When using the following StartupLoader script StartupLoader default executeAtomicItems: { StartupAction name: 'Shared Package Cache' code: [ MCCacheRepository default directory setPathName: 'C:\Apps\Smalltalk\!Shared-Package-Cache'.]. }. I was getting a "syntax error in startup" that I could not identify (is it obvious to others?) This was due to the debugger not opening at the point of error since SmalltalkImage>>executeDeferredStartupActions catches the errors. So I hacked this as follows... deferredStartupActions do: [:each | [ each cull: resuming ] value. "btcdebug on: Halt do: [ :err| Smalltalk logError: '==== Startup Error: ', err description inContext: err signalerContext. errors add: err]"]. and then after a quit and restart the dialog "Syntax error: Unmatched string quote" appeared with... StartupLoader default executeAtomicItems: { StartupAction name: 'Shared Package Cache' code: [ MCCacheRepository default directory setPathName: _Unmatched string quote_ -> 'C:\Apps\Smalltalk\ So after removing "!" from the folder name the syntax error went away. So now a few questions... 1. Is there a simpler way to debug the startup scripts that I have missed? If not, can a StartupLoader>>test or similar be implemented which runs the same as at image start time but without the error catching in executeDeferredStartupActions, rather than needing to hack executeDeferredStartupActions as I did. 2. Is it reasonable to set a shared package cache in the startup like I have? Or are there some obvious problems with this that I don't see? I would like to avoid downloading all packages every time unzip a fresh image for testing. 3. Is the invalid "!" fixable (though of course I've worked around it)? I'll open any required bug entries. This was with Pharo-14333 / cogwin_r2522.zip / Windows 7. cheers, -ben