Various fixes and improvements.

g/m.c

@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ _cm_signal_recover(c3_l sig_l, u3_noun arg)
     //  A top-level crash - rather odd.  We should GC.
     // 
     _cm_emergency("recover: top", sig_l);
+    u3H->rod_u.how.fag_w |= u3_cs_flag_gc;
 
     //  Reset the top road - the problem could be a fat cap.
     //
@@ -134,9 +135,9 @@ _cm_signal_recover(c3_l sig_l, u3_noun arg)
       // we need to readjust the image, eg, migrate to 64 bit.
       //
       u3z(u3R->bug.mer);
+      u3R->bug.mer = 0;
       sig_l = c3__full;
     }
-
     return u3nt(3, sig_l, tax);
   }
   else {
@@ -179,6 +180,13 @@ _cm_signal_deep(c3_w sec_w)
   signal(SIGINT, _cm_signal_handle_intr);
   signal(SIGTERM, _cm_signal_handle_term);
 
+  // Provide a little emergency memory, for use in case things 
+  // go utterly haywire.
+  //
+  if ( 0 == u3H->rod_u.bug.mer ) {
+    u3H->rod_u.bug.mer = u3_ci_string("emergency buffer");
+  }
+
   if ( sec_w ) {
     struct itimerval itm_u;
 
@@ -321,7 +329,6 @@ _boot_parts(void)
 {
   u3R->cax.har_u = u3_ch_new();
   u3R->jed.har_u = u3_ch_new();
-  u3R->bug.mer = u3_ci_tape("emergency buffer");
 }
 
 /* u3_cm_mark(): mark all nouns in the road.

include/n/road.h

@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@
           };
         } esc;
 
+        struct {                            //  miscellaneous config
+          c3_w fag_w;                       //  flag bits
+        } how;                              //
+
         struct {                            //  allocation pools
           u3_cs_fbox* fre_u[u3_cc_fbox_no]; //  heap by node size log
           c3_w fre_w;                       //  number of free words
@@ -169,6 +173,13 @@
       } u3_cs_road;
       typedef u3_cs_road u3_road;
 
+  /**  Flags.
+  **/
+      enum u3_cs_flag {
+        u3_cs_flag_sand = 0x1,              //  sand mode, bump allocation
+        u3_cs_flag_gc   = 0x2,              //  refcounts bad, gc needed
+        u3_cs_flag_die  = 0x4               //  process was asked to exit
+      };
 
   /**  Macros.
   **/

v/loop.c

@@ -341,8 +341,9 @@ _lo_time(void)
 void
 u3_lo_open(void)
 {
-  // u3_ce_grab("lo_open", u3_none);
+  if ( (u3H->rod_u.how.fag_w & u3_cs_flag_gc) || u3_so(u3_Host.ops_u.gab) ) {
-
+    u3_ce_grab("lo_open", u3_none);
+  }
   _lo_time();
 }