diff --git a/andax/src/fns/io.rs b/andax/src/fns/io.rs
index 46ef9da..2e14198 100644
--- a/andax/src/fns/io.rs
+++ b/andax/src/fns/io.rs
@@ -9,14 +9,18 @@ use rhai::{
 use std::io::Write;
 use std::process::Command;
 use tracing::{debug, instrument};
+
 macro_rules! _sh_out {
     ($ctx:expr, $o:expr) => {
         Ok((
-            $o.status.code().ok_or::<Box<EvalAltResult>>("No exit code".into())?,
+            _sh_out!($o)?,
             String::from_utf8($o.stdout).ehdl($ctx)?,
             String::from_utf8($o.stderr).ehdl($ctx)?,
         ))
     };
+    ($o:expr) => {{
+        $o.status.code().ok_or::<Box<EvalAltResult>>("No exit code".into())
+    }};
 }
 macro_rules! _cmd {
     ($cmd:expr) => {{
@@ -32,6 +36,12 @@ macro_rules! _cmd {
     }};
 }
 
+macro_rules! _stream_cmd {
+    ($cmd:expr) => {{
+        _cmd!($cmd).stdout(Stdio::inherit()).stderr(Stdio::inherit())
+    }};
+}
+
 type T = Result<(i32, String, String), Box<EvalAltResult>>;
 
 /// for andax, shell():
@@ -46,6 +56,22 @@ type T = Result<(i32, String, String), Box<EvalAltResult>>;
 /// We will let rhai handle all the nasty things.
 #[export_module]
 pub mod ar {
+    use core::str::FromStr;
+    use std::process::Stdio;
+
+    macro_rules! die {
+        ($id:literal, $expect:expr, $found:expr) => {{
+            let mut e = rhai::Map::new();
+            let mut inner = std::collections::BTreeMap::new();
+            e.insert("outcome".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_str("fatal").unwrap());
+            inner.insert("kind".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_str($id).unwrap());
+            inner.insert("expect".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_str($expect).unwrap());
+            inner.insert("found".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_str($found).unwrap());
+            e.insert("ctx".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_map(inner));
+            e
+        }};
+    }
+
     /// get the return code from the return value of `sh()`
     #[rhai_fn(global)]
     pub fn sh_rc(o: (i32, String, String)) -> i32 {
@@ -62,6 +88,87 @@ pub mod ar {
         o.2
     }
 
+    fn _parse_io_opt(opt: Option<&mut rhai::Dynamic>) -> Result<impl Into<Stdio>, rhai::Map> {
+        let Some(s) = opt else { return Ok(Stdio::inherit()) };
+        let s = match std::mem::take(s).into_string() {
+            Ok(s) => s,
+            Err(e) => return Err(die!("bad_stdio_type", r#""inherit" | "null" | "piped""#, e)),
+        };
+        Ok(match &*s {
+            "inherit" => Stdio::inherit(),
+            "null" => Stdio::null(),
+            "piped" => Stdio::piped(),
+            _ => return Err(die!("bad_stdio_opt", r#""inherit" | "null" | "piped""#, &s)),
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Run a command
+    #[instrument]
+    #[rhai_fn(global, name = "sh")]
+    pub fn exec_cmd(command: Dynamic, mut opts: rhai::Map) -> rhai::Map {
+        let mut cmd: Command;
+        if command.is_string() {
+            cmd = Command::new("sh");
+            cmd.arg("-c").arg(command.into_string().unwrap())
+        } else {
+            let res = command.into_typed_array();
+            let Ok(arr) = res else {
+                return die!("bad_param_type", "String | Vec<String>", res.unwrap_err());
+            };
+            let [exec, args @ ..]: &[&str] = &arr[..] else {
+                return die!("empty_cmd_arr", "cmd.len() >= 1", "cmd.len() == 0");
+            };
+            cmd = Command::new(exec);
+            cmd.args(args)
+        };
+
+        cmd.stdout(match _parse_io_opt(opts.get_mut("stdout")) {
+            Ok(io) => io,
+            Err(e) => return e,
+        });
+        cmd.stderr(match _parse_io_opt(opts.get_mut("stderr")) {
+            Ok(io) => io,
+            Err(e) => return e,
+        });
+
+        if let Some(cwd) = opts.get_mut("cwd") {
+            match std::mem::take(cwd).into_string() {
+                Ok(cwd) => _ = cmd.current_dir(cwd),
+                Err(e) => return die!("bad_cwd_type", "String", e),
+            }
+        }
+
+        let out = match cmd.output() {
+            Ok(x) => x,
+            Err(err) => {
+                let mut e = rhai::Map::new();
+                let mut inner = rhai::Map::new();
+                e.insert("outcome".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_str("failure").unwrap());
+                inner.insert("error".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_str(&err.to_string()).unwrap());
+                e.insert("ctx".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_map(inner));
+                return e;
+            }
+        };
+
+        let mut ret = rhai::Map::new();
+        let mut inner = rhai::Map::new();
+        ret.insert("outcome".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_str("success").unwrap());
+        inner.insert(
+            "stdout".into(),
+            rhai::Dynamic::from_str(&String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout)).unwrap(),
+        );
+        inner.insert(
+            "stderr".into(),
+            rhai::Dynamic::from_str(&String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr)).unwrap(),
+        );
+        inner.insert(
+            "rc".into(),
+            rhai::Dynamic::from_int(i64::from(out.status.code().unwrap_or(0))),
+        );
+        ret.insert("ctx".into(), rhai::Dynamic::from_map(inner));
+        ret
+    }
+
     /// run a command using `cmd` on Windows and `sh` on other systems
     #[instrument(skip(ctx))]
     #[rhai_fn(return_raw, name = "sh", global)]
diff --git a/andax/src/run.rs b/andax/src/run.rs
index 8b9966b..f8bdb1e 100644
--- a/andax/src/run.rs
+++ b/andax/src/run.rs
@@ -294,10 +294,10 @@ fn hint_ear(sl: &str, lns: &str, ear: &EvalAltResult, rhai_fn: &str) -> Option<S
                 let s = d.clone().into_string().expect("sting.");
                 if s == "env(`GITHUB_TOKEN`) not present" {
                     h!(
-                        r#"gh() requires the environment variable `GITHUB_TOKEN` to be set as a Github token so as to avoid rate-limits:
+                        r"gh() requires the environment variable `GITHUB_TOKEN` to be set as a Github token so as to avoid rate-limits:
                         https://docs.github.com/en/rest/overview/resources-in-the-rest-api#rate-limiting
                         To create a Github token, see:
-                        https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/creating-a-personal-access-token"#
+                        https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/creating-a-personal-access-token"
                     );
                 }
             }