diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/__init__.py b/python/obitools3/apps/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/arguments.pxd b/python/obitools3/apps/arguments.pxd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4713b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/arguments.pxd
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+cpdef buildArgumentParser(str configname, str softname)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/arguments.pyx b/python/obitools3/apps/arguments.pyx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c521fac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/arguments.pyx
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+'''
+Created on 27 mars 2016
+
+@author: coissac
+'''
+
+import argparse
+import sys
+
+
+from .command import getCommandsList
+
+class ObiParser(argparse.ArgumentParser): 
+    def error(self, message):
+        sys.stderr.write('error: %s\n' % message)
+        self.print_help()
+        sys.exit(2)
+
+cpdef buildArgumentParser(str configname, 
+                          str softname):
+    parser = ObiParser()
+    
+    parser.add_argument('--version',   dest='%s:version' % configname, 
+                                       action='store_true', 
+                                       default=False, 
+                        help='Print the version of %s' % softname)
+
+    parser.add_argument('--log',       dest='%s:log' % configname, 
+                                       action='store',
+                                       type=str,
+                                       default=None, 
+                        help='Create a logfile')
+
+    parser.add_argument('--no-progress', dest='%s:progress' % configname, 
+                                       action='store_false', 
+                                       default=None, 
+                        help='Do not print the progress bar during analyzes')
+
+    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(title='subcommands',
+                                       description='valid subcommands',
+                                       help='additional help')
+    
+    commands = getCommandsList()
+    
+    for c in commands:
+        module = commands[c]
+        
+        if hasattr(module, "run"):
+            if hasattr(module, "__title__"):
+                sub = subparsers.add_parser(c,help=module.__title__)
+            else:
+                sub = subparsers.add_parser(c)
+    
+            if hasattr(module, "addOptions"):
+                module.addOptions(sub)
+            
+            sub.set_defaults(**{'%s:module'  % configname : module})
+                        
+    return parser
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/command.pxd b/python/obitools3/apps/command.pxd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c034a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/command.pxd
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+cdef object loadCommand(str name,loader)
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/command.pyx b/python/obitools3/apps/command.pyx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1234188
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/command.pyx
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+'''
+Created on 27 mars 2016
+
+@author: coissac
+'''
+
+import pkgutil
+
+from obitools3 import commands
+
+cdef object loadCommand(str name,loader):
+    '''
+    Load a command module from its name and an ImpLoader
+    
+    This function is for internal use
+    
+    @param name:   name of the module
+    @type name: str 
+    @param loader: the module loader
+    @type loader: ImpLoader
+    
+    @return the loaded module
+    @rtype: module 
+    '''
+    
+    module = loader.find_module(name).load_module(name)
+    return module
+
+def getCommandsList():
+    '''
+    Returns the list of sub-commands available to the main `obi` command
+    
+    @return: a dict instance with key corresponding to each command and
+             value corresponding to the module
+             
+    @rtype: dict
+    '''
+    
+    cdef dict cmds = dict((x[1],loadCommand(x[1],x[0])) 
+                           for x in pkgutil.iter_modules(commands.__path__) 
+                           if not x[2])
+    return cmds
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/config.pxd b/python/obitools3/apps/config.pxd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d055eef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/config.pxd
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+cpdef str setRootConfigName(str rootname)
+cpdef str getRootConfigName()
+
+cdef dict buildDefaultConfiguration(str root_config_name,
+                                    dict  config)
+
+cpdef dict getConfiguration(str root_config_name,
+                                    dict  config)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/config.pyx b/python/obitools3/apps/config.pyx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55178ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/config.pyx
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+'''
+Created on 27 mars 2016
+
+@author: coissac
+'''
+
+import sys
+
+from .command   import  getCommandsList
+from .logging   cimport getLogger
+from .arguments cimport buildArgumentParser
