diff --git a/morituri/common/taskgtk.py b/morituri/common/taskgtk.py
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/morituri/common/taskgtk.py
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+# -*- Mode: Python; test-case-name: morituri.test.test_common_task -*-
+# vi:si:et:sw=4:sts=4:ts=4
+
+# Morituri - for those about to RIP
+
+# Copyright (C) 2009 Thomas Vander Stichele
+
+# This file is part of morituri.
+# 
+# morituri 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 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+# 
+# morituri 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 morituri.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+import sys
+
+import gobject
+import gtk
+
+from morituri.common import log
+
+class Task(object, log.Loggable):
+    """
+    I wrap a task in an asynchronous interface.
+    I can be listened to for starting, stopping, and progress updates.
+
+    @ivar  description: what am I doing
+    """
+    description = 'I am doing something.'
+
+    progress = 0.0
+    increment = 0.01
+    running = False
+    runner = None
+
+    _listeners = None
+
+
+    ### subclass methods
+    def start(self, runner):
+        """
+        Start the task.
+
+        Subclasses should chain up to me at the beginning.
+        """
+        self.setProgress(self.progress)
+        self.running = True
+        self.runner = runner
+        self._notifyListeners('started')
+
+    def stop(self):
+        """
+        Stop the task.
+
+        Subclasses should chain up to me at the end.
+        """
+        self.debug('stopping')
+        self.running = False
+        self.runner = None
+        self._notifyListeners('stopped')
+
+    ### base class methods
+    def setProgress(self, value):
+        """
+        Notify about progress changes bigger than the increment.
+        Called by subclass implementations as the task progresses.
+        """
+        if value - self.progress > self.increment or value >= 1.0 or value == 0.0:
+            self.progress = value
+            self._notifyListeners('progressed', value)
+            self.log('notifying progress: %r', value)
+        
+    def setDescription(self, description):
+        if description != self.description:
+            self._notifyListeners('described', description)
+            self.description = description
+
+    def addListener(self, listener):
+        """
+        Add a listener for task status changes.
+
+        Listeners should implement started, stopped, and progressed.
+        """
+        if not self._listeners:
+            self._listeners = []
+        self._listeners.append(listener)
+
+    def _notifyListeners(self, methodName, *args, **kwargs):
+            if self._listeners:
+                for l in self._listeners:
+                    getattr(l, methodName)(self, *args, **kwargs)
+
+# this is a Dummy task that can be used if this works at all
+class DummyTask(Task):
+    def start(self, runner):
+        Task.start(self, runner)
+        self.runner.schedule(1.0, self._wind)
+
+    def _wind(self):
+        self.setProgress(min(self.progress + 0.1, 1.0))
+
+        if self.progress >= 1.0:
+            self.stop()
+            return
+
+        self.runner.schedule(1.0, self._wind)
+
+class BaseMultiTask(Task):
+    """
+    I perform multiple tasks.
+    """
+
+    description = 'Doing various tasks'
+    tasks = None
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.tasks = []
+         
+    def addTask(self, task):
+        if self.tasks is None:
+            self.tasks = []
+        self.tasks.append(task)
+
+    def start(self, runner):
+        Task.start(self, runner)
+
+        # initialize task tracking
+        self._task = 0
+        self.__tasks = self.tasks[:]
+        self._generic = self.description
+
+        self.next()
+
+    def next(self):
+        # start next task
+        task = self.__tasks[0]
+        del self.__tasks[0]
+        self.debug('BaseMultiTask.next(): starting task %r', task)
+        self._task += 1
+        self.setDescription("%s (%d of %d) ..." % (
+            self._generic, self._task, len(self.tasks)))
+        task.addListener(self)
+        task.start(self.runner)
+        
+    ### listener methods
+    def started(self, task):
+        pass
+
+    def progressed(self, task, value):
+        pass
+
+    def stopped(self, task):
+        if not self.__tasks:
+            self.stop()
+            return
+
+        # pick another
+        self.next()
+
+
+class MultiTask(BaseMultiTask):
+    """
+    I perform multiple tasks.
+    I track progress of each individual task, going back to 0 for each task.
+    """
+
+    def start(self, runner):
+        self.debug('MultiTask.start()')
+        BaseMultiTask.start(self, runner)
+
+    def next(self):
+        self.debug('MultiTask.next()')
+        # start next task
+        self.progress = 0.0 # reset progress for each task
+        BaseMultiTask.next(self)
+        
+    ### listener methods
+    def progressed(self, task, value):
+        self.setProgress(value)
+
+class MultiCombinedTask(BaseMultiTask):
+    """
+    I perform multiple tasks.
