diff --git a/src/script/runant.py b/src/script/runant.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5e200cad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/script/runant.py
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+"""
+
+ runant.py
+
+	This script is a translation of the runant.pl written by Steve Loughran.
+	It runs ant with/out arguments, it should be quite portable (thanks to
+	the python os library)
+	This script has been tested with Python2.0/Win2K
+
+ created:         2001-04-11
+ author:          Pierre Dittgen pierre.dittgen@criltelecom.com
+
+ Assumptions:
+
+ - the "java" executable/script is on the command path
+ - ANT_HOME has been set
+"""
+import os, os.path, string, sys
+
+# Change it to 1 to get extra debug information
+debug = 0
+
+#######################################################################
+#
+# check to make sure environment is setup
+#
+if not os.environ.has_key('ANT_HOME'):
+	print '\n\nANT_HOME *MUST* be set!\n\n'
+	sys.exit(1)
+else:
+	ANT_HOME = os.environ['ANT_HOME']
+
+if not os.environ.has_key('JAVACMD'):
+	JAVACMD = 'java'
+else:
+	JAVACMD = os.environ['JAVACMD']
+
+# Sets the separator char for CLASSPATH
+SEPARATOR = ':'
+if os.name == 'dos' or os.name == 'nt':
+	SEPARATOR = ';'
+
+# Build up standard classpath
+localpath = ''
+if os.environ.has_key('CLASSPATH'):
+	localpath = os.environ['CLASSPATH']
+else:
+	if debug:
+		print 'Warning: no initial classpath\n'
+
+# Add jar files
+LIBDIR = os.path.join(ANT_HOME, 'lib')
+jarfiles = []
+for file in os.listdir(LIBDIR):
+	if file[-4:] == '.jar':
+		jarfiles.append(os.path.join(LIBDIR,file))
+if debug:
+	print 'Jar files:'
+	for jar in jarfiles:
+		print jar
+localpath = localpath + SEPARATOR + string.join(jarfiles, SEPARATOR)
+
+# If JAVA_HOME is defined, look for tools.jar & classes.zip
+# and add to classpath
+if os.environ.has_key('JAVA_HOME') and os.environ['JAVA_HOME'] != '':
+	JAVA_HOME = os.environ['JAVA_HOME']
+	TOOLS = os.path.join(JAVA_HOME, os.path.join('lib', 'tools.jar'))
+	if os.path.exists(TOOLS):
+		localpath = localpath + SEPARATOR + TOOLS
+	CLASSES = os.path.join(JAVA_HOME, os.path.join('lib', 'classes.zip'))
+	if os.path.exists(CLASSES):
+		localpath = localpath + SEPARATOR + CLASSES
+else:
+	print '\n\nWarning: JAVA_HOME environment variable is not set.\n', \
+		'If the build fails because sun.* classes could not be found\n', \
+		'you will need to set the JAVA_HOME environment variable\n', \
+		'to the installation directory of java\n'
+
+# Jikes
+ANT_OPTS = []
+if os.environ.has_key('ANT_OPTS'):
+	ANT_OPTS = string.split(os.environ['ANT_OPTS'])
+if os.environ.has_key('JIKESPATH'):
+	ANT_OPTS.append('-Djikes.class.path=' + os.environ['JIKESPATH'])
+
+# Builds the commandline
+cmdline = '%s -classpath %s -Dant.home=%s %s org.apache.tools.ant.Main %s' \
+	 % (JAVACMD, localpath, ANT_HOME, string.join(ANT_OPTS,' '), \
+	 	string.join(sys.argv[1:], ' '))
+
+if debug:
+	print '\n%s\n\n' % (cmdline)
+
+# Run the biniou!
+os.system(cmdline)