diff --git a/environment.py b/environment.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..5dcd8befb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/environment.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3 -tt
+
+# Copyright 2012 Jussi Pakkanen
+
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import subprocess
+
+class EnvironmentException(Exception):
+    def __init(self, text):
+        Exception.__init__(self, text)
+
+def detect_c_compiler(exename):
+    p = subprocess.Popen([exename, '--version'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+    (out, err) = p.communicate()
+    out = out.decode()
+    if (out.startswith('cc ') or out.startswith('gcc')) and \
+        'Free Software Foundation' in out:
+        return GnuCCompiler(exename)
+    raise EnvironmentException('Unknown compiler ' + exename)
+
+class CCompiler():
+    def __init__(self, exename):
+        self.exename = exename
+        
+    def get_std_warn_flags(self):
+        return []
+
+class GnuCCompiler(CCompiler):
+    std_warn_flags = ['-Wall']
+    def __init__(self, exename):
+        CCompiler.__init__(self, exename)
+
+    def get_std_warn_flags(self):
+        return GnuCCompiler.std_warn_flags
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    gnuc = detect_c_compiler('/usr/bin/cc')
+    
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