diff --git a/helpers.inc.php b/helpers.inc.php
index cbd434b..131dddc 100644
--- a/helpers.inc.php
+++ b/helpers.inc.php
@@ -373,6 +373,48 @@ function recurse_copy($src, $dst, $dir_perms = 0777, $copy_mode = COPY_MODE_BUIL
   closedir($dir);
 } 
 
+function shell($cmd, &$out=null)
+{
+  shell_try($cmd, $ret, $out);
+  if($ret != 0)
+    throw new TaskmanException("Shell execution error(exit code $ret)");
+}
+
+function shell_try($cmd, &$ret=null, &$out=null)
+{
+  msg(" shell: $cmd\n");
+  msg(" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n");
+  
+  if(func_num_args() < 3)
+    system($cmd, $ret);
+  else
+    _execute_proc_cmd($cmd, $ret, $out);
+}
+
+function _execute_proc_cmd($cmd, &$ret, &$out)
+{
+  //TODO: do we really need to redirect error stream?
+  $proc = popen("$cmd 2>&1", 'r');
+
+  $log = '';
+  //TODO: how can this be?
+  if(is_string($proc))
+  {
+    $log = $proc;
+    _log($log, 1);
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    while($logline = fgets($proc))
+    {
+      $log .= $logline;
+      _log($logline, 1);
+    }
+  }
+  $out = explode("\n", $log);
+  $ret = pclose($proc);
+}
+
 function _ensure_copy_file($src, $dst, $copy_mode = COPY_MODE_BUILTIN, $mtime_check = false)
 {
   if($mtime_check && file_exists($dst) && filemtime($src) <= filemtime($dst))
@@ -856,9 +898,9 @@ function replace_text_in_file($search_pattern, $replace_pattern, $from_file, $to
 function gamectl_get_props_as_php_code()
 {
   $props = props();
-  $props_str = "<?php\n";
+  $props_str = "<?php\nnamespace taskman;\n";
   foreach($props as $k => $v)
-    $props_str .= "taskman_propset('$k', " . var_export($v, true). ");\n";
+    $props_str .= "set('$k', " . var_export($v, true). ");\n";
   return $props_str;
 }