--- linuxUm-2.4.22/arch/um/drivers/mconsole_user.c.saved	2003-09-13 20:22:06.000000000 +0200
+++ linuxUm-2.4.22/arch/um/drivers/mconsole_user.c	2003-09-14 18:15:13.000000000 +0200
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 	{ "version", mconsole_version, MCONSOLE_INTR },
 	{ "halt", mconsole_halt, MCONSOLE_PROC },
 	{ "reboot", mconsole_reboot, MCONSOLE_PROC },
+        { "exec", mconsole_exec, MCONSOLE_PROC },
 	{ "config", mconsole_config, MCONSOLE_PROC },
 	{ "remove", mconsole_remove, MCONSOLE_PROC },
 	{ "sysrq", mconsole_sysrq, MCONSOLE_INTR },
--- linuxUm-2.4.22/arch/um/drivers/mconsole_kern.c.saved	2003-09-13 20:22:06.000000000 +0200
+++ linuxUm-2.4.22/arch/um/drivers/mconsole_kern.c	2003-09-14 20:27:00.000000000 +0200
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "linux/file.h"
 #include "linux/fs.h"
 #include "linux/proc_fs.h"
+#include "linux/kmod.h"
 #include "asm/irq.h"
 #include "asm/uaccess.h"
 #include "user_util.h"
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@
     help - Print this message \n\
     halt - Halt UML \n\
     reboot - Reboot UML \n\
+    exec - execute a command as root inside the UML\n\
     config <dev>=<config> - Add a new device to UML;  \n\
 	same syntax as command line \n\
     config <dev> - Query the configuration of a device \n\
@@ -266,6 +268,95 @@
 	mconsole_reply(req, "", 0, 0);
 }
 
+/* This is the focal point of the exec patch. Much code comes from
+ * kernel/kmod.c. But I just couldn't use call_usermodehelper, because it must be 
+ * called from process context.*/
+struct subprocess_info {
+        char *command;
+        pid_t retval;
+};
+
+/* This code must be called in a new thread, and uses 2.4 exec_usermodehelper
+ * (which seems to be gone inside 2.6) to start the specified program.
+ * This function is like ____call_usermodehelper*/
+int runner_thread(void * data)
+{
+        struct subprocess_info *sub_info = data;
+	char buf[MCONSOLE_MAX_DATA];
+        char *ptr = buf, *endptr;
+        char *path, *argv[21]; /*For now.*/
+	char *envp[] = { "HOME=/", "TERM=linux", "PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin", NULL };
+	int i = 0, retval;
+	strcpy(buf, sub_info->command);
+
+	ptr += strlen("exec");
+
+	while (i < 20) {
+		while(isspace(*ptr)) ptr++;
+
+		if (ptr == NULL)
+			break;
+
+		endptr = ptr;
+		if (*ptr == '\"' || *ptr == '\'') { /*quoted arg*/
+			while (*endptr != *ptr || *(endptr - 1) == '\\') endptr++;
+			ptr++;  /*skips the first quote*/
+		} else {
+			while(!isspace(*endptr)) endptr++;
+		}
+		argv[i++] = ptr;
+		*endptr = '\0';
+		ptr = endptr + 1;
+	}
+
+	if (*argv[0] == '\0')
+		sub_info->retval = -EINVAL; /*invalid command to execute, though this maybe 
+					      is not needed.*/
+	path = argv[0];
+	argv[i] = NULL;
+
+	/*path = "/bin/sleep";
+        argv = { path, "20", NULL };*/
+        retval = exec_usermodehelper(path, argv, envp);
+
+        /* Exec failed? */
+        sub_info->retval = (pid_t)retval;
+        do_exit(0);
+}
+
+/* This is like __call_usermodehelper. Only exception is that it's not a callback of keventd, and that 
+ * it bundles the declaration of sub_info from call_usermodehelper.*/
+void mconsole_exec(struct mc_request *req)
+{
+        pid_t pid;
+
+        struct subprocess_info sub_info = {
+                command:        req->request.data,
+                retval:         0,
+        };
+
+        /*
+         * CLONE_VFORK: wait until the usermode helper has execve'd successfully
+         * We need the data structures to stay around until that is done.
+         */
+        pid = kernel_thread(runner_thread, &sub_info, CLONE_VFORK | SIGCHLD);
+
+	if (pid < 0) {
+		char buf[60];
+		snprintf(buf, 60, "kernel_thread failed in mconsole_exec with error code: %d", -pid);
+		mconsole_reply(req, buf, 1, 0);
+	}
+	if (sub_info.retval < 0) {
+		char buf[50];
+		snprintf(buf, 50, "execve failed in mconsole_exec with errno = %d", -sub_info.retval);
+		mconsole_reply(req, buf, 1, 0);
+	}
+
+	mconsole_reply(req, "The command has been started successfully.", 0, 0);
+}
+
+/* Patch end */
+
 /* This list is populated by __initcall routines. */
 
 LIST_HEAD(mconsole_devices);
--- linuxUm-2.4.22/arch/um/include/mconsole.h.saved	2003-09-13 20:22:07.000000000 +0200
+++ linuxUm-2.4.22/arch/um/include/mconsole.h	2003-09-14 12:19:53.000000000 +0200
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 extern void mconsole_help(struct mc_request *req);
 extern void mconsole_halt(struct mc_request *req);
 extern void mconsole_reboot(struct mc_request *req);
+extern void mconsole_exec(struct mc_request *req);
 extern void mconsole_config(struct mc_request *req);
 extern void mconsole_remove(struct mc_request *req);
 extern void mconsole_sysrq(struct mc_request *req);