diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 0d1f350b0f..d1d9b68e77 100644
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -6323,3 +6323,12 @@ Rom    23 Oct 2012
       
     clientscr/
         screensaver_x11.cpp
+
+David  23 Oct 2012
+    - server: add stage_file to project setup; add error checking to stage_file
+
+    py/Boinc/
+        setup_project.py
+    tools/
+        create_work_example
+        stage_file
diff --git a/py/Boinc/setup_project.py b/py/Boinc/setup_project.py
index a5c9b2a909..856ac2514a 100644
--- a/py/Boinc/setup_project.py
+++ b/py/Boinc/setup_project.py
@@ -344,10 +344,21 @@ def install_boinc_files(dest_dir, install_web_files, install_server_files):
     force_symlink(dir('bin', 'start'), dir('bin', 'stop'))
     force_symlink(dir('bin', 'start'), dir('bin', 'status'))
     map(lambda (s): install(srcdir('py/Boinc',s), dir('py/Boinc',s)),
-        [ '__init__.py', 'add_util.py', 'boinc_db.py', 'boinc_project_path.py',
-          'boincxml.py', 'configxml.py', 'database.py',
-          'db_base.py', 'db_mid.py', 'projectxml.py',
-          'sched_messages.py', 'tools.py', 'util.py' ])
+        [
+            '__init__.py',
+            'add_util.py',
+            'boinc_db.py',
+            'boinc_project_path.py',
+            'boincxml.py',
+            'configxml.py',
+            'database.py',
+            'db_base.py',
+            'db_mid.py',
+            'projectxml.py',
+            'sched_messages.py',
+            'tools.py',
+            'util.py'
+        ])
     print >>open(dir('bin', 'boinc_path_config.py'), 'w'), '''
 # Generated by make_project
 import sys, os
@@ -372,23 +383,54 @@ sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join('%s', 'py'))
     map(lambda (s): install(builddir('sched',s), dir('cgi-bin',s)),
         [ 'cgi', 'file_upload_handler'])
     map(lambda (s): install(builddir('sched',s), dir('bin',s)),
-        [ 'make_work', 'feeder', 'transitioner', 'transitioner_catchup.php',
-          'sample_bitwise_validator', 'sample_trivial_validator',
-          'file_deleter', 'antique_file_deleter',
-          'sample_dummy_assimilator',
-          'sample_assimilator', 'sample_work_generator',
-          'single_job_assimilator', 
-          'assimilator.py', 'pymw_assimilator.py',
-          'update_stats', 'db_dump', 'db_purge', 'show_shmem', 'census',
-          'delete_file', 'get_file', 'put_file' ])
+        [
+            'antique_file_deleter',
+            'assimilator.py',
+            'census',
+            'db_dump',
+            'db_purge',
+            'delete_file',
+            'feeder',
+            'file_deleter',
+            'get_file',
+            'make_work',
+            'put_file',
+            'pymw_assimilator.py',
+            'sample_assimilator',
+            'sample_bitwise_validator',
+            'sample_dummy_assimilator',
+            'sample_trivial_validator',
+            'sample_work_generator',
+            'show_shmem',
+            'single_job_assimilator', 
+            'transitioner',
+            'transitioner_catchup.php',
+            'update_stats'
+        ])
     map(lambda (s): install(builddir('vda',s), dir('bin',s)),
         [ 'vda', 'vdad' ])
     map(lambda (s): install(srcdir('tools',s), dir('bin',s)),
-        [ 'appmgr', 'create_work', 'xadd', 'dbcheck_files_exist', 'run_in_ops',
-          'update_versions', 'parse_config', 'grep_logs', 'db_query',
-          'watch_tcp', 'sign_executable', 'dir_hier_move',
-          'manage_privileges', 'cancel_jobs',
-          'dir_hier_path', 'boinc_submit', 'demo_submit', 'demo_query' ])
+        [
+            'appmgr',
+            'boinc_submit',
+            'cancel_jobs',
+            'create_work',
+            'dbcheck_files_exist',
+            'db_query',
+            'demo_query',
+            'demo_submit',
+            'dir_hier_move',
+            'dir_hier_path',
+            'grep_logs',
+            'manage_privileges',
+            'parse_config',
+            'run_in_ops',
+            'sign_executable',
+            'stage_file',
+            'update_versions',
+            'watch_tcp',
+            'xadd'
+        ])
     map(lambda (s): install(srcdir('lib',s), dir('bin',s)),
         [ 'crypt_prog' ])
     map(lambda (s): install(srcdir('sched',s), dir('',s)),
diff --git a/tools/create_work_example b/tools/create_work_example
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 26bcdc885d..684ec44553
--- a/tools/create_work_example
+++ b/tools/create_work_example
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
 # example of how to create a workunit
 
