diff --git a/lib/mdb/__init__.py b/lib/mdb/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5dd40a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/mdb/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#
+# $Id$
+#
diff --git a/lib/mdb/rcs.py b/lib/mdb/rcs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb8cf0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/mdb/rcs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,347 @@
+"""RCS interface module.
+
+Defines the class RCS, which represents a directory with rcs version
+files and (possibly) corresponding work files.
+
+"""
+
+
+import fnmatch
+import os
+import re
+import string
+import tempfile
+
+
+class RCS:
+
+    """RCS interface class (local filesystem version).
+
+    An instance of this class represents a directory with rcs version
+    files and (possible) corresponding work files.
+
+    Methods provide access to most rcs operations such as
+    checkin/checkout, access to the rcs metadata (revisions, logs,
+    branches etc.) as well as some filesystem operations such as
+    listing all rcs version files.
+
+    XXX BUGS / PROBLEMS
+
+    - The instance always represents the current directory so it's not
+    very useful to have more than one instance around simultaneously
+
+    """
+
+    # Characters allowed in work file names
+    okchars = string.ascii_letters + string.digits + '-_=+'
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        """Constructor."""
+        pass
+
+    def __del__(self):
+        """Destructor."""
+        pass
+
+    # --- Informational methods about a single file/revision ---
+
+    def log(self, name_rev, otherflags = ''):
+        """Return the full log text for NAME_REV as a string.
+
+        Optional OTHERFLAGS are passed to rlog.
+
+        """
+        f = self._open(name_rev, 'rlog ' + otherflags)
+        data = f.read()
+        status = self._closepipe(f)
+        if status:
+            data = data + "%s: %s" % status
+        elif data[-1] == '\n':
+            data = data[:-1]
+        return data
+
+    def head(self, name_rev):
+        """Return the head revision for NAME_REV"""
+        dict = self.info(name_rev)
+        return dict['head']
+
+    def info(self, name_rev):
+        """Return a dictionary of info (from rlog -h) for NAME_REV
+
+        The dictionary's keys are the keywords that rlog prints
+        (e.g. 'head' and its values are the corresponding data
+        (e.g. '1.3').
+
+        XXX symbolic names and locks are not returned
+
+        """
+        f = self._open(name_rev, 'rlog -h')
+        dict = {}
+        while 1:
+            line = f.readline()
+            if not line: break
+            if line[0] == '\t':
+                # XXX could be a lock or symbolic name
+                # Anything else?
+                continue 
+            i = string.find(line, ':')
+            if i > 0:
+                key, value = line[:i], string.strip(line[i+1:])
+                dict[key] = value
+        status = self._closepipe(f)
+        if status:
+            raise IOError, status
+        return dict
+
+    # --- Methods that change files ---
+
+    def lock(self, name_rev):
+        """Set an rcs lock on NAME_REV."""
+        name, rev = self.checkfile(name_rev)
+        cmd = "rcs -l%s %s" % (rev, name)
+        return self._system(cmd)
+
+    def unlock(self, name_rev):
+        """Clear an rcs lock on NAME_REV."""
+        name, rev = self.checkfile(name_rev)
+        cmd = "rcs -u%s %s" % (rev, name)
+        return self._system(cmd)
+
+    def checkout(self, name_rev, withlock=0, otherflags=""):
+        """Check out NAME_REV to its work file.
+
+        If optional WITHLOCK is set, check out locked, else unlocked.
+
+        The optional OTHERFLAGS is passed to co without
+        interpretation.
+
+        Any output from co goes to directly to stdout.
+
+        """
+        name, rev = self.checkfile(name_rev)
+        if withlock: lockflag = "-l"
+        else: lockflag = "-u"
+        cmd = 'co %s%s %s %s' % (lockflag, rev, otherflags, name)
+        return self._system(cmd)
+
+    def checkin(self, name_rev, message=None, otherflags=""):
+        """Check in NAME_REV from its work file.
+
+        The optional MESSAGE argument becomes the checkin message
+        (default "<none>" if None); or the file description if this is
+        a new file.
+
+        The optional OTHERFLAGS argument is passed to ci without
+        interpretation.
+
+        Any output from ci goes to directly to stdout.
+
+        """
+        name, rev = self._unmangle(name_rev)
+        new = not self.isvalid(name)
+        if not message: message = "<none>"
+        if message and message[-1] != '\n':
+            message = message + '\n'
+        lockflag = "-u"
+        if new:
+            f = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
+            f.write(message)
+            f.flush()
+            cmd = 'ci %s%s -t%s %s %s' % \
+                  (lockflag, rev, f.name, otherflags, name)
+        else:
+            message = re.sub('([\\"$`])', '\\\1', message)
+            #message = regsub.gsub('\([\\"$`]\)', '\\\\\\1', message)
+            cmd = 'ci %s%s -m"%s" %s %s' % \
+                  (lockflag, rev, message, otherflags, name)
+        return self._system(cmd)
+
+    # --- Exported support methods ---
+
+    def listfiles(self, pat = None):
+        """Return a list of all version files matching optional PATTERN."""
+        files = os.listdir(os.curdir)
+        files = filter(self._isrcs, files)
+        if os.path.isdir('RCS'):
+            files2 = os.listdir('RCS')
+            files2 = filter(self._isrcs, files2)
+            files = files + files2
+        files = map(self.realname, files)
+        return self._filter(files, pat)
+
+    def isvalid(self, name):
+        """Test whether NAME has a version file associated."""
