Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -905,10 +905,22 @@
 		(begin
 		  (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Unable to find megatest home directory.")
 		  #f)
 		(loop (pathname-directory thepath)))))
       ))
+
+
+(define (common:db-tmp-area-path)
+  (conc "/tmp/" 
+         (current-user-name)
+	 "/megatest_localdb/"
+	 (common:get-testsuite-name)
+         "/"
+	 (string-translate *toppath* "/" ".")
+  )
+)
+
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; redefine for future cleanup (converge on area-name, the more generic
 ;;
 (define common:get-area-name common:get-testsuite-name)

Index: dashboard.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard.scm
+++ dashboard.scm
@@ -204,10 +204,11 @@
    tabdat))
 
 ;; gets and calls updater list based on curr-tab-num
 ;;
 (define (dboard:common-run-curr-updaters commondat #!key (tab-num #f))
+  (copy-db-to-tmp)
   (if (dboard:common-get-tabdat commondat tab-num: tab-num) ;; only update if there is a tabdat
       (let* ((tnum     (or tab-num (dboard:commondat-curr-tab-num commondat)))
 	     (updaters (hash-table-ref/default (dboard:commondat-updaters commondat)
 					       tnum
 					       '())))
@@ -1940,11 +1941,11 @@
          (dashboard:run-id->tests-mindat dest-run-id tabdat runs-hash)
          hide-clean: hide-clean)
         #f)))
 
 
-(define (dashboard:get-runs-hash tabdat)
+(define (dashboard:get-runs-hash tabdat) 
   (let* ((access-mode       (dboard:tabdat-access-mode tabdat))
          (last-runs-update  0);;(dboard:tabdat-last-runs-update tabdat))
 	 (runs-dat     (rmt:get-runs-by-patt (dboard:tabdat-keys tabdat) "%" #f #f #f #f last-runs-update))
 	 (runs-header  (vector-ref runs-dat 0)) ;; 0 is header, 1 is list of records
          (runs         (vector-ref runs-dat 1))
@@ -3854,14 +3855,30 @@
 				) "update buttons once"))
 	    (th2 (make-thread iup:main-loop "Main loop")))
         (print "Starting main loop")
 	(thread-start! th2)
 	(thread-join! th2)
-        )
-        )
-        )
-        )
+      )
+    )
+  )
+)
+
+(define last-copy-time 0)
+
+
+;; Do this only if in read-only mode.
+
+(define (copy-db-to-tmp)
+  (let* ((db-file "./.megatest/main.db"))
+    (if (and (not (file-write-access? db-file)) ( > (current-seconds) (+ last-copy-time 5)))
+      (begin
+        (system (conc "rsync -a .megatest " (common:get-db-tmp-area)))
+        (set! last-copy-time (current-seconds))
+      )
+    )
+  )
+)
 
 ;; ########################### top level code ########################
 ;; check for MT_* environment variables and exit if found
 (if (not (args:get-arg "-test"))
     (begin

Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -473,11 +473,11 @@
 
 (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))
-	 (write-access (file-write-access? fname))
+      	 (write-access (file-write-access? fname))
          (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."))
@@ -492,24 +492,23 @@
 		(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* ((result (condition-case
-			   (if write-access
-                             (dbfile:with-simple-file-lock
-			       (conc fname ".lock")
-			        (lambda ()
-			          (let* ((db-exists (file-exists? fname))
-				         (db        (sqlite3:open-database fname)))
-				      (if (and init-proc (not db-exists))
-				        (init-proc db))
-				   db)))
-                                (if (file-exists? fname )
+		         (if write-access
+			   (dbfile:with-simple-file-lock
+			    (conc fname ".lock")
+			    (lambda ()
+			      (let* ((db-exists (file-exists? fname))
+				     (db        (sqlite3:open-database fname)))
+				(if (and init-proc (not db-exists))
+				    (init-proc db))
+				db)))
+                             (if (file-exists? fname )
                                    (sqlite3:open-database fname)
-                                   #f
-                                )
-                           )
+                             )
+                         )
 			 (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.")

Index: dcommon.scm
==================================================================
--- dcommon.scm
+++ dcommon.scm
@@ -528,11 +528,14 @@
                                  (common:without-vars
                                   command
                                   "MT_.*"))
                                (message-window  (conc "Directory " rundir " not found"))))))
           (xterm)
-          (print "Adding xterm code")))))
+        )
+     )
+  )
+)
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; D A T A   T A B L E S
 ;;======================================================================
 

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -1450,12 +1450,12 @@
 	 (contour         #f)) ;; NOT READY FOR THIS (args:get-arg "-contour")))
     (let loop ((delta        (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*))
 	       (launch-delay (configf:lookup-number *configdat* "setup" "launch-delay" default: 0)))
       (if (> launch-delay delta)
 	  (begin
-	    (if (common:low-noise-print 1200 "test launch delay") ;; every two hours or so remind the user about launch delay.
-		(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "NOTE: test launches are delayed by " launch-delay " seconds. See megatest.config launch-delay setting to adjust.")) ;; launch of " test-name " for " (- launch-delay delta) " seconds"))
+	    ;; (if (common:low-noise-print 1200 "test launch delay") ;; every two hours or so remind the user about launch delay.
+	;;	(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "NOTE: test launches are delayed by " launch-delay " seconds. See megatest.config launch-delay setting to adjust.")) ;; launch of " test-name " for " (- launch-delay delta) " seconds"))
 	    (thread-sleep! (- launch-delay delta))
 	    (loop (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*) launch-delay))))
     (change-directory *toppath*)
     (alist->env-vars ;; consolidate this code with the code in megatest.scm for "-execute", *maybe* - the longer they are set the longer each launch takes (must be non-overlapping with the vars)
      (append

Index: utils/mt_xterm
==================================================================
--- utils/mt_xterm
+++ utils/mt_xterm
@@ -16,14 +16,25 @@
 # 
 #     You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 #     along with Megatest.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 MT_TMPDISPLAY=$DISPLAY
-if [ -e megatest.sh ];then
-  source megatest.sh
-fi
+MT_TMPUSER=$USER
+MT_HOME=$HOME
+
+tmpfile=`mktemp`
+
+grep -v "export USER=" megatest.sh | grep -v "export HOME=" > $tmpfile
+source $tmpfile
+rm $tmpfile
+
+# if [ -e megatest.sh ];then
+#source megatest.sh
+#fi
 export DISPLAY=$MT_TMPDISPLAY
+export USER=$USER
+export HOME=$MT_HOME
 
 if [ x"$MT_XTERM_CMD" == "x" ];then
   exec xterm "$@"
 else
   exec $MT_XTERM_CMD