diff --git a/vfs/shared.c b/vfs/shared.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5cfae89fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vfs/shared.c
@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+/*
+ * Large portions of tar.c & extfs.c were nearly same. I killed this 
+ * redundancy, so code is maintainable, again.
+ *
+ * 1998 Pavel Machek
+ */
+
+static struct X_entry*
+__X_find_entry (struct X_entry *dir, char *name, 
+		     struct X_loop_protect *list, int make_dirs, int make_file)
+{
+    struct X_entry *pent, *pdir;
+    char *p, *q, *name_end;
+    char c;
+
+    if (*name == '/') { /* Handle absolute paths */
+    	name++;
+    	dir = dir->inode->archive->root_entry;
+    }
+
+    pent = dir;
+    p = name;
+    name_end = name + strlen (name);
+    q = strchr (p, '/');
+    c = '/';
+    if (!q)
+	q = strchr (p, 0);
+    
+    for (; pent != NULL && c && *p; ){
+	c = *q;
+	*q = 0;
+
+	if (strcmp (p, ".")){
+	    if (!strcmp (p, "..")) 
+		pent = pent->dir;
+	    else {
+		if ((pent = __X_resolve_symlinks (pent, list))==NULL){
+		    *q = c;
+		    return NULL;
+		}
+		if (c == '/' && !S_ISDIR (pent->inode->mode)){
+		    *q = c;
+		    notadir = 1;
+		    return NULL;
+		}
+		pdir = pent;
+		for (pent = pent->inode->first_in_subdir; pent; pent = pent->next_in_dir)
+		    /* Hack: I keep the original semanthic unless
+		       q+1 would break in the strchr */
+		    if (!strcmp (pent->name, p)){
+			if (q + 1 > name_end){
+			    *q = c;
+			    notadir = !S_ISDIR (pent->inode->mode);
+			    return pent;
+			}
+			break;
+		    }
+		
+		/* When we load archive, we create automagically
+		 * non-existant directories
+		 */
+		if (pent == NULL && make_dirs) { 
+		    pent = generate_entry (dir->inode->archive, p, pdir, S_IFDIR | 0777);
+		}
+		if (pent == NULL && make_file) { 
+		    pent = generate_entry (dir->inode->archive, p, pdir, 0777);
+		}
+	    }
+	}
+	/* Next iteration */
+	*q = c;
+	p = q + 1;
+	q = strchr (p, '/');
+	if (!q)
+	    q = strchr (p, 0);
+    }
+    if (pent == NULL)
+    	Xerrno = ENOENT;
+    return pent;
+}
+
+static struct X_entry *X_find_entry (struct X_entry *dir, char *name, int make_dirs, int make_file)
+{
+    struct X_entry *res;
+    
+    errloop = 0;
+    notadir = 0;
+    res = __X_find_entry (dir, name, NULL, make_dirs, make_file);
+    if (res == NULL) {
+    	if (errloop)
+    	    Xerrno = ELOOP;
+    	else if (notadir)
+    	    Xerrno = ENOTDIR;
+    }
+    return res;
+}
+
+
+static int s_errno (void)
+{
+    return Xerrno;
+}
+
+static void * s_opendir (char *dirname)
+{
+    struct X_archive *archive;
+    char *q;
+    struct X_entry *entry;
+    struct X_entry **info;
+
+    if ((q = X_get_path (dirname, &archive, 1, 0)) == NULL)
+	return NULL;
+    entry = X_find_entry (archive->root_entry, q, 0, 0);
+    if (entry == NULL)
+    	return NULL;
+    if ((entry = X_resolve_symlinks (entry)) == NULL)
+	return NULL;
+    if (!S_ISDIR (entry->inode->mode)) {
+    	Xerrno = ENOTDIR;
+    	return NULL;
+    }
+
+    info = (struct X_entry **) xmalloc (2*sizeof (struct X_entry *), "shared opendir");
+    info[0] = entry->inode->first_in_subdir;
+    info[1] = entry->inode->first_in_subdir;
+
+    return info;
+}
+
+static void * s_readdir (void *data)
+{
+    static struct {
+	struct dirent dir; 
+#ifdef NEED_EXTRA_DIRENT_BUFFER
+	char extra_buffer [MC_MAXPATHLEN];
+#endif
+    } dir;
+
+    struct X_entry **info = (struct X_entry **) data;
+
+    if (!*info)
+    	return NULL;
+
