diff --git a/client/bin/autotest_utils.py b/client/bin/autotest_utils.py
index 45628a5..a1311bc 100755
--- a/client/bin/autotest_utils.py
+++ b/client/bin/autotest_utils.py
@@ -527,15 +527,6 @@
 	return version + '::' + timestamp
 
 
-def rpm_installed(package):
-	# Test if a package is installed or not
-	try:
-		system('rpm -q ' + package)
-	except:
-		return False
-	return True
-
-
 def write_keyval(dirname, dictionary):
 	keyval = open(os.path.join(dirname, 'keyval'), 'w')
 	for key in dictionary.keys():
diff --git a/client/bin/error.py b/client/bin/error.py
index 8ea71c0..a40e44d 100755
--- a/client/bin/error.py
+++ b/client/bin/error.py
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@
 	def __str__(self):
 		return "Command <" + self.args[0] + "> failed, rc=%d" % (self.args[1])
 
+class PackageError(TestError):
+       """Indicates an error trying to perform a package operation."""
+
 class UnhandledError(TestError):
 	"""Indicates an unhandled exception in a test."""
 	def __init__(self, prefix):
diff --git a/client/bin/package.py b/client/bin/package.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dd7b5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/bin/package.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+"""
+Functions to handle software packages. The functions covered here aim to be 
+generic, with implementations that deal with different package managers, such
+as dpkg and rpm.
+"""
+
+import os, re
+from error import *
+from autotest_utils import *
+
+
+def package_installed(package, package_type):
+       # Verify if a package file from a known package manager is intstalled.
+       if package_type == 'dpkg':
+               status = system_output('dpkg -s %s | grep Status' % package)
+               result = re.search('not-installed', status, re.IGNORECASE)
+               if result:
+                       return False
+               else:
+                       return True
+       elif package_type == 'rpm':
+               try:
+                       system('rpm -q ' + package)
+               except:
+                       return False
+               return True
+       else:
+               raise 'PackageError', 'Package method not implemented'
+
+
+def install_package(package):
+       if not os.path.isfile(package):
+               raise ValueError, 'invalid file %s to install' % package
+       # Use file and libmagic to determine the actual package file type.
+       package_type = system_output('file ' + package)
+       known_package = False
+       known_package_managers = ['rpm', 'dpkg']
+       for package_manager in known_package_managers:
+               if package_manager == 'rpm':
+                       package_version = system_output('rpm -qp ' + package)
+                       package_pattern = 'RPM'
+                       install_command = 'rpm -Uvh ' + package
+               elif package_manager == 'dpkg':
+                       package_version = system_output('dpkg -f %s Package' % package)
+                       package_pattern = 'Debian'
+                       install_command = 'dpkg -i ' + package
+               if package_type.__contains__(package_pattern):
+                       known_package = True
+                       if not package_installed(package_version, package_manager):
+                               return system(install_command)
+       if not known_package:
+               raise 'PackageError', 'Package method not implemented'