diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 3b1d7335..e95908d3 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+//! Alacritty - The GPU Enhanced Terminal
+#![feature(question_mark)]
+
 extern crate fontconfig;
 extern crate freetype;
 extern crate libc;
@@ -7,11 +10,14 @@ extern crate euclid;
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
+use std::io::{BufReader, Read, BufRead};
+
 mod list_fonts;
 mod text;
 mod renderer;
 mod grid;
 mod meter;
+mod tty;
 
 use renderer::{Glyph, QuadRenderer};
 use text::FontDesc;
@@ -76,6 +82,14 @@ fn main() {
     let num_cols = grid::num_cells_axis(cell_width, sep_x, width);
     let num_rows = grid::num_cells_axis(cell_height, sep_y, height);
 
+    let mut cmd = tty::new(num_rows as u8, num_cols as u8);
+
+    ::std::thread::spawn(move || {
+        for byte in cmd.bytes() {
+            println!("{:?}", byte);
+        }
+    });
+
     println!("num_cols, num_rows = {}, {}", num_cols, num_rows);
 
     let mut grid = Grid::new(num_rows as usize, num_cols as usize);
@@ -130,7 +144,7 @@ fn main() {
         for event in window.poll_events() {
             match event {
                 glutin::Event::Closed => break 'main_loop,
-                _ => println!("event: {:?}", event)
+                _ => ()
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/tty.rs b/src/tty.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7fd27b69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tty.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+//! tty related functionality
+//!
+use std::env;
+use std::ffi::CStr;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::mem;
+use std::os::unix::io::FromRawFd;
+use std::ptr;
+
+use libc::{self, winsize, c_int, c_char};
+
+macro_rules! die {
+    ($($arg:tt)*) => {
+        println!($($arg)*);
+        ::std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
+pub enum Error {
+    /// TODO
+    Unknown,
+}
+
+impl Error {
+    /// Build an Error from the current value of errno.
+    fn from_errno() -> Error {
+        let err = errno();
+        match err {
+            _ => Error::Unknown
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+pub type Result<T> = ::std::result::Result<T, Error>;
+
+/// Get the current value of errno
+fn errno() -> c_int {
+    unsafe {
+        ptr::read(libc::__errno_location() as *const _)
+    }
+}
+
+enum Relation {
+    Child,
+    Parent
+}
+
+fn fork() -> Relation {
+    let res = unsafe {
+        libc::fork()
+    };
+
+    if res < 0 {
+        die!("fork failed");
+    }
+
+    if res == 0 {
+        Relation::Child
+    } else {
+        Relation::Parent
+    }
+}
+
+/// Get raw fds for master/slave ends of a new pty
+fn openpty(rows: u8, cols: u8) -> (c_int, c_int) {
+    let mut master: c_int = 0;
+    let mut slave: c_int = 0;
+
+    let win = winsize {
+        ws_row: rows as libc::c_ushort,
+        ws_col: cols as libc::c_ushort,
+        ws_xpixel: 0,
+        ws_ypixel: 0,
+    };
+
+    let res = unsafe {
+        libc::openpty(&mut master, &mut slave, ptr::null_mut(), ptr::null(), &win)
+    };
+
+    if res < 0 {
+        die!("openpty failed");
+    }
+
+    (master, slave)
+}
+
+/// Really only needed on BSD, but should be fine elsewhere
+fn set_controlling_terminal(fd: c_int) {
+    let res = unsafe {
+        libc::ioctl(fd, libc::TIOCSCTTY, 0)
+    };
+
+    if res < 0 {
+        die!("ioctl TIOCSCTTY failed: {}", errno());
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct Passwd<'a> {
+    name: &'a str,
+    passwd: &'a str,
+    uid: libc::uid_t,
+    gid: libc::gid_t,
+    gecos: &'a str,
+    dir: &'a str,
+    shell: &'a str,
+}
+
+/// Return a Passwd struct with pointers into the provided buf
+///
+/// # Unsafety
+///
+/// If `buf` is changed while `Passwd` is alive, bad thing will almost certainly happen.
+fn get_pw_entry<'a>(buf: &'a mut [i8; 1024]) -> Passwd<'a> {
