Index: Lib/os.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/os.py	(revision 64492)
+++ Lib/os.py	(working copy)
@@ -758,3 +758,37 @@
             bytes += read(_urandomfd, n - len(bytes))
         close(_urandomfd)
         return bytes
+
+if not _exists("startfile"):
+    def startfile(filepath, operation = ""):
+        """startfile(filepath [, operation])
+
+Start a file with its associated application."""
+        if sys.platform == 'darwin':
+            command = ['open',]
+            def raise_error(code):
+                # XXX
+                # need implemented
+                raise OSError
+        else:
+            command = ['xdg-open',]
+            def raise_error(code):
+                err = {
+                    1: errno.EINVAL,
+                    2: errno.ENOENT,
+                    3: errno.ENOEXEC,
+                    # XXX
+                    4: errno.ENOEXEC,
+                    5: errno.EACCES,
+                    6: errno.EACCES,
+                    }[code]
+                raise OSError(err, strerror(err))
+        if operation:
+            command.append(operation)
+        command.append(filepath)
+        import subprocess
+        retcode = subprocess.call(command)
+        if retcode:
+            raise_error(retcode)
+
+    __all__.append("startfile")