diff --git a/samples/vboxwrapper/boinc_resolve_1 b/samples/vboxwrapper/boinc_resolve_1
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..80dd541072
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/vboxwrapper/boinc_resolve_1
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+
+sed 's/<soft_link>..\/..\/projects\///; s/[^\/]*\//\/root\/project\//; s/<\/soft_link>//' $1 | tr -d '\r\n'
diff --git a/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.cpp b/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.cpp
index c4ffb8593f..cc7f3b30a4 100644
--- a/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.cpp
+++ b/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.cpp
@@ -767,6 +767,13 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         pVM->memory_size_mb = memory_size_mb;
     }
 
+    if (pVM->memory_size_mb < MIN_MEMORY_SIZE_MB) {
+        vboxlog_msg("Memory size %dMB is too small; setting to %dMB",
+            pVM->memory_size_mb, MIN_MEMORY_SIZE_MB
+        );
+        pVM->memory_size_mb = MIN_MEMORY_SIZE_MB;
+    }
+
     if (aid.vbox_window && !aid.using_sandbox) {
         pVM->headless = false;
     }
diff --git a/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.h b/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.h
index 26c2c50e27..ac6259d121 100644
--- a/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.h
+++ b/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 #ifndef BOINC_VBOXWRAPPER_H
 #define BOINC_VBOXWRAPPER_H
 
+#define MIN_MEMORY_SIZE_MB  512
+
 #define IMAGE_FILENAME_COMPLETE "vm_image.vdi"
 #define IMAGE_FILENAME "vm_image"
 #define IMAGE_FILENAME_EXTENSION "vdi"
diff --git a/samples/worker/Makefile b/samples/worker/Makefile
index 942373cba3..510c210735 100644
--- a/samples/worker/Makefile
+++ b/samples/worker/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 CXXFLAGS += -g
 CXX ?= g++
 
-WORKER_RELEASE = 1_x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
+WORKER_RELEASE = 2_x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
 
 PROGS = worker_$(WORKER_RELEASE)
 
diff --git a/samples/worker/worker.cpp b/samples/worker/worker.cpp
index a699c69f28..ff217646ef 100644
--- a/samples/worker/worker.cpp
+++ b/samples/worker/worker.cpp
@@ -18,12 +18,11 @@
 // worker - application without BOINC runtime system;
 // used for testing wrappers.
 //
-// worker [--std] [--file] nsecs
+// worker [--nsecs N] infile outfile
 //
-// --std: stdin to stdout
-// --file_copy: "in" to "out"
-// In both cases, convert to uppercase
-// nsecs: use this much CPU time (default 10 sec)
+// copy infile to outfile, converting to uppercase
+// if infile is 'stdin', use stdin; same for stdout
+// --nsecs: use about N sec of CPU time
 //
 // THIS PROGRAM CAN'T USE ANY BOINC CODE.  That's the whole point.
 
@@ -58,45 +57,49 @@ void copy_uc(FILE* fin, FILE* fout) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
-    FILE* in, *out;
-    int i, nsec = 10;
-    bool std = false, file = false;
+    FILE* in=0, *out=0;
+    int i, nsecs = 0;
     char c;
 
     for (i=1; i<argc; i++) {
-        if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--std")) {
-            std = true;
+        if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--nsecs")) {
+            nsecs = atoi(argv[++i]);
         }
-        if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--file")) {
-            file = true;
+        if (!in) {
+            if (!strcmp(argv[i], "stdin")) {
+                in = stdin;
+            } else {
+                in = fopen(argv[i], "r");
+                if (!in) {
+                    fprintf(stderr, "missing input file\n");
+                    exit(1);
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (!strcmp(argv[i], "stdout")) {
+                out = stdout;
+            } else {
+                out = fopen(argv[i], "w");
+                if (!out) {
+                    fprintf(stderr, "missing output file\n");
+                    exit(1);
+                }
+            }
         }
-        nsec = atoi(argv[i]);
+    }
+    if (!in || !out) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "worker: no files specified\n");
+        exit(1);
     }
 
     fprintf(stderr, "worker: starting\n");
 