+
+from obitools3.version import version
+from _curses import version
+
+cdef dict __default_config__ = {}
+
+
+cpdef str setRootConfigName(str rootname):
+    global __default_config__
+    if '__root_config__' in __default_config__:
+        if __default_config__["__root_config__"] in __default_config__:
+            __default_config__[rootname]=__default_config__[__default_config__["__root_config__"]]
+            del __default_config__[__default_config__["__root_config__"]]
+    __default_config__['__root_config__']=rootname
+    return rootname
+
+cpdef str getRootConfigName():
+    global __default_config__
+    return __default_config__.get('__root_config__',None)
+
+cdef dict buildDefaultConfiguration(str root_config_name,
+                                    dict  config):
+    global __default_config__
+    
+    __default_config__.clear()
+    setRootConfigName(root_config_name)    
+
+    __default_config__[root_config_name]=config
+    
+    config['version']=version
+    
+    commands = getCommandsList()
+    
+    for c in commands:
+        module = commands[c]
+    
+        assert hasattr(module, "run")
+        
+        if hasattr(module, 'default_config'):
+            __default_config__[c]=module.default_config
+        else:
+            __default_config__[c]={}
+                        
+    return __default_config__
+        
+
+cpdef dict getConfiguration(str root_config_name,
+                            dict  config):
+    global __default_config__
+
+    if '__done__' in __default_config__:
+        return __default_config__
+    
+    
+    config =  buildDefaultConfiguration(root_config_name,
+                                        config)
+    
+    parser = buildArgumentParser(root_config_name,
+                                 config[root_config_name]['software'])
+    
+    options = vars(parser.parse_args())
+
+    if options['%s:version' % root_config_name]:
+        print("%s - Version %s" % (config[root_config_name]['software'],
+                                   config[root_config_name]['version']))
+        sys.exit(0)
+    
+    for k in options:
+        section,key = k.split(':')
+        s = config[section]
+        if options[k] is not None:
+            s[key]=options[k]
+            
+    if not 'module' in config[root_config_name]:
+        print('\nError: No command specified',file=sys.stderr)
+        parser.print_help()
+        sys.exit(2)
+                
+    getLogger(config)
+    
+    config['__done__']=True
+            
+    return config
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/logging.pxd b/python/obitools3/apps/logging.pxd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ead8bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/logging.pxd
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+cpdef getLogger(dict config)
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/logging.pyx b/python/obitools3/apps/logging.pyx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..559977d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/logging.pyx
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+'''
+Created on 27 mars 2016
+
+@author: coissac
+'''
+
+import logging
+import sys
+
+cpdef getLogger(dict config):
+    '''
+    Returns the logger as defined by the command line option
+    or by the config file
+    :param config:
+    '''
+    
+    root = config["__root_config__"]
+ 
+    level  = config[root]['loglevel'] 
+    logfile= config[root]['log'] 
+    
+    rootlogger   = logging.getLogger()
+    logFormatter = logging.Formatter("%(asctime)s [%(levelname)-5.5s]  %(message)s")
+
+    stderrHandler = logging.StreamHandler(sys.stderr)
+    stderrHandler.setFormatter(logFormatter)
+
+    rootlogger.addHandler(stderrHandler)
+    
+    if logfile:
+        fileHandler = logging.FileHandler(logfile)
+        fileHandler.setFormatter(logFormatter)
+        rootlogger.addHandler(fileHandler)
+    
+    try:
+        loglevel = getattr(logging, level) 
+    except:
+        loglevel = logging.INFO
+        
+    rootlogger.setLevel(loglevel)
+    
+    config[root]['logger']=rootlogger
+    
+    return rootlogger
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/progress.pxd b/python/obitools3/apps/progress.pxd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..979ab80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/progress.pxd
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+from ..utils cimport str2bytes
+
+cdef extern from "stdio.h":
+    struct FILE
+    int fprintf(FILE *stream, char *format, ...)
+    FILE* stderr
+    ctypedef unsigned int off_t "unsigned long long"
+    
+cdef extern from "unistd.h":
+    int fsync(int fd);
+
+cdef extern from "time.h":
+    struct tm :
+        int tm_yday 
+        int tm_hour
+        int tm_min
+        int tm_sec
+
+    enum: CLOCKS_PER_SEC
+    
+    ctypedef int time_t
+    ctypedef int clock_t
+    ctypedef int suseconds_t
+    
+    struct timeval:
+        time_t      tv_sec     #  seconds */
+        suseconds_t tv_usec    #  microseconds */
+
+
+    struct timezone :
+        int tz_minuteswest;    # minutes west of Greenwich
+        int tz_dsttime;        # type of DST correction 
+
+        
+    int gettimeofday(timeval *tv, timezone *tz)
+
+
+    tm *gmtime_r(time_t *clock, tm *result)
