diff --git a/solo-builder/tools/auto_compile.py b/solo-builder/tools/auto_compile.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bced52d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/solo-builder/tools/auto_compile.py
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+
+import sys
+import time
+import pwd
+import subprocess
+import os, pwd, grp
+
+def get_username():
+    return pwd.getpwuid( os.getuid() )[ 0 ]
+
+me = get_username()
+if ( me != 'root' ) :
+	print(" must be run as root, sorry, aborting. \n");
+	exit(1);
+
+# open logfile:
+logfile = "/vagrant/progress.log"
+log = open(logfile, "w+")
+
+
+#  we display results as-it-happens, but also capture them
+def run_command_capture_results(cmd='true', doLog=True): 
+  if doLog:
+  	print >>log, "cmd: "+cmd+"\n"
+  print "cmd: "+cmd+"\n"
+  p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, shell=True, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+  ret  = ''
+
+  dobreak = False
+  doNext = False
+  while True:
+    #print p.poll()
+
+    #out = p.stdout.readline()
+    out = p.stdout.read(1)
+    # poll() returns None if process is still running, or exit code if it's done
+    if out == "":
+	if p.poll() is not None:
+	  #print "OUT BREAK : " + str(p.poll())
+	  dobreak = True
+    # otherwise handle the data we got prom the process:	
+    while out != '' and doNext == False:
+	#if doNext == True:
+	#	out = out + "\n"
+	#	doNext = False
+        sys.stdout.write(out)
+	sys.stdout.flush()
+	if doLog:
+		log.write(out)
+		log.flush()
+	ret += out
+	out = p.stdout.read(1)
+	#if out == "\n":
+	#	doNext = True
+
+    #err = p.stderr.readline()
+    err = p.stderr.read(1)
+    if err == "":
+	if p.poll() is not None:
+	  #print "ERR BREAK" + str(p.poll())
+	  dobreak = True
+    while err != '' and doNext == False:
+        #if doNext == True:
+        #        out = out + "\n"
+        #        doNext = False
+        sys.stdout.write(err)
+	sys.stdout.flush()
+	if doLog:
+		log.write(err)
+		log.flush()
+	ret += err
+	err = p.stderr.read(1)
+	#if err == "\n":
+	#	doNext = True
+
+    if dobreak == True:
+	break
+  return ret
+
+
+def drop_privileges(uid_name='nobody', gid_name='nogroup'):
+    if os.getuid() != 0:
+        # We're not root so, like, whatever dude
+        return
+
+    # Get the uid/gid from the name
+    running_uid = pwd.getpwnam(uid_name).pw_uid
+    running_gid = grp.getgrnam(gid_name).gr_gid
+
+    # Remove group privileges
+    os.setgroups([])
+
+    # Try setting the new uid/gid
+    os.setgid(running_gid)
+    os.setuid(running_uid)
+
+    # Ensure a very conservative umask
+    old_umask = os.umask(002)
+
+# tasks potentially needing root:
+
+#run_command_capture_results("chown -R vagrant /vagrant/.*");
+#run_command_capture_results("chown -R vagrant /vagrant/*");
+
+# now actually do ita:
+#print >>log, "dropping privs to 'vagrant'\n";
+drop_privileges('vagrant','vagrant');
+
+me = get_username()
+if ( me != 'vagrant' ) :
+	print >>log, "error while trying to drop root and running as vagrant user, aborting. \n";
+	exit(1);
+
+
+
+print >>log, "now running as 'vagrant' user.\nstarting run at:\n";
+run_command_capture_results("date");
+
+
+print >>log, "chdir /vagrant";
+os.chdir("/vagrant");
+
+run_command_capture_results("git pull");
+
+run_command_capture_results("echo \"y\" |/vagrant/builder.sh");
+
+print >>log, "finished run at:\n";
+run_command_capture_results("date");
+
+print "log closed. \n";
+log.close();
+
+print "log relocated. \n";
+run_command_capture_results("mv /vagrant/progress.log /vagrant/www/latest_run.txt", False);
+
+run_command_capture_results("chmod 664 /vagrant/www/latest_run.txt", False);
+
+