diff --git a/src/misc/util.c b/src/misc/util.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..72411081b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/misc/util.c
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+/*************
+ * Various utility functions.
+ * 2002 R. Oktas, <roktas@omu.edu.tr>
+ ************/
+
+#ifdef HAVE_STRING_H
+#include <string.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "ngspice.h"
+#include "util.h"
+
+
+/* **************************************************************** */
+/*                                                                  */
+/*                     Stuff for Filename Handling                  */
+/*                                                                  */
+/* **************************************************************** */
+
+/* Canonicalize PATH, and return a new path.  The new path differs from PATH
+   in that:
+       Multple `/'s are collapsed to a single `/'.
+       Leading `./'s and trailing `/.'s are removed.
+       Trailing `/'s are removed.
+       Non-leading `../'s and trailing `..'s are handled by removing
+       portions of the path.
+
+    Stolen from Bash source (slightly modified).
+    Credit goes to Chet Ramey, et al. -- ro */
+
+char *
+canonicalize_pathname(char *path)
+{
+    int i, start;
+    char stub_char;
+    char *result;
+
+    /* The result cannot be larger than the input PATH. */
+    result = copy(path);
+
+    stub_char = (*path == '/') ? '/' : '.';
+
+    /* Walk along RESULT looking for things to compact. */
+    i = 0;
+    while (1) {
+       if (!result[i])
+           break;
+
+       while (result[i] && result[i] != '/')
+           i++;
+
+       start = i++;
+
+       /* If we didn't find any slashes, then there is nothing left to do. */
+       if (!result[start])
+           break;
+
+       /* Handle multiple `/'s in a row. */
+       while (result[i] == '/')
+           i++;
+
+#if !defined (apollo)
+       if ((start + 1) != i)
+#else
+       if ((start + 1) != i && (start != 0 || i != 2))
+#endif /* apollo */
+       {
+           strcpy (result + start + 1, result + i);
+           i = start + 1;
+       }
+
+#if 0
+       /* Handle backslash-quoted `/'. */
+       if (start > 0 && result[start - 1] == '\\')
+           continue;
+#endif
+
+       /* Check for trailing `/'. */
+       if (start && !result[i]) {
+           zero_last:
+           result[--i] = '\0';
+           break;
+       }
+
+       /* Check for `../', `./' or trailing `.' by itself. */
+       if (result[i] == '.') {
+           /* Handle trailing `.' by itself. */
+           if (!result[i + 1])
+               goto zero_last;
+
+           /* Handle `./'. */
+           if (result[i + 1] == '/') {
+               strcpy(result + i, result + i + 1);
+               i = (start < 0) ? 0 : start;
+               continue;
+           }
+
+           /* Handle `../' or trailing `..' by itself. */
+           if (result[i + 1] == '.' &&
+              (result[i + 2] == '/' || !result[i + 2])) {
+               while (--start > -1 && result[start] != '/');
+               strcpy(result + start + 1, result + i + 2);
+               i = (start < 0) ? 0 : start;
+               continue;
+           }
+       }
+    }
+
+    if (!*result) {
+       *result = stub_char;
+       result[1] = '\0';
+    }
+    return (result);
+}
+
+
+/* Turn STRING (a pathname) into an absolute pathname, assuming that
+   DOT_PATH contains the symbolic location of `.'.  This always
+   returns a new string, even if STRING was an absolute pathname to
+   begin with.
+
+   Stolen from Bash source (slightly modified).
+   Credit goes to Chet Ramey, et al. -- ro */
+
+char * absolute_pathname(char *string, char *dot_path)
+{
+  char *result;
+  int result_len;
+
+  if (!dot_path || *string == '/')
+      result = copy(string);
+  else {
+      if (dot_path && dot_path[0]) {
+         result = tmalloc(2 + strlen(dot_path) + strlen(string));
+         strcpy(result, dot_path);
+         result_len = strlen(result);
+         if (result[result_len - 1] != '/') {
+             result[result_len++] = '/';
+             result[result_len] = '\0';
+         }
+      } else {
+         result = tmalloc(3 + strlen (string));
+         result[0] = '.'; result[1] = '/'; result[2] = '\0';
+         result_len = 2;
+      }
+
+      strcpy(result + result_len, string);
+  }
+
+  return (result);
+}
+
diff --git a/src/misc/util.h b/src/misc/util.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af071e72f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/misc/util.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/*************
+ * Header file for util.c
+ * 2002 R. Oktas, <roktas@omu.edu.tr>
+ ************/
+
+#ifndef UTIL_H_INCLUDED
+#define UTIL_H_INCLUDED
+
+char *canonicalize_pathname(char *path);
+char *absolute_pathname(char *string, char *dot_path);
+
+#endif