--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/python/path.py	Mon Aug 12 15:14:10 2013 -0700
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+"""
+(filesystem) path utilities
+
+from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12041525/a-system-independent-way-using-python-to-get-the-root-directory-drive-on-which-p
+"""
+
+import os
+
+def is_root(path):
+    """is `path` the filesystem root"""
+    return not os.path.split(path)[1]
+
+def root(path):
+    """return filesystem root of path"""
+    path = os.path.abspath(path)
+    while not is_root(path):
+        path, tail = os.path.split(path)
+    return path
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    import sys
+    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+        print root(path)