diff --git a/basis/unix/utilities/authors.txt b/basis/unix/utilities/authors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b4bd0e7b35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/unix/utilities/authors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Doug Coleman
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/basis/unix/utilities/utilities.factor b/basis/unix/utilities/utilities.factor
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f3a6bf78a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/unix/utilities/utilities.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+! Copyright (C) 2008 Doug Coleman.
+! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
+USING: alien alien.c-types alien.strings
+combinators.short-circuit fry kernel layouts sequences ;
+IN: unix.utilities
+
+: more? ( alien -- ? )
+    { [ ] [ *void* ] } 1&& ;
+
+: advance ( void* -- void* )
+    cell swap <displaced-alien> ;
+
+: alien>strings ( alien encoding -- strings )
+    [ [ dup more? ] ] dip
+    '[ [ advance ] [ *void* _ alien>string ] bi ]
+    [ ] produce nip ;
+
+: strings>alien ( strings encoding -- alien )
+    '[ _ malloc-string ] map f suffix >c-void*-array ;