+    strcpy (&(dir.dir.d_name [0]), (*info)->name);
+    
+#ifndef DIRENT_LENGTH_COMPUTED
+    dir.d_namlen = strlen (dir.dir.d_name);
+#endif
+    *info = (*info)->next_in_dir;
+    
+    return (void *)&dir;
+}
+
+static int s_telldir (void *data)
+{
+    struct X_entry **info = (struct X_entry **) data;
+    struct X_entry *cur;
+    int num = 0;
+
+    cur = info[1];
+    while (cur!=NULL) {
+        if (cur == info[0]) return num;
+	num++;
+	cur = cur->next_in_dir;
+    }
+    return -1;
+}
+
+static void s_seekdir (void *data, int offset)
+{
+    struct X_entry **info = (struct X_entry **) data;
+    int i;
+    info[0] = info[1];
+    for (i=0; i<offset; i++)
+        s_readdir( data );
+}
+
+static int s_closedir (void *data)
+{
+    free (data);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static void stat_move( struct stat *buf, struct X_inode *inode )
+{
+    buf->st_dev = inode->dev;
+    buf->st_ino = inode->inode;
+    buf->st_mode = inode->mode;
+    buf->st_nlink = inode->nlink;
+    buf->st_uid = inode->uid;
+    buf->st_gid = inode->gid;
+#ifdef HAVE_ST_RDEV
+    buf->st_rdev = inode->rdev;
+#endif
+    buf->st_size = inode->size;
+#ifdef HAVE_ST_BLKSIZE
+    buf->st_blksize = RECORDSIZE;
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_ST_BLOCKS
+    buf->st_blocks = (inode->size + RECORDSIZE - 1) / RECORDSIZE;
+#endif
+    buf->st_atime = inode->atime;
+    buf->st_mtime = inode->mtime;
+    buf->st_ctime = inode->ctime;
+}
+
+static int s_internal_stat (char *path, struct stat *buf, int resolve)
+{
+    struct X_archive *archive;
+    char *q;
+    struct X_entry *entry;
+    struct X_inode *inode;
+char debugbuf[10240];
+strcpy( debugbuf, path );
+
+
+    if ((q = X_get_path (path, &archive, 0, 0)) == NULL)
+	return -1;
+    entry = X_find_entry (archive->root_entry, q, 0, 0);
+    if (entry == NULL)
+    	return -1;
+    if (resolve && (entry = X_resolve_symlinks (entry)) == NULL)
+	return -1;
+    inode = entry->inode;
+    stat_move( buf, inode );
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int s_stat (char *path, struct stat *buf)
+{
+    return s_internal_stat (path, buf, 1);
+}
+
+static int s_lstat (char *path, struct stat *buf)
+{
+    return s_internal_stat (path, buf, 0);
+}
+
+static int s_fstat (void *data, struct stat *buf)
+{
+    struct X_pseudofile *file = (struct X_pseudofile *)data;
+    struct X_inode *inode;
+    
+    inode = file->entry->inode;
+    stat_move( buf, inode );
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int s_readlink (char *path, char *buf, int size)
+{
+    struct X_archive *archive;
+    char *q;
+    int i;
+    struct X_entry *entry;
+
+    if ((q = X_get_path (path, &archive, 0, 0)) == NULL)
+	return -1;
+    entry = X_find_entry (archive->root_entry, q, 0, 0);
+    if (entry == NULL)
+    	return -1;
+    if (!S_ISLNK (entry->inode->mode)) {
+        Xerrno = EINVAL;
+        return -1;
+    }
+    if (size > (i = strlen (entry->inode->linkname))) {
+    	size = i;
+    }
+    strncpy (buf, entry->inode->linkname, i);
+    return i;
+}
diff --git a/vfs/util-alone.c b/vfs/util-alone.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..61ce9507f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vfs/util-alone.c
@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+/*
+ * This is for making midnight commander's vfs stuff compile stand-alone
+ */
+
+#include <config.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#if defined(__os2__)            /* OS/2 need io.h! .ado */
+#    include <io.h>
+#endif
