diff -uN lib_mysqludf_sys/install.sh lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/install.sh
--- lib_mysqludf_sys/install.sh	1970-01-01 01:00:00.000000000 +0100
+++ lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/install.sh	2009-01-15 16:04:50.000000000 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+echo "Compiling the MySQL UDF"
+make
+
+if test $? -ne 0; then
+	echo "ERROR: You need libmysqlclient development software installed "
+	echo "to be able to compile this UDF, on Debian/Ubuntu just run:"
+	echo "apt-get install libmysqlclient15-dev"
+	exit 1
+else
+	echo "MySQL UDF compiled successfully"
+fi
+
+echo -e "\nPlease provide your MySQL root password and press RETURN: \c"
+read PASSWORD
+
+mysql -u root --password=$PASSWORD mysql < lib_mysqludf_sys.sql
+
+if test $? -ne 0; then
+	echo "ERROR: unable to install the UDF"
+	exit 1
+else
+	echo "MySQL UDF installed successfully"
+fi
Binary files lib_mysqludf_sys/lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.2.tar.gz and lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.2.tar.gz differ
diff -uN lib_mysqludf_sys/lib_mysqludf_sys.c lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/lib_mysqludf_sys.c
--- lib_mysqludf_sys/lib_mysqludf_sys.c	2007-08-05 13:46:43.000000000 +0100
+++ lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/lib_mysqludf_sys.c	2009-01-15 15:55:33.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 /* 
 	lib_mysqludf_sys - a library with miscellaneous (operating) system level functions
 	Copyright (C) 2007  Roland Bouman 
-	web: http://www.xcdsql.org/MySQL/UDF/ 
-	email: mysqludfs@gmail.com
+	Copyright (C) 2008-2009  Roland Bouman and Bernardo Damele A. G.
+	web: http://www.mysqludf.org/
+	email: mysqludfs@gmail.com, bernardo.damele@gmail.com
 	
 	This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
 	modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-#define LIBVERSION "lib_mysqludf_sys version 0.0.2"
+#define LIBVERSION "lib_mysqludf_sys version 0.0.3"
 
 #ifdef __WIN__
 #define SETENV(name,value)		SetEnvironmentVariable(name,value);
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@
 /**
  * sys_exec
  * 
- * executes the argument commandstring.
+ * executes the argument commandstring and returns its exit status.
  * Beware that this can be a security hazard.
  */
 DLLEXP 
@@ -162,6 +163,34 @@
 ,	char *error
 );
 
+/**
+ * sys_eval
+ * 
+ * executes the argument commandstring and returns its standard output.
+ * Beware that this can be a security hazard.
+ */
+DLLEXP 
+my_bool sys_eval_init(
+	UDF_INIT *initid
+,	UDF_ARGS *args
+,	char *message
+);
+
+DLLEXP 
+void sys_eval_deinit(
+	UDF_INIT *initid
+);
+
+DLLEXP 
+char* sys_eval(
+	UDF_INIT *initid
+,	UDF_ARGS *args
+,	char* result
+,	unsigned long* length
+,	char *is_null
+,	char *error
+);
+
 