+    time_t time(time_t *tloc)
+    clock_t clock()
+
+cdef class ProgressBar:
+    cdef off_t   maxi
+    cdef clock_t starttime
+    cdef clock_t lasttime
+    cdef clock_t tickcount
+    cdef int freq
+    cdef int cycle
+    cdef int arrow
+    cdef int lastlog
+    cdef bint ontty
+    cdef int fd
+    
+    cdef bytes head
+    cdef char *chead
+    
+    cdef object logger
+
+    cdef char  *wheel
+    cdef char  *spaces
+    cdef char*  diese 
+    
+    cdef clock_t clock(self)
diff --git a/python/obitools3/apps/progress.pyx b/python/obitools3/apps/progress.pyx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..48bffe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/obitools3/apps/progress.pyx
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+
+'''
+Created on 27 mars 2016
+
+@author: coissac
+'''
+
+import sys
+from ..utils cimport bytes2str
+
+cdef class ProgressBar:
+    cdef clock_t clock(self):
+        cdef clock_t t
+        cdef timeval tp
+        cdef clock_t s
+        
+        <void> gettimeofday(&tp,NULL)
+        s = <clock_t> (<double> tp.tv_usec * 1.e-6 * <double> CLOCKS_PER_SEC)
+        t = tp.tv_sec * CLOCKS_PER_SEC + s 
+        
+        return t
+
+    def __init__(self,
+                 off_t maxi,
+                 dict  config,
+                 str head="",
+                 double seconde=0.1):
+        self.starttime = self.clock()
+        self.lasttime  = self.starttime
+        self.tickcount = <clock_t> (seconde * CLOCKS_PER_SEC)
+        self.freq      = 1
+        self.cycle     = 0
+        self.arrow     = 0
+        self.lastlog   = 0
+        
+        self.ontty = sys.stderr.isatty()
+        
+        if (maxi<=0):
+            maxi=1
+            
+        self.maxi = maxi
+        self.head = str2bytes(head)
+        self.chead= self.head 
+        
+        
+        self.logger=config[config["__root_config__"]]["logger"]
+        self.wheel =  '|/-\\'
+        self.spaces='          ' \
+                    '          ' \
+                    '          ' \
+                    '          ' \
+                    '          '
+        self.diese ='##########' \
+                    '##########' \
+                    '##########' \
+                    '##########' \
+                    '##########'  
+                           
+    def __call__(self,object pos):
+        cdef off_t    ipos
+        cdef clock_t  elapsed
+        cdef clock_t  newtime
+        cdef clock_t  delta
+        cdef clock_t  more 
+        cdef double   percent 
+        cdef tm remain
+        cdef int days,hour,minu,sec
+        cdef off_t fraction
+        cdef int twentyth
+        
+        self.cycle+=1
+    
+        if self.cycle % self.freq == 0:
+            self.cycle=1
+            newtime  = self.clock()
+            delta         = newtime - self.lasttime
+            self.lasttime = newtime
+            elapsed       = newtime - self.starttime
+#            print(" ",delta,elapsed,elapsed/CLOCKS_PER_SEC,self.tickcount)
+            
+            if   delta < self.tickcount / 5 :
+                self.freq*=2
+            elif delta > self.tickcount * 5 and self.freq>1:
+                self.freq/=2
+                
+            
+            if callable(pos):
+                ipos=pos()
+            else:
+                ipos=pos
+                
+            if ipos==0:
+                ipos=1                
+
+            percent = <double>ipos/<double>self.maxi
+            more = <time_t>((<double>elapsed / percent * (1. - percent))/CLOCKS_PER_SEC)
+            <void>gmtime_r(&more, &remain)
+            days  = remain.tm_yday 
+            hour  = remain.tm_hour
+            minu  = remain.tm_min
+            sec   = remain.tm_sec
+                
+            if self.ontty:
+                fraction=<int>(percent * 50.)
+                self.arrow=(self.arrow+1) % 4
+                self.diese[fraction]=0
+                self.spaces[50 - fraction]=0
+            
+                if days:
+                    <void>fprintf(stderr,b'\r%s %5.1f %% |%s%c%s] remain : %d days %02d:%02d:%02d',
+                                    self.chead,
+                                    percent*100,
+                                    self.diese,self.wheel[self.arrow],self.spaces,
+                                    days,hour,minu,sec)
+                else:
+                    <void>fprintf(stderr,b'\r%s %5.1f %% |%s%c%s] remain : %02d:%02d:%02d',
+                                    self.chead,
+                                    percent*100.,
+                                    self.diese,self.wheel[self.arrow],self.spaces,
+                                    hour,minu,sec)
+                self.diese[fraction]=b'#'
+                self.spaces[50 - fraction]=b' '
+
+            twentyth = int(percent * 20)
+            if twentyth != self.lastlog:
+                
+                if self.ontty:
+                    <void>fprintf(stderr,b'\n')
+                    
+                self.logger.info('%s %5.1f %% remain : %02d:%02d:%02d' % (
+                                        bytes2str(self.head),
+                                        percent*100.,
+                                        hour,minu,sec))
+                self.lastlog=twentyth
+        else:
+            self.cycle+=1
+