+    I track progress as a combined progress on all tasks on task granularity.
+    """
+
+    _stopped = 0
+       
+    ### listener methods
+    def progressed(self, task, value):
+        self.setProgress(float(self._stopped + value) / len(self.tasks))
+
+    def stopped(self, task):
+        self._stopped += 1
+        self.setProgress(float(self._stopped) / len(self.tasks))
+        BaseMultiTask.stopped(self, task)
+
+class TaskRunner(object):
+    """
+    I am a base class for task runners.
+    Task runners should be reusable.
+    """
+
+    def run(self, task):
+        """
+        Run the given task.
+
+        @type  task: Task
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    ### methods for tasks to call
+    def schedule(self, delta, callable, *args, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Schedule a single future call.
+
+        Subclasses should implement this.
+
+        @type  delta: float
+        @param delta: time in the future to schedule call for, in seconds.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    ### listener callbacks
+    def progressed(self, task, value):
+        """
+        Implement me to be informed about progress.
+
+        @type  value: float
+        @param value: progress, from 0.0 to 1.0
+        """
+
+    def described(self, task, description):
+        """
+        Implement me to be informed about description changes.
+
+        @type  description: str
+        @param description: description
+        """
+
+    def started(self, task):
+        """
+        Implement me to be informed about the task starting.
+        """
+
+    def stopped(self, task):
+        """
+        Implement me to be informed about the task starting.
+        """
+
+
+class SyncRunner(TaskRunner):
+    """
+    I run the task synchronously in a gobject MainLoop.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, verbose=True):
+        self._verbose = verbose
+
+    def run(self, task, verbose=None, skip=False):
+        self._task = task
+        self._verboseRun = self._verbose
+        if verbose is not None:
+            self._verboseRun = verbose
+        self._skip = skip
+
+        self._loop = gobject.MainLoop()
+        self._task.addListener(self)
+        # only start the task after going into the mainloop,
+        # otherwise the task might complete before we are in it
+        gobject.timeout_add(0L, self._task.start, self)
+        self._loop.run()
+
+    def schedule(self, delta, callable, *args, **kwargs):
+        def c():
+            callable(*args, **kwargs)
+            return False
+        gobject.timeout_add(int(delta * 1000L), c)
+
+    def progressed(self, task, value):
+        if not self._verboseRun:
+            return
+
+        self._report()
+
+        if value >= 1.0:
+            if self._skip:
+                sys.stdout.write('%s %3d %%\n' % (
+                    self._task.description, 100.0))
+            else:
+                # clear with whitespace
+                text = '%s %3d %%' % (
+                    self._task.description, 100.0)
+                sys.stdout.write("%s\r" % (' ' * len(text), ))
+
+    def described(self, task, description):
+        if self._verboseRun:
+            self._report()
+
+    def stopped(self, task):
+        self._loop.quit()
+
+    def _report(self):
+        sys.stdout.write('%s %3d %%\r' % (
+            self._task.description, self._task.progress * 100.0))
+        sys.stdout.flush()
+
+class GtkProgressRunner(gtk.VBox, TaskRunner):
+    """
+    I am a widget that shows progress on a task.
+    """
+
+    __gsignals__ = {
+        'stop': (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST, gobject.TYPE_NONE, ())
+    }
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        gtk.VBox.__init__(self)
+        self.set_border_width(6)
+        self.set_spacing(6)
+
+        self._label = gtk.Label()
+        self.add(self._label)
+
+        self._progress = gtk.ProgressBar()
+        self.add(self._progress)
+
+    def run(self, task):
+        self._task = task
+        self._label.set_text(task.description)
+        task.addListener(self)
+        while gtk.events_pending():
+            gtk.main_iteration()
+        task.start(self)
+
+    def schedule(self, delta, callable, *args, **kwargs):
+        def c():
+            callable(*args, **kwargs)
+            return False
+        gobject.timeout_add(int(delta * 1000L), c)
+
+    def started(self, task):
+        pass
+
+    def stopped(self, task):
+        self.emit('stop')
+        # self._task.removeListener(self)
+
+    def progressed(self, task, value):
+        self._progress.set_fraction(value)
+
+    def described(self, task, description):
+        self._label.set_text(description)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    task = DummyTask()
+    runner = SyncRunner()
+    runner.run(task)