	  (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL;")))
+	  #;(sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL;")))
     db))
 
 (define (db:no-sync-set db var val)
-  (sqlite3:execute (db:no-sync-db db) "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO no_sync_metadat (var,val) VALUES (?,?);" var val))
+  (sqlite3:execute db "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO no_sync_metadat (var,val) VALUES (?,?);" var val))
 
 (define (db:no-sync-del! db var)
-  (sqlite3:execute (db:no-sync-db db) "DELETE FROM no_sync_metadat WHERE var=?;" var))
+  (sqlite3:execute db "DELETE FROM no_sync_metadat WHERE var=?;" var))
 
 (define (db:no-sync-get/default db var default)
   (let ((res default))
     (sqlite3:for-each-row
      (lambda (val)
        (set! res val))
-     (db:no-sync-db db)
+     db
      "SELECT val FROM no_sync_metadat WHERE var=?;"
      var)
     (if res
         (let ((newres (if (string? res)
 			  (string->number res)
@@ -498,22 +513,21 @@
 ;; either:
 ;;    fails    returns  (#f . lock-creation-time)
 ;;    succeeds (returns (#t . lock-creation-time)
 ;; use (db:no-sync-del! db keyname) to release the lock
 ;;
-(define (db:no-sync-get-lock db-in keyname)
-  (let ((db (db:no-sync-db db-in)))
-    (sqlite3:with-transaction
-     db
-     (lambda ()
-       (handle-exceptions
-	   exn
+(define (db:no-sync-get-lock db keyname)
+  (sqlite3:with-transaction
+   db
+   (lambda ()
+     (handle-exceptions
+	 exn
 	 (let ((lock-time (current-seconds)))
 	   ;; (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "db:no-sync-get-lock keyname=" keyname ", lock-time=" lock-time ", exn=" exn)
 	   (sqlite3:execute db "INSERT INTO no_sync_metadat (var,val) VALUES(?,?);" keyname lock-time)
 	   `(#t . ,lock-time))
-	 `(#f . ,(sqlite3:first-result db "SELECT val FROM no_sync_metadat WHERE var=?;" keyname)))))))
+       `(#f . ,(sqlite3:first-result db "SELECT val FROM no_sync_metadat WHERE var=?;" keyname))))))
 
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; file utils
 ;;======================================================================

Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -403,10 +403,11 @@
   ;; if none running or if > 20 seconds since 
   ;; server last used then start shutdown
   ;; This thread waits for the server to come alive
   (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Starting the sync-back, keep alive thread in server")
   (let* ((sdat              #f)
+	 (no-sync-db        (db:open-no-sync-db))
 	 (tmp-area          (common:get-db-tmp-area))
 	 (started-file      (conc tmp-area "/.server-started"))
 	 (server-start-time (current-seconds))
 	 (server-info (let loop ((start-time (current-seconds))
 				 (changed    #t)

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -514,24 +514,23 @@
       (sqlite3:first-row db "SELECT id,action,owner,state,target,name,testpatt,keylock,params WHERE
                                params LIKE ? AND state LIKE ? AND action LIKE ? AND testpatt LIKE ?;"
 			 param-key state-patt action-patt test-patt)))))
 
 (define (tasks:find-task-queue-records dbstruct target run-name test-patt state-patt action-patt)
-  ;; (handle-exceptions
-  ;;  exn
-  ;;  '()
-  ;;  (sqlite3:first-row
-  (let ((db (db:delay-if-busy (db:get-db dbstruct)))
-	(res '()))
-    (sqlite3:for-each-row 
-     (lambda (a . b)
-       (set! res (cons (cons a b) res)))
-     db "SELECT id,action,owner,state,target,name,testpatt,keylock,params FROM tasks_queue 
+  (db:with-db
+   dbstruct
+   #f #f
+   (lambda (dbdat db)
+     (let ((res '()))
+       (sqlite3:for-each-row 
+	(lambda (a . b)
+	  (set! res (cons (cons a b) res)))
+	db "SELECT id,action,owner,state,target,name,testpatt,keylock,params FROM tasks_queue 
            WHERE
               target = ? AND name = ? AND state LIKE ? AND action LIKE ? AND testpatt LIKE ?;"
-     target run-name state-patt action-patt test-patt)
-    res)) ;; )
+	target run-name state-patt action-patt test-patt)
+       res))))
 
 ;; kill any runner processes (i.e. processes handling -runtests) that match target/runname
 ;; 
 ;; do a remote call to get the task queue info but do the killing as self here.
 ;;

Index: tests/simplerun/Makefile
==================================================================
--- tests/simplerun/Makefile
+++ tests/simplerun/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
 cleanup :
 	killall mtest dboard -v -9 || true
-	rm -rf *.log *.bak NB* logs/* .meta .db ../simpleruns/* lt
+	rm -rf *.log *.bak NB* logs/* .meta .db /tmp/$(USER)/megatest_localdb/simplerun ../simpleruns/* lt