diff --git a/libcitadel/src/exec.rs b/libcitadel/src/exec.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02f8b55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libcitadel/src/exec.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+use std::env;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::{self,Seek,Read,BufReader,BufRead,SeekFrom};
+use std::path::{Path,PathBuf};
+use std::process::{Command,ExitStatus,Stdio};
+
+use crate::Result;
+
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! cmd {
+    ($cmd:expr, $e:expr) => { $crate::Exec::new($cmd).run(String::from($e)) };
+    ($cmd:expr, $fmt:expr, $($arg:tt)+) => { $crate::Exec::new($cmd).run(format!($fmt, $($arg)+)) };
+}
+
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! cmd_ok {
+    ($cmd:expr, $e:expr) => { $crate::Exec::new($cmd).run_ok(String::from($e)) };
+    ($cmd:expr, $fmt:expr, $($arg:tt)+) => { $crate::Exec::new($cmd).run_ok(format!($fmt, $($arg)+)) };
+}
+
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! cmd_with_output {
+    ($cmd:expr, $e:expr) => { $crate::Exec::new($cmd).output(String::from($e)) };
+    ($cmd:expr, $fmt:expr, $($arg:tt)+) => { $crate::Exec::new($cmd).output(format!($fmt, $($arg)+)) };
+}
+
+pub struct Exec {
+    cmd_name: String,
+    cmd: Command,
+}
+
+impl Exec {
+    pub fn new(cmd: impl AsRef<str>) -> Exec {
+        Exec {
+            cmd_name: cmd.as_ref().to_string(),
+            cmd: Command::new(cmd.as_ref()),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn quiet(&mut self) -> &mut Self {
+        self.cmd
+            .stdout(Stdio::null())
+            .stderr(Stdio::null());
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn run(&mut self, args: impl AsRef<str>) -> Result<()> {
+        self.ensure_command_exists()?;
+        verbose!("cmd {} {}", self.cmd_name, args.as_ref());
+        let args: Vec<&str> = args.as_ref().split_whitespace().collect();
+        let result = self.cmd
+            .args(args)
+            .output()?;
+
+        for line in BufReader::new(result.stderr.as_slice()).lines() {
+            verbose!("  {}", line?);
+        }
+        self.check_cmd_status(&result.status)
+    }
+
+
+    pub fn run_ok(&mut self, args: impl AsRef<str>) -> Result<bool> {
+        self.ensure_command_exists()?;
+        let args: Vec<&str> = args.as_ref().split_whitespace().collect();
+        let status = self.cmd
+            .args(args)
+            .status()?;
+
+        Ok(status.success())
+    }
+
+    pub fn output(&mut self, args: impl AsRef<str>) -> Result<String> {
+        self.ensure_command_exists()?;
+        self.add_args(args.as_ref());
+        let result = self.cmd.stderr(Stdio::inherit()).output()?;
+        self.check_cmd_status(&result.status)?;
+        Ok(String::from_utf8(result.stdout).unwrap().trim().to_owned())
+    }
+
+    ///
+    /// Execute a command, pipe the contents of a file to stdin, return the output as a `String`
+    ///
+    pub fn pipe_input<S,P>(&mut self, args: S, input: P, range: FileRange) -> Result<String>
+        where S: AsRef<str>, P: AsRef<Path>
+    {
+        let mut r = ranged_reader(input.as_ref(), range)?;
+        self.ensure_command_exists()?;
+        self.add_args(args);
+        let mut child = self.cmd
+            .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+            .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+            .stderr(Stdio::inherit())
+            .spawn()?;
+
+        let stdin = child.stdin.as_mut().unwrap();
+        io::copy(&mut r, stdin)?;
+        let output = child.wait_with_output()?;
+        Ok(String::from_utf8(output.stdout).unwrap().trim().to_owned())
+    }
+
+    fn add_args(&mut self, args: impl AsRef<str>) {
+        let args: Vec<&str> = args.as_ref().split_whitespace().collect();
+        self.cmd.args(args);
+    }
+
+    fn check_cmd_status(&self, status: &ExitStatus) -> Result<()> {
+        if !status.success() {
+            match status.code() {
+                Some(code) => bail!("command {} failed with exit code: {}", self.cmd_name, code),
+                None => bail!("command {} failed with no exit code", self.cmd_name),
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn ensure_command_exists(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        let path = Path::new(&self.cmd_name);
+        if !path.is_absolute() {
+            Exec::search_path(&self.cmd_name)?;
+            return Ok(())
+        } else if path.exists() {
+            return Ok(())
+        }
+        Err(format_err!("Cannot execute '{}': command does not exist", self.cmd_name))
+    }
+
+    fn search_path(filename: &str) -> Result<PathBuf> {
+        let path_var = env::var("PATH")?;
+        for mut path in env::split_paths(&path_var) {
+            path.push(filename);
+            if path.exists() {
+                return Ok(path);
+            }
+        }
+        Err(format_err!("Could not find {} in $PATH", filename))
+    }
+}
+
+pub enum FileRange {
+    All,
+    Offset(usize),
+    Range{offset: usize, len: usize},
+}
+
+
+fn ranged_reader<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P, range: FileRange) -> Result<Box<dyn Read>> {
+    let mut f = File::open(path.as_ref())?;
+    let offset = match range {
+        FileRange::All => 0,
+        FileRange::Offset(n) => n,
+        FileRange::Range {offset, len: _} => offset,
+    };
+    if offset > 0 {
+        f.seek(SeekFrom::Start(offset as u64))?;
+    }
+    let r = BufReader::new(f);
+    if let FileRange::Range {offset: _, len} = range {
+        Ok(Box::new(r.take(len as u64)))
+    } else {
+        Ok(Box::new(r))
+    }
+}