diff --git a/src/VersionControl.py b/src/VersionControl.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d378fb54f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/VersionControl.py
@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+#
+# Gramps - a GTK+/GNOME based genealogy program
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2000  Donald N. Allingham
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+#
+
+import popen2
+import re
+import os
+import string
+import shutil
+import intl
+_ = intl.gettext
+
+try:
+    import gzip
+    _gzip_ok = 1
+except:
+    _gzip_ok = 0
+
+_revision_re = re.compile("revision\s+([\d\.]+)")
+_date_re = re.compile("date:\s+([^;]+);")
+_sep = '-' * 10
+_end = "=" * 10
+
+
+class VersionControl:
+    """Base class for revision control systems"""
+    def __init__(self,wd):
+        """Initializes a version control system
+
+        wd - working directory"""
+        pass
+
+    def revision_list(self):
+        """Returns a list of tuples indicating the available versions
+        in the current revision control database. The tuple is in the
+        form of three strings - (version,date,comment)."""
+        return []
+
+    def checkin(self,name,comment,binary,tag):
+        """Checks in a file into the revision control database
+
+        name - file to check in
+        comment - descriptive comment about the changes
+        binary - true if the gramps database is compressed"""
+        pass
+
+    def set_tag(self,tag):
+        """Sets the tag to the symbolic string"""
+        pass
+    
+    def get_version(self,version):
+        """Extracts a specfied version from the revision control database
+        to the specified file
+
+        version - string representing the version to extract
+        target - file to extract to"""
+        pass
+
+class RcsVersionControl(VersionControl):
+    """RCS (Revision Control System) based version control interface"""
+    
+    def __init__(self,wd):
+        """Initializes the RCS database if it does not already exist.
+        Sets the database to disable locking"""
+        self.wd = wd
+        self.vfile = "%s/version,v" % wd
+        self.tfile = "%s/version" % wd
+        self.sym = {}
+        if not os.path.exists(self.vfile):
+            os.system('rcs -i -U -q -t-"GRAMPS database" %s' % self.vfile)
+    
+    def revision_list(self):
+        "returns the list of revisions from an RCS file"
+        rlist = []
+        slog = 0
+        sname = 0
+        r,w = popen2.popen2("rlog %s" % self.vfile)
+
+        for line in r.readlines():
+            line = string.rstrip(line)
+            
+            if sname == 1:
+                if line[0:3] == "key":
+                    sname = 0
+                    continue;
+                else:
+                    s = string.split(string.strip(line),":")
+                    print "%s - %s" % (s[0],s[1])
+                    continue
+            if line == "symbolic names:":
+                sname = 1
+                continue
+            if slog:
+                if line[0:10] == _sep or line[0:10] == _end:
+                    slog = 0
+                    rlist.append(v,d,string.join(l,'\n'))
+                else:
+                    l.append(line)
+                continue
+            g = _revision_re.match(line)
+            if g:
+                v = g.group(1)
+                continue
+            g = _date_re.match(line)
+            if g:
+                d = g.group(1)
+                slog = 1
+                l = []
+
+        w.close()
+        r.close()
+        return rlist
+
+    def checkin(self,name,comment,binary):
+        "checks in the file to the version,v file"
+        if os.path.exists(self.tfile):
+            os.remove(self.tfile)
+        if binary and _gzip_ok:
+            ifile = gzip.open(name)
+            ofile = open(self.tfile,"w")
+            ofile.writelines(ifile.readlines())
+            ifile.close()
+            ofile.close()
+        else:
+            try:
+                os.link("%s/%s" %(self.wd,name),self.tfile)
+            except OSError:
+                shutil.copyfile("%s/%s" %(self.wd,name),self.tfile)
+
+        proc = popen2.Popen3("ci -u %s" % self.tfile,1)
+        proc.tochild.write(comment)
+        proc.tochild.close()
+        status = proc.wait()
+        del proc
+        os.remove(self.tfile)
+        if status != 0:
+            return status
+        
+    def set_tag(self,tag):
+        """Sets the tag to the symbolic string"""
+        if tag != "":
+            pproc = popen2.Popen3("rcs -N%s: %s" % (tag,self.tfile),1)
+            proc.tochild.write(comment)
+            proc.tochild.close()
+            status = proc.wait()
+            del proc
+        return status
+
+    def get_version(self,version_id):
+        """Extracts the requested version from the RCS database
+        version_id - string containing the version to be extracted
+        target - file to extract the file to."""
+        r,w,e = popen2.popen3("co -p%s %s" % (version_id,self.vfile))
+        return r
+
+_version_control_list = [(RcsVersionControl, _("RCS"))]
+
+def register_version_control(vc_class, description=None):
+    """Registers a version control class with gramps
+
+    vc_class - VersionControl derived class to register
+    description - brief description of version control interface"""
+    if description == None:
+        description = _("No description")
+    _version_control_list.append((vc_class,description))
+
+def get_vc_list():
+    """Returns a tuple representing the registered version control
+    classes. The tuple is in the format of (class,description)"""
+    return _version_control_list
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    import sys
+
+    c = RcsVersionControl(os.getcwd())
+    if sys.argv[1] == "log":
+        for val in c.revision_list():
+            print "%s - %s : %s" % val
+    elif sys.argv[1] == "ci":
+        c.checkin(sys.argv[2],"mycomment",0)
+        for val in c.revision_list():
+            print "%s - %s : %s" % val
+    elif sys.argv[1] == "co":
+        f = c.get_version(sys.argv[2])
+        for l in f.readlines():
+            print l
+        f.close()
+        
+