--- loncom/lond	2000/12/05 19:14:59	1.26
+++ loncom/lond	2000/12/05 20:19:46	1.28
@@ -29,14 +29,14 @@ use Authen::Krb4;
 
 # grabs exception and records it to log before exiting
 sub catchexception {
-    my ($signal)=@_;
+    my ($error)=@_;
     $SIG{'QUIT'}='DEFAULT';
     $SIG{__DIE__}='DEFAULT';
     &logthis("<font color=red>CRITICAL: "
      ."ABNORMAL EXIT. Child $$ for server $wasserver died through "
-     ."$signal with this parameter->[$@]</font>");
-    if ($client) { print $client "error: $@\n"; }
-    die($@);
+     ."a crash with this error msg->[$error]</font>");
+    if ($client) { print $client "error: $error\n"; }
+    die($error);
 }
 
 # grabs exception and records it to log before exiting
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ sub catchdie {
     $SIG{__DIE__}='DEFAULT';
     &logthis("<font color=red>CRITICAL: "
      ."ABNORMAL EXIT. Child $$ for server $wasserver died through "
-     ."\_\_DIE\_\_ with this parameter->[$message]</font>");
+     ."\_\_DIE\_\_ with this error msg->[$message]</font>");
     if ($client) { print $client "error: $message\n"; }
     die($message);
 }
@@ -565,6 +565,7 @@ sub make_new_child {
                                   "LWP GET: $message for $fname ($remoteurl)");
                              } else {
 	                         if ($remoteurl!~/\.meta$/) {
+                                  my $ua=new LWP::UserAgent;
                                   my $mrequest=
                                    new HTTP::Request('GET',$remoteurl.'.meta');
                                   my $mresponse=