+    // Create zeroed passwd struct
+    let mut entry = libc::passwd {
+        pw_name: ptr::null_mut(),
+        pw_passwd: ptr::null_mut(),
+        pw_uid: 0,
+        pw_gid: 0,
+        pw_gecos: ptr::null_mut(),
+        pw_dir: ptr::null_mut(),
+        pw_shell: ptr::null_mut(),
+    };
+
+    let mut res: *mut libc::passwd = ptr::null_mut();
+
+    // Try and read the pw file.
+    let uid = unsafe { libc::getuid() };
+    let status = unsafe {
+        libc::getpwuid_r(uid, &mut entry, buf.as_mut_ptr(), buf.len(), &mut res)
+    };
+
+    if status < 0 {
+        die!("getpwuid_r failed");
+    }
+
+    if res.is_null() {
+        die!("pw not found");
+    }
+
+
+    // sanity check
+    assert_eq!(entry.pw_uid, uid);
+
+    // Build a borrowed Passwd struct
+    //
+    // Transmute is used here to conveniently cast from the raw CStr to a &str with the appropriate
+    // lifetime.
+    Passwd {
+        name: unsafe { mem::transmute(CStr::from_ptr(entry.pw_name).to_str().unwrap()) },
+        passwd: unsafe { mem::transmute(CStr::from_ptr(entry.pw_passwd).to_str().unwrap()) },
+        uid: entry.pw_uid,
+        gid: entry.pw_gid,
+        gecos: unsafe { mem::transmute(CStr::from_ptr(entry.pw_gecos).to_str().unwrap()) },
+        dir: unsafe { mem::transmute(CStr::from_ptr(entry.pw_dir).to_str().unwrap()) },
+        shell: unsafe { mem::transmute(CStr::from_ptr(entry.pw_shell).to_str().unwrap()) },
+    }
+}
+
+/// Exec a shell
+fn execsh() -> ! {
+    let mut buf = [0; 1024];
+    let pw = get_pw_entry(&mut buf);
+
+    // setup environment
+    env::set_var("LOGNAME", pw.name);
+    env::set_var("USER", pw.name);
+    env::set_var("SHELL", pw.shell);
+    env::set_var("HOME", pw.dir);
+    env::set_var("TERM", "xterm-256color"); // sigh
+
+    unsafe {
+        libc::signal(libc::SIGCHLD, libc::SIG_DFL);
+        libc::signal(libc::SIGHUP, libc::SIG_DFL);
+        libc::signal(libc::SIGINT, libc::SIG_DFL);
+        libc::signal(libc::SIGQUIT, libc::SIG_DFL);
+        libc::signal(libc::SIGTERM, libc::SIG_DFL);
+        libc::signal(libc::SIGALRM, libc::SIG_DFL);
+    }
+
+    // pw.shell is null terminated
+    let shell = unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(pw.shell.as_ptr() as *const _) };
+
+    let argv = [shell.as_ptr(), ptr::null()];
+
+    let res = unsafe {
+        libc::execvp(shell.as_ptr(), argv.as_ptr())
+    };
+
+    if res < 0 {
+        die!("execvp failed: {}", errno());
+    }
+
+    ::std::process::exit(1);
+}
+
+/// Create a new tty and return a handle to interact with it.
+pub fn new(rows: u8, cols: u8) -> File {
+    let (master, slave) = openpty(rows, cols);
+
+    match fork() {
+        Relation::Child => {
+            unsafe {
+                // Create a new process group
+                libc::setsid();
+
+                // Duplicate pty slave to be child stdin, stdoud, and stderr
+                libc::dup2(slave, 0);
+                libc::dup2(slave, 1);
+                libc::dup2(slave, 2);
+            }
+
+            set_controlling_terminal(slave);
+
+            // No longer need slave/master fds
+            unsafe {
+                libc::close(slave);
+                libc::close(master);
+            }
+
+            // Exec a shell!
+            execsh();
+        },
+        Relation::Parent => {
+            // Parent doesn't need slave fd
+            unsafe {
+                libc::close(slave);
+            }
+
+            // XXX should this really return a file?
+            // How should this be done? Could build a File::from_raw_fd, or maybe implement a custom
+            // type that can be used in a mio event loop? For now, just do the file option.
+            unsafe {
+                File::from_raw_fd(master)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_get_pw_entry() {
+    let mut buf: [i8; 1024] = [0; 1024];
+    let pw = get_pw_entry(&mut buf);
+    println!("{:?}", pw);
+}