diff --git a/daemon/core/misc/utils.py b/daemon/core/misc/utils.py
index 2890638a..2efaa23b 100644
--- a/daemon/core/misc/utils.py
+++ b/daemon/core/misc/utils.py
@@ -106,7 +106,9 @@ def maketuplefromstr(s, value_type):
     :return: tuple from string
     :rtype: tuple
     """
-    return tuple(value_type(i) for i in s.split(","))
+    # remove tuple braces and strip commands and space from all values in the tuple string
+    values = [x.strip("' ") for x in s.strip("(), ").split(",")]
+    return tuple(value_type(i) for i in values)
 
 
 def mutecall(*args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/daemon/core/mobility.py b/daemon/core/mobility.py
index 1bad3617..1ba42110 100644
--- a/daemon/core/mobility.py
+++ b/daemon/core/mobility.py
@@ -722,13 +722,13 @@ class WayPointMobility(WirelessModel):
                 nexttime = self.queue[0].time - now
                 if nexttime > (0.001 * self.refresh_ms):
                     nexttime -= 0.001 * self.refresh_ms
-                self.session.evq.add_event(nexttime, self.runround)
+                self.session.event_loop.add_event(nexttime, self.runround)
                 return
             else:
                 # no more waypoints or queued items, loop?
                 if not self.empty_queue_stop:
                     # keep running every refresh_ms, even with empty queue
-                    self.session.evq.add_event(0.001 * self.refresh_ms, self.runround)
+                    self.session.event_loop.add_event(0.001 * self.refresh_ms, self.runround)
                     return
                 if not self.loopwaypoints():
                     return self.stop(move_initial=False)
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ class WayPointMobility(WirelessModel):
         self.session.mobility.updatewlans(moved, moved_netifs)
 
         # TODO: check session state
-        self.session.evq.add_event(0.001 * self.refresh_ms, self.runround)
+        self.session.event_loop.add_event(0.001 * self.refresh_ms, self.runround)
 
     def run(self):
         """
@@ -1107,9 +1107,9 @@ class Ns2ScriptedMobility(WayPointMobility):
     def findfile(self, file_name):
         """
         Locate a script file. If the specified file doesn't exist, look in the
-        same directory as the scenario file (session.filename), or in the default
+        same directory as the scenario file, or in the default
         configs directory (~/.core/configs). This allows for sample files without
-        absolute pathnames.
+        absolute path names.
 
         :param str file_name: file name to find
         :return: absolute path to the file
@@ -1118,8 +1118,8 @@ class Ns2ScriptedMobility(WayPointMobility):
         if os.path.exists(file_name):
             return file_name
 
-        if self.session.filename is not None:
-            d = os.path.dirname(self.session.filename)
+        if self.session.file_name is not None:
+            d = os.path.dirname(self.session.file_name)
             sessfn = os.path.join(d, file_name)
             if os.path.exists(sessfn):
                 return sessfn
@@ -1163,7 +1163,7 @@ class Ns2ScriptedMobility(WayPointMobility):
         try:
             return self.nodemap[nodenum]
         except KeyError:
-            logger.exception("error find value in node map")
+            logger.exception("error finding value in node map, ignored and returns node id")
             return nodenum
 
     def startup(self):
@@ -1186,7 +1186,7 @@ class Ns2ScriptedMobility(WayPointMobility):
         self.movenodesinitial()
         logger.info("scheduling ns-2 script for %s autostart at %s" % (self.wlan.name, t))
         self.state = self.STATE_RUNNING
-        self.session.evq.add_event(t, self.run)
+        self.session.event_loop.add_event(t, self.run)
 
     def start(self):
         """
diff --git a/daemon/core/service.py b/daemon/core/service.py
index 965f7763..0649af73 100644
--- a/daemon/core/service.py
+++ b/daemon/core/service.py
@@ -350,14 +350,17 @@ class CoreServices(ConfigurableManager):
         :param bool use_startup_service: flag to use startup services or not
         :return: nothing
         """
-        logger.info("starting service %s (%s)(custom)" % (service._name, service._startindex))
+        logger.info("starting service(%s) %s (%s)(custom)",
+                    service, service._name, service._startindex)
         for directory in service._dirs:
             try:
                 node.privatedir(directory)
             except:
-                logger.exception("Error making node %s dir %s", node.name, directory)
+                logger.exception("error making node %s dir %s", node.name, directory)
 
+        logger.info("service configurations: %s", service._configs)
         for i, filename in enumerate(service._configs):
+            logger.info("generating service config: %s", filename)
             if len(filename) == 0:
                 continue
             cfg = self.getservicefiledata(service, filename)
diff --git a/daemon/core/services/quagga.py b/daemon/core/services/quagga.py
index 6fcc7795..70d919d6 100644
--- a/daemon/core/services/quagga.py
+++ b/daemon/core/services/quagga.py
@@ -14,8 +14,11 @@ class Zebra(CoreService):
     _name = "zebra"
     _group = "Quagga"
     _dirs = ("/usr/local/etc/quagga", "/var/run/quagga")
-    _configs = ("/usr/local/etc/quagga/Quagga.conf",
-                "quaggaboot.sh", "/usr/local/etc/quagga/vtysh.conf")
+    _configs = (
+        "/usr/local/etc/quagga/Quagga.conf",
+        "quaggaboot.sh",
+        "/usr/local/etc/quagga/vtysh.conf"
+    )
     _startindex = 35
     _startup = ("sh quaggaboot.sh zebra",)
     _shutdown = ("killall zebra",)
@@ -33,7 +36,8 @@ class Zebra(CoreService):
         elif filename == cls._configs[2]:
             return cls.generateVtyshConf(node, services)
         else:
-            raise ValueError
+            raise ValueError("file name (%s) is not a known configuration: %s",
+                             filename, cls._configs)
 
     @classmethod
     def generateVtyshConf(cls, node, services):