Index: Makefile
===================================================================
--- Makefile	(revision 7b76744e5db631316a1ed8531fb669a8b6e91dd8)
+++ Makefile	(revision 3ad309dc068442c3e1d6f8b673c6a491fa68d3b6)
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@
 CSCOPE = cscope
 CONFIG = tools/config.py
+SANITY = tools/sanity.py
 
 .PHONY: all config config_default distclean clean cscope precheck
 
 all: Makefile.config config.h config.defs
+	$(SANITY)
 	$(MAKE) -C kernel PRECHECK=$(PRECHECK)
 	$(MAKE) -C uspace PRECHECK=$(PRECHECK)
Index: tools/sanity.py
===================================================================
--- tools/sanity.py	(revision 3ad309dc068442c3e1d6f8b673c6a491fa68d3b6)
+++ tools/sanity.py	(revision 3ad309dc068442c3e1d6f8b673c6a491fa68d3b6)
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2010 Martin Decky
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+# modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+# are met:
+#
+# - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+#   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+# - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+#   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+#   documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+# - The name of the author may not be used to endorse or promote products
+#   derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
+#
+# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR
+# IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
+# OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
+# IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
+# INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
+# NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+# DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+# THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+# (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF
+# THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+#
+"""
+Check whether several important prerequisites for building HelenOS
+are present in the system
+"""
+import sys
+import os
+import re
+import subprocess
+
+MAKEFILE = 'Makefile.config'
+
+def read_config(fname, config):
+	"Read HelenOS build configuration"
+	
+	inf = file(fname, 'r')
+	
+	for line in inf:
+		res = re.match(r'^(?:#!# )?([^#]\w*)\s*=\s*(.*?)\s*$', line)
+		if (res):
+			config[res.group(1)] = res.group(2)
+	
+	inf.close()
+
+def print_error(msg):
+	"Print a bold error message"
+	
+	sys.stderr.write("\n")
+	sys.stderr.write("######################################################################\n")
+	sys.stderr.write("HelenOS build sanity check error:\n")
+	sys.stderr.write("\n")
+	sys.stderr.write("%s\n" % "\n".join(msg))
+	sys.stderr.write("######################################################################\n")
+	sys.stderr.write("\n")
+	
+	sys.exit(1)
+
+def check_app(args, name, details):
+	"Check whether an application can be executed"
+	
+	try:
+		sys.stderr.write("Checking for %s ... " % args[0])
+		subprocess.Popen(args, stdout = subprocess.PIPE, stderr = subprocess.PIPE).wait()
+	except:
+		sys.stderr.write("failed\n")
+		print_error(["%s is missing." % name,
+		             "",
+		             "Execution of \"%s\" has failed. Please make sure that it" % " ".join(args),
+		             "is installed in your system (%s)." % details])
+	
+	sys.stderr.write("ok\n")
+
+def check_binutils():
+	"Check for binutils toolchain"
+	
+	check_app(["as", "--version"], "GNU Assembler", "usually part of binutils")
+	check_app(["ld", "--version"], "GNU Linker", "usually part of binutils")
+	check_app(["ar", "--version"], "GNU Archiver", "usually part of binutils")
+	check_app(["objcopy", "--version"], "Objcopy utility", "usually part of binutils")
+	check_app(["objdump", "--version"], "Objdump utility", "usually part of binutils")
+
+def main():
+	config = {}
+	
+	# Read configuration
+	if os.path.exists(MAKEFILE):
+		read_config(MAKEFILE, config)
+	else:
+		print_error(["Configuration file %s not found! Make sure that the" % MAKEFILE,
+		             "configuration phase of HelenOS build went OK. Try running",
+		             "\"make config\" again."])
+	
+	if ('CROSS_PREFIX' in os.environ):
+		cross_prefix = os.environ['CROSS_PREFIX']
+	else:
+		cross_prefix = "/usr/local"
+	
+	# Common utilities
+	check_app(["ln", "--version"], "Symlink utility", "usually part of coreutils")
+	check_app(["rm", "--version"], "File remove utility", "usually part of coreutils")
+	check_app(["mkdir", "--version"], "Directory creation utility", "usually part of coreutils")
+	check_app(["cp", "--version"], "Copy utility", "usually part of coreutils")
+	check_app(["uname", "--version"], "System information utility", "usually part of coreutils")
+	check_app(["find", "--version"], "Find utility", "usually part of findutils")
+	check_app(["diff", "--version"], "Diff utility", "usually part of diffutils")
+	check_app(["make", "--version"], "Make utility", "preferably GNU Make")
+	check_app(["makedepend", "-f", "-"], "Makedepend utility", "usually part of imake or xutils")
+	
+	try:
+		if (config['COMPILER'] == "gcc_native"):
+			check_app(["gcc", "--version"], "GNU GCC", "preferably version 4.4 or newer")
+			check_binutils()
+		
+		if (config['COMPILER'] == "icc"):
+			check_app(["icc", "-V"], "Intel C++ Compiler", "support is experimental")
+			check_binutils()
+		
+		if (config['COMPILER'] == "suncc"):
+			check_app(["suncc", "-V"], "Sun Studio Compiler", "support is experimental")
+			check_binutils()
+		
+		if (config['COMPILER'] == "clang"):
+			check_app(["clang", "--version"], "Clang compiler", "preferably version 1.0 or newer")
+			check_binutils()
+		
+		if ((config['UARCH'] == "amd64") or (config['UARCH'] == "ia32") or (config['UARCH'] == "ppc32") or (config['UARCH'] == "sparc64")):
+			check_app(["mkisofs", "--version"], "ISO 9660 creation utility", "usually part of genisoimage")
+		
+	except KeyError:
+		print_error(["Build configuration of HelenOS is corrupted or the sanity checks",
+		             "are out-of-sync. Try running \"make config\" again. ",
+		             "If the problem persists, please contact the developers of HelenOS."])
+	
+	return 0
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+	sys.exit(main())