-    if (file) {
-        in = fopen("in", "r");
-        if (!in) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "missing input file\n");
-            exit(1);
-        }
-        out = fopen("out", "w");
-        if (!out) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "can't open output file\n");
-            exit(1);
-        }
-        copy_uc(in, out);
-    }
-
-    if (std) {
-        copy_uc(stdin, stdout);
-    }
+    copy_uc(in, out);
 
     int start = (int)time(0);
 
     i=0;
-    while (time(0) < start+nsec) {
+    while (time(0) < start+nsecs) {
         do_a_giga_flop(i++);
     }
 
diff --git a/tools/backend_lib.h b/tools/backend_lib.h
index 7add38dfb3..bbda39482a 100644
--- a/tools/backend_lib.h
+++ b/tools/backend_lib.h
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@
 //
 #define DEFAULT_MIN_QUORUM  1
 #define DEFAULT_TARGET_NRESULTS 1
-#define DEFAULT_MAX_ERROR_RESULTS 3
-#define DEFAULT_MAX_TOTAL_RESULTS 10
-#define DEFAULT_MAX_SUCCESS_RESULTS 6
+#define DEFAULT_MAX_ERROR_RESULTS 1
+#define DEFAULT_MAX_TOTAL_RESULTS 1
+#define DEFAULT_MAX_SUCCESS_RESULTS 1
 #define DEFAULT_RSC_FPOPS_EST 3600.e9
 #define DEFAULT_RSC_FPOPS_BOUND 86400.e9
 #define DEFAULT_RSC_MEMORY_BOUND 5.e8
diff --git a/tools/update_versions b/tools/update_versions
index f74d5b37d6..b9894ffa48 100755
--- a/tools/update_versions
+++ b/tools/update_versions
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
 // script to create app versions,
 // and stage their files in the download dir.
 // See https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/wiki/AppVersionNew
+//
+// options:
+// --noconfirm: don't ask for confirmation of anything
+// --verbose: print details
 
 
 error_reporting(E_ALL);
@@ -36,6 +40,7 @@ chdir ("../..");
 $apps = BoincApp::enum("");
 $platforms = BoincPlatform::enum("");
 $confirm = true;
+$verbose = false;
 
 $config = file_get_contents("config.xml");
 if (!$config) die("config.xml not found.  Run this in project root dir.\n");
@@ -162,15 +167,17 @@ function update_file($fds, $fd) {
 // move file to download dir, check immutability, fill in $fd->url
 //
 function stage_file($a, $v, $p, $fd) {
-    global $download_url, $download_dir;
+    global $download_url, $download_dir, $verbose;
 
     $name = $fd->physical_name;
     $path = "apps/$a/$v/$p/$name";
     $dl_path = "$download_dir/$name";
     if (is_file($dl_path)) {
+        if ($verbose) echo "md5 check start\n";
         if (md5_file($path) != md5_file($dl_path)) {
             die ("Error: files $path and $dl_path differ.\nBOINC files are immutable.\nIf you change a file, you must give it a new name.\n");
         }
+        if ($verbose) echo "md5 check end\n";
     } else {
         $subdirs = dirname($name);
         if ($subdirs) {
@@ -214,8 +221,9 @@ function get_api_version($a, $v, $p, $fds) {
 $sig_gen_confirmed = false;
 
 function confirm_sig_gen($name) {
-    global $sig_gen_confirmed;
+    global $sig_gen_confirmed, $confirm;
 
+    if (!$confirm) return true;
     if ($sig_gen_confirmed) return true;
 
     echo "
@@ -238,7 +246,12 @@ function confirm_sig_gen($name) {
 // process a file
 //
 function process_file($a, $v, $p, $name, $fds) {
-    global $key_dir, $confirm;
+    global $key_dir, $confirm, $verbose;
+
+    if ($verbose) {
+        echo "process_file(): $a/$v/$p/$name\n";
+    }
+
     $fd = lookup_file($fds, $name);
     if (!$fd) {
         $fd = new StdClass;
@@ -271,7 +284,9 @@ function process_file($a, $v, $p, $name, $fds) {
         }
     }
 
+    if ($verbose) echo "stage start\n";
     $fd = stage_file($a, $v, $p, $fd);
+    if ($verbose) echo "stage done\n";
 
     if (!isset($fd->executable)) {
         $perms = fileperms($path);
@@ -422,12 +437,16 @@ function convert_simplexml($x) {
 }
 
 function process_version($a, $v, $p) {
-    global $confirm;
-    echo "Found app version directory for: $a $v $p\n";
+    global $confirm, $verbose;
+    if ($verbose) {
+        echo "Found app version directory for: $a $v $p\n";
+    }
     $app = lookup_app($a);
     parse_platform_name($p, $platform, $plan_class);
     if (already_exists($a, $v, $platform, $plan_class)) {
-        echo "  (already exists in database)\n";
+        if ($verbose) {
+            echo "  (already exists in database)\n";
+        }
         return;
     }
     $vfile = "apps/$a/$v/$p/version.xml";
@@ -556,8 +575,14 @@ function scan_apps() {
     }
 }
 
-if (count($argv)>1 && $argv[1]=='--noconfirm') {
-    $confirm = false;
+foreach (array_slice($argv, 1) as $arg) {
+    if ($arg == '--noconfirm') {
+        $confirm = false;
+    } else if ($arg == '--verbose') {
+        $verbose = true;
+    } else {
+        die("unknown arg $arg\n");
+    }
 }
 
 scan_apps();