Not fixed: ASAP bug fixes for cam_dev restarts and irreproducible results

[cacraigucar]

This PR is being closed without fixing as it was determined that since there were unexpected answer changes, each PR/issue would be brought in separately. This PR does contain the reviews for #660 and #666.

In addition to fixing cam_dev restarts and the irreproducible results issues, this PR will also bring in some interpolate_output SE bug fixes.

#655 was going to be closed
#631 was going to be closed
#658 was going to be closed

#660 was going to be closed
#644 was going to be closed

[nusbaume]

Looks good to me (ignoring the ChangeLog which I didn't review). Thanks!

[fvitt]

Seems okay to me.

[jtruesdal]

Sorry for the delay just had to brush up on passing optional arguments to a procedure without checking that it is present. All looks good.

[adamrher]

I'm sure this is on someone's todo list, but this PR needs to be cleaned-up. It only needs to address two issues: #644 and #658. All others mentioned are addressed through different PRs. Also the "Close #660" should be removed as this is linking to a PR, and not an issue.

[cacraigucar]

@adamrher - Yes, this PR morphed from encompassing several issues/PRs to actually being closed without being used at all. An FYI, if we had used this PR, then it would have been closing issues as well as PRs as it would have brought in #660 along with other changes. Now each will be in their own PR.

This PR contains the reviews for #660 and #666