-# copy the input file from a known place into the download hierarchy
+# stage the input file
 #
-cp download/input `bin/dir_hier_path input`
+bin/stage_file --copy project.xml
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]
+then
+    echo "stage_file failed"
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 # Run create_work to create the WU.
 # The WU name ("wu_nodelete") includes the string "nodelete".
 # This causes the file deleter to not delete its input files,
 # so that we can use make_work.
 #
-bin/create_work --appname example_app --wu_name wu_nodelete --wu_template templates/example_app_in --result_template templates/example_app_out input
+bin/create_work --appname example_app --wu_name wu_nodelete --wu_template templates/example_app_in --result_template templates/example_app_out project.xml
diff --git a/tools/stage_file b/tools/stage_file
index a34bae773a..19bf0453b8 100755
--- a/tools/stage_file
+++ b/tools/stage_file
@@ -30,18 +30,24 @@
 //              Use this if you specify <gzip> in the <file_info>
 // --copy       Copy the file (default is to move it)
 
+function error_exit($msg) {
+    echo $msg;
+    exit(1);
+}
+
 if (!file_exists("html/inc/dir_hier.inc")
     || !file_exists("config.xml")
 ) {
-    die("This script must be run in the project directory.\n");
+    error_exit("This script must be run in the project directory.\n");
 }
 
 require_once("html/inc/dir_hier.inc");
 require_once("html/inc/util_basic.inc");
 
 function usage() {
-    die("usage: stage_file [--gzip] [--copy] file
-    --gzip      make a gzipped version of file
+    error_exit("usage: stage_file [--gzip] [--copy] file
+    --gzip      make a gzipped version of file for compressed download
+                (use with <gzip/> in the input template)
     --copy      copy the file (default is to move it)
 ");
 }
@@ -65,13 +71,13 @@ for ($i=1; $i<$argc-1; $i++) {
 }
 
 $path = $argv[$argc-1];
-if (!file_exists($path)) die("no such file: $path\n");
+if (!file_exists($path)) error_exit("no such file: $path\n");
 $file = basename($path);
 
 $fanout = parse_config(get_config(), "<uldl_dir_fanout>");
-if (!$fanout) die("can't find <uldl_dir_fanout> in config.xml");
+if (!$fanout) error_exit("can't find <uldl_dir_fanout> in config.xml");
 $download_dir = parse_config(get_config(), "<download_dir>");
-if (!$download_dir) die("can't find <download_dir> in config.xml");
+if (!$download_dir) error_exit("can't find <download_dir> in config.xml");
 
 $dl_path = dir_hier_path($file, $download_dir, $fanout);
 $dl_md5_path = "$dl_path.md5";
@@ -89,7 +95,7 @@ if (file_exists($dl_path)) {
         $dl_md5 = md5_file($dl_path);
     }
     if ($md5 != $dl_md5) {
-        die("There is already a file in your project's download directory
+        error_exit("There is already a file in your project's download directory
 with that name, but different contents.
 This is not allowed by BOINC, which requires that files are 'immutable'.
 Please use a different file name.
@@ -119,7 +125,7 @@ if ($gzip) {
     if (!file_exists($dl_gzip_path)) {
         $output = system("gzip -c $dl_path > $dl_gzip_path", $retval);
         if ($retval) {
-            die("failed to gzip file: $output\n");
+            error_exit("failed to gzip file: $output\n");
         }
     }
 }