 #ifdef	__cplusplus
 }
@@ -336,5 +365,62 @@
 	return system(args->args[0]);
 }
 
+my_bool sys_eval_init(
+	UDF_INIT *initid
+,	UDF_ARGS *args
+,	char *message
+){
+	unsigned int i=0;
+	if(args->arg_count == 1
+	&& args->arg_type[i]==STRING_RESULT){
+		return 0;
+	} else {
+		strcpy(
+			message
+		,	"Expected exactly one string type parameter"
+		);		
+		return 1;
+	}
+}
+void sys_eval_deinit(
+	UDF_INIT *initid
+){
+}
+char* sys_eval(
+	UDF_INIT *initid
+,	UDF_ARGS *args
+,	char* result
+,	unsigned long* length
+,	char *is_null
+,	char *error
+){
+	FILE *pipe;
+	char line[1024];
+	unsigned long outlen, linelen;
+
+	result = malloc(1);
+	outlen = 0;
+
+	pipe = popen(args->args[0], "r");
+
+	while (fgets(line, sizeof(line), pipe) != NULL) {
+		linelen = strlen(line);
+		result = realloc(result, outlen + linelen);
+		strncpy(result + outlen, line, linelen);
+		outlen = outlen + linelen;
+	}
+
+	pclose(pipe);
+
+	if (!(*result) || result == NULL) {
+		*is_null = 1;
+	} else {
+    	result[outlen] = 0x00;
+	    *length = strlen(result);
+	}
+
+    return result;
+}
+
 
 #endif /* HAVE_DLOPEN */
Binary files lib_mysqludf_sys/lib_mysqludf_sys.so and lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/lib_mysqludf_sys.so differ
diff -uN lib_mysqludf_sys/lib_mysqludf_sys.sql lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/lib_mysqludf_sys.sql
--- lib_mysqludf_sys/lib_mysqludf_sys.sql	2007-06-02 20:42:53.000000000 +0100
+++ lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/lib_mysqludf_sys.sql	2009-01-15 15:57:34.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 /* 
 	lib_mysqludf_sys - a library with miscellaneous (operating) system level functions
 	Copyright (C) 2007  Roland Bouman 
-	web: http://www.xcdsql.org/MySQL/UDF/ 
-	email: mysqludfs@gmail.com
+	Copyright (C) 2008-2009  Roland Bouman and Bernardo Damele A. G.
+	web: http://www.mysqludf.org/
+	email: mysqludfs@gmail.com, bernardo.damele@gmail.com
 	
 	This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
 	modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -19,12 +20,14 @@
 	Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 */
 
-drop function lib_mysqludf_sys_info;
-drop function sys_get;
-drop function sys_set;
-drop function sys_exec;
+DROP FUNCTION IF EXISTS lib_mysqludf_sys_info;
+DROP FUNCTION IF EXISTS sys_get;
+DROP FUNCTION IF EXISTS sys_set;
+DROP FUNCTION IF EXISTS sys_exec;
+DROP FUNCTION IF EXISTS sys_eval;
 
-create function lib_mysqludf_sys_info returns string soname 'lib_mysqludf_sys.so';
-create function sys_get returns string soname 'lib_mysqludf_sys.so';
-create function sys_set returns int soname 'lib_mysqludf_sys.so';
-create function sys_exec returns int soname 'lib_mysqludf_sys.so';
+CREATE FUNCTION lib_mysqludf_sys_info RETURNS string SONAME 'lib_mysqludf_sys.so';
+CREATE FUNCTION sys_get RETURNS string SONAME 'lib_mysqludf_sys.so';
+CREATE FUNCTION sys_set RETURNS int SONAME 'lib_mysqludf_sys.so';
+CREATE FUNCTION sys_exec RETURNS int SONAME 'lib_mysqludf_sys.so';
+CREATE FUNCTION sys_eval RETURNS string SONAME 'lib_mysqludf_sys.so';
diff -uN lib_mysqludf_sys/Makefile lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/Makefile
--- lib_mysqludf_sys/Makefile	2007-08-05 12:54:53.000000000 +0100
+++ lib_mysqludf_sys_0.0.3/Makefile	2009-01-15 15:52:48.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-linux: \
- lib_mysqludf_sys.so
+LIBDIR=/usr/lib
 
-lib_mysqludf_sys.so: \
- 
-	gcc -Wall -I/opt/mysql/mysql/include -I. -shared lib_mysqludf_sys.c -o lib_mysqludf_sys.so
+install:
+	gcc -Wall -I/usr/include/mysql -I. -shared lib_mysqludf_sys.c -o $(LIBDIR)/lib_mysqludf_sys.so