+        namev = self.rcsname(name)
+        return (os.path.isfile(namev) or
+                os.path.isfile(os.path.join('RCS', namev)))
+
+    def __old_rcsname(self, name):
+        """Return the pathname of the version file for NAME.
+
+        The argument can be a work file name or a version file name.
+        If the version file does not exist, the name of the version
+        file that would be created by "ci" is returned.
+
+        """
+        if self._isrcs(name): namev = name
+        else: namev = name + ',v'
+        if os.path.isfile(namev): return namev
+        namev = os.path.join('RCS', os.path.basename(namev))
+        if os.path.isfile(namev): return namev
+        if os.path.isdir('RCS'):
+            return os.path.join('RCS', namev)
+        else:
+            return namev
+
+    def rcsname(self, name):
+        if self._isrcs(name) and os.path.isfile(name):
+            return name
+        if os.path.isfile(name + ",v"):
+            return name + ",v"
+        directory = os.path.dirname(name)
+        filename  = os.path.basename(name)
+        rcsfile   = os.path.join(directory, "RCS", filename + ",v")
+        if os.path.isfile(rcsfile):
+            return rcsfile
+        return name + ",v"
+
+    def realname(self, namev):
+        """Return the pathname of the work file for NAME.
+
+        The argument can be a work file name or a version file name.
+        If the work file does not exist, the name of the work file
+        that would be created by "co" is returned.
+
+        """
+        if self._isrcs(namev): name = namev[:-2]
+        else: name = namev
+        if os.path.isfile(name): return name
+        name = os.path.basename(name)
+        return name
+
+    def islocked(self, name_rev):
+        """Test whether FILE (which must have a version file) is locked.
+
+        XXX This does not tell you which revision number is locked and
+        ignores any revision you may pass in (by virtue of using rlog
+        -L -R).
+
+        """
+        f = self._open(name_rev, 'rlog -L -R')
+        line = f.readline()
+        status = self._closepipe(f)
+        if status:
+            raise IOError, status
+        if not line: return None
+        if line[-1] == '\n':
+            line = line[:-1]
+        return self.realname(name_rev) == self.realname(line)
+
+    def checkfile(self, name_rev):
+        """Normalize NAME_REV into a (NAME, REV) tuple.
+
+        Raise an exception if there is no corresponding version file.
+
+        """
+        name, rev = self._unmangle(name_rev)
+        if not self.isvalid(name):
+            raise os.error, 'not an rcs file %s' % `name`
+        return name, rev
+
+    # --- Internal methods ---
+
+    def _open(self, name_rev, cmd = 'co -p', rflag = '-r'):
+        """INTERNAL: open a read pipe to NAME_REV using optional COMMAND.
+
+        Optional FLAG is used to indicate the revision (default -r).
+
+        Default COMMAND is "co -p".
+
+        Return a file object connected by a pipe to the command's
+        output.
+
+        """
+        name, rev = self.checkfile(name_rev)
+        namev = self.rcsname(name)
+        if rev:
+            cmd = cmd + ' ' + rflag + rev
+        return os.popen("%s %s" % (cmd, `namev`))
+
+    def _unmangle(self, name_rev):
+        """INTERNAL: Normalize NAME_REV argument to (NAME, REV) tuple.
+
+        Raise an exception if NAME contains invalid characters.
+
+        A NAME_REV argument is either NAME string (implying REV='') or
+        a tuple of the form (NAME, REV).
+
+        """
+        if type(name_rev) == type(''):
+            name_rev = name, rev = name_rev, ''
+        else:
+            name, rev = name_rev
+        for c in rev:
+            if c not in self.okchars:
+                raise ValueError, "bad char in rev"
+        return name_rev
+
+    def _closepipe(self, f):
+        """INTERNAL: Close PIPE and print its exit status if nonzero."""
+        sts = f.close()
+        if not sts: return None
+        detail, reason = divmod(sts, 256)
+        if reason == 0: return 'exit', detail   # Exit status
+        signal = reason&0x7F
+        if signal == 0x7F:
+            code = 'stopped'
+            signal = detail
+        else:
+            code = 'killed'
+        if reason&0x80:
+            code = code + '(coredump)'
+        return code, signal
+ 
+    def _system(self, cmd):
+        """INTERNAL: run COMMAND in a subshell.
+
+        Standard input for the command is taken from /dev/null.
+
+        Raise IOError when the exit status is not zero.
+
+        Return whatever the calling method should return; normally
+        None.
+
+        A derived class may override this method and redefine it to
+        capture stdout/stderr of the command and return it.
+
+        """
+        cmd = cmd + " </dev/null"
+        sts = os.system(cmd)
+        if sts: raise IOError, "command exit status %d" % sts
+
+    def _filter(self, files, pat = None):
+        """INTERNAL: Return a sorted copy of the given list of FILES.
+
+        If a second PATTERN argument is given, only files matching it
+        are kept.  No check for valid filenames is made.
+        
+        """
+        if pat:
+            def keep(name, pat = pat):
+                return fnmatch.fnmatch(name, pat)
+            files = filter(keep, files)
+        else:
+            files = files[:]
+        files.sort()
+        return files
+
+    def _remove(self, fn):
+        """INTERNAL: remove FILE without complaints."""
+        try:
+            os.unlink(fn)
+        except os.error:
+            pass
+
+    def _isrcs(self, name):
+        """INTERNAL: Test whether NAME ends in ',v'."""
+        return name[-2:] == ',v'
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5dd40a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#
+# $Id$
+#