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
+#include <unistd.h>
+#endif
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <signal.h>		/* my_system */
+#include <limits.h>		/* INT_MAX */
+#ifndef SCO_FLAVOR
+#	include <sys/time.h>	/* alex: sys/select.h defines struct timeval */
+#endif /* SCO_FLAVOR */
+#include <sys/param.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <errno.h>		/* my_system */
+#ifdef SCO_FLAVOR
+#	include <sys/timeb.h>	/* alex: for struct timeb, used in time.h */
+#endif /* SCO_FLAVOR */
+#include <time.h>
+#ifndef OS2_NT
+#   include <pwd.h>
+#   include <grp.h>
+#endif
+#include <string.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_SELECT_H
+#  include <sys/select.h>
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __linux__
+#    if defined(__GLIBC__) && (__GLIBC__ < 2)
+#        include <linux/termios.h>	/* This is needed for TIOCLINUX */
+#    else
+#        include <termios.h>
+#    endif
+#  include <sys/ioctl.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "../src/util.h"
+#include "vfs.h"
+#include "callback.h"
+
+int source_route = 0;
+int cd_symlinks = 0;
+
+/*
+ * Required functions to make mc's vfs layer compile stand-alone
+ */
+
+void *do_xmalloc (int size)
+{
+    void *m = malloc (size);
+
+    if (!m)
+	    vfs_die ("Memory exhausted\n");
+    return m;
+}
+
+/*
+ * We do not want/need many of midnight's functions, stub routines.
+ */
+
+void
+enable_interrupt_key (void)
+{
+}
+
+void
+disable_interrupt_key (void)
+{
+}
+
+int  got_interrupt (void)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void
+rotate_dash (void)
+{
+}
+
+char *
+load_anon_passwd (void)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static char (*callbacks[NUM_CALLBACKS])(char *msg);
+
+void
+vfs_set_callback (int num, void *func)
+{
+    if (num >= NUM_CALLBACKS)
+        vfs_die ("Attempt to set invalid callback.\n");
+    callbacks [num] = func;
+}
+
+static void
+info_puts( char *s )
+{
+    if (!callbacks [CALL_INFO])
+        fprintf (stderr, "%s\n", s);
+    else
+        callbacks [CALL_INFO](s);
+}
+
+static void
+box_puts( char *s )
+{
+    if (!callbacks [CALL_BOX])
+        fprintf (stderr, "%s\n", s);
+    else
+        callbacks [CALL_BOX](s);
+}
+
+char *
+vfs_get_password (char *msg)
+{
+    if (!callbacks [CALL_PASSWD])
+        return NULL;
+    else
+        callbacks [CALL_PASSWD](msg);
+}
+
+void
+print_vfs_message (char *msg, ...)
+{
+    char buf [4096];
+
+    va_list args;
+
+    va_start  (args,msg);
+    vsnprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), msg, args);
+    info_puts (buf);
+    va_end    (args);
+}
+
+void
+wipe_password (char *passwd)
+{
+    char *p = passwd;
+    
+    for (;*p; p++)
+        *p = 0;
+    free (passwd);
+}
+
+int
+exist_file (char *name)
+{
+    return access (name, R_OK) == 0;
+}
+
+void
+message_1s (int i, char *c1, char *c2)
+{
+    char buf [4096];
+    
+    snprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), c1, c2);
+    box_puts (buf);
+}
+
+void
+message_2s (int i, char *c1, char *c2, char *c3)
+{
+    char buf [4096];
+    
+    snprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), c1, c2, c3 );
+    box_puts (buf );
+}
+
+void message_3s( int i, char *c1, char *c2, char *c3, const char *c4 )
+{
+    char buf [4096];
+    
+    snprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), c1, c2, c3, c4);
+    box_puts (buf);
+}
diff --git a/vfs/util-alone.h b/vfs/util-alone.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb