diff -r 000000000000 -r ae805ac0140d python-2.5.2/win32/Lib/commands.py
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/python-2.5.2/win32/Lib/commands.py	Fri Apr 03 17:19:34 2009 +0100
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+"""Execute shell commands via os.popen() and return status, output.
+
+Interface summary:
+
+       import commands
+
+       outtext = commands.getoutput(cmd)
+       (exitstatus, outtext) = commands.getstatusoutput(cmd)
+       outtext = commands.getstatus(file)  # returns output of "ls -ld file"
+
+A trailing newline is removed from the output string.
+
+Encapsulates the basic operation:
+
+      pipe = os.popen('{ ' + cmd + '; } 2>&1', 'r')
+      text = pipe.read()
+      sts = pipe.close()
+
+ [Note:  it would be nice to add functions to interpret the exit status.]
+"""
+
+__all__ = ["getstatusoutput","getoutput","getstatus"]
+
+# Module 'commands'
+#
+# Various tools for executing commands and looking at their output and status.
+#
+# NB This only works (and is only relevant) for UNIX.
+
+
+# Get 'ls -l' status for an object into a string
+#
+def getstatus(file):
+    """Return output of "ls -ld <file>" in a string."""
+    return getoutput('ls -ld' + mkarg(file))
+
+
+# Get the output from a shell command into a string.
+# The exit status is ignored; a trailing newline is stripped.
+# Assume the command will work with '{ ... ; } 2>&1' around it..
+#
+def getoutput(cmd):
+    """Return output (stdout or stderr) of executing cmd in a shell."""
+    return getstatusoutput(cmd)[1]
+
+
+# Ditto but preserving the exit status.
+# Returns a pair (sts, output)
+#
+def getstatusoutput(cmd):
+    """Return (status, output) of executing cmd in a shell."""
+    import os
+    pipe = os.popen('{ ' + cmd + '; } 2>&1', 'r')
+    text = pipe.read()
+    sts = pipe.close()
+    if sts is None: sts = 0
+    if text[-1:] == '\n': text = text[:-1]
+    return sts, text
+
+
+# Make command argument from directory and pathname (prefix space, add quotes).
+#
+def mk2arg(head, x):
+    import os
+    return mkarg(os.path.join(head, x))
+
+
+# Make a shell command argument from a string.
+# Return a string beginning with a space followed by a shell-quoted
+# version of the argument.
+# Two strategies: enclose in single quotes if it contains none;
+# otherwise, enclose in double quotes and prefix quotable characters
+# with backslash.
+#
+def mkarg(x):
+    if '\'' not in x:
+        return ' \'' + x + '\''
+    s = ' "'
+    for c in x:
+        if c in '\\$"`':
+            s = s + '\\'
+        s = s + c
+    s = s + '"'
+    return s