diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5f63ff6..a541ab2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ kraklist.txt
 papers
 callgrind*
 *.comp_new
+*.comp_new.expr
 *.comp_bac
 bintest.bin
 *.dot
diff --git a/kraken.krak b/kraken.krak
index c4f10de..44dd164 100644
--- a/kraken.krak
+++ b/kraken.krak
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ fun main(argc: int, argv: **char):int {
         doing_repl = true
     } else if (string(argv[1]) == "-v" || string(argv[1]) == "--version") {
         println(compiler_version::version_string)
+        /*var version_c_string = #ctce(fun(): *char {*/
+            /*var version_string = string("Self-hosted Kraken compiler \"Kalypso\" - revision ") + from_system_command(string("git rev-list HEAD | wc -l"), 100) +*/
+                /*", commit: " + from_system_command(string("git rev-parse HEAD"), 100) +*/
+                /*", compile date: " + from_system_command(string("date"), 100) */
+            /*return version_string.toCharArray()*/
+        /*}())*/
+        /*println(version_c_string)*/
         exit(0)
     }
     var input_file_offset = 1
@@ -100,13 +107,17 @@ fun main(argc: int, argv: **char):int {
 
     // This is our REPL loop
     var scope = ast_translation_unit_ptr(string("stdin"))
-    while (doing_repl) {
-        var line = get_line(string("> "), 100)
-        if (line == "end")
-            return 0
-        var trimmed_parse = trim(parse1.parse_input(line, string("stdin")))
-        var ast_expression = ast_pass.transform_expression(trimmed_parse, scope, map<string, *type>())
-        print_value(evaluate_constant_expression(ast_expression))
+    if (doing_repl) {
+        /*var globals = setup_globals(importer.name_ast_map)*/
+        while (doing_repl) {
+            var line = get_line(string("> "), 100)
+            if (line == "end")
+                return 0
+            var trimmed_parse = trim(parse1.parse_input(line, string("stdin")))
+            var ast_expression = ast_pass.transform_expression(trimmed_parse, scope, map<string, *type>())
+            print_value(evaluate_constant_expression(ast_expression))
+            /*print_value(evaluate_with_globals(ast_expression, &globals))*/
+        }
     }
 
     var kraken_file_name = string(argv[input_file_offset])
diff --git a/stdlib/ctce_lower.krak b/stdlib/ctce_lower.krak
index 821c498..02bb831 100644
--- a/stdlib/ctce_lower.krak
+++ b/stdlib/ctce_lower.krak
@@ -13,12 +13,13 @@ import interpreter:*
 import pass_common:*
 
 fun ctce_lower(name_ast_map: *map<string, pair<*tree<symbol>,*ast_node>>, ast_to_syntax: *map<*ast_node, *tree<symbol>>) {
+    var globals = setup_globals(*name_ast_map)
     name_ast_map->for_each(fun(name: string, syntax_ast_pair: pair<*tree<symbol>,*ast_node>) {
         var helper_before = fun(node: *ast_node, parent_chain: *stack<*ast_node>) {
             match(*node) {
                 ast_node::compiler_intrinsic(backing) {
                     if (backing.intrinsic == "ctce") {
-                        var result = evaluate_constant_expression(backing.parameters[0])
+                        var result = evaluate_with_globals(backing.parameters[0], &globals)
                         *node = *unwrap_value(result)
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/stdlib/interpreter.krak b/stdlib/interpreter.krak
index 267a73a..06c5641 100644
--- a/stdlib/interpreter.krak
+++ b/stdlib/interpreter.krak
@@ -553,9 +553,10 @@ fun call_main(name_ast_map: ref map<string, pair<*tree<symbol>,*ast_node>>) {
     var result = call_function(results[0], vector<value>(), vector<*ast_node>(), &var_stack, map<*ast_node,value>(), value::void_nothing(), value::void_nothing(), null<ast_node>(), &globals)
     pop_and_free(&var_stack)
 }
-fun evaluate_constant_expression(node: *ast_node): value {
+fun evaluate_constant_expression(node: *ast_node): value
     return interpret(node, null<stack<map<*ast_node, value>>>(), value::void_nothing(), null<ast_node>(), null<map<*ast_node, value>>()).first
-}
+fun evaluate_with_globals(node: *ast_node, globals: *map<*ast_node, value>): value
+    return interpret(node, null<stack<map<*ast_node, value>>>(), value::void_nothing(), null<ast_node>(), globals).first
 fun setup_globals(name_ast_map: ref map<string, pair<*tree<symbol>,*ast_node>>): map<*ast_node, value> {
     var globals = map<*ast_node, value>()
     name_ast_map.for_each(fun(key: string, value: pair<*tree<symbol>,*ast_node>) {
@@ -679,7 +680,7 @@ fun interpret_function_call(func_call: *ast_node, var_stack: *stack<map<*ast_nod
             return make_pair(dereference_pointer_into_variable(dereference_val), control_flow::nor())
         }
         // check for built-in-ish externs (everything the standard library needs)
-        if (func_name == "printf" || func_name == "malloc" || func_name == "free" || func_name == "memmove" || func_name == "fflush" || func_name == "snprintf" || func_name == "fopen" || func_name == "fclose" || func_name == "ftell" || func_name == "fseek" || func_name == "fread" || func_name == "fwrite" || func_name == "atan" || func_name == "atan2" || func_name == "acos" || func_name == "asin" || func_name == "tan" || func_name == "cos" || func_name == "sin")
+        if (func_name == "printf" || func_name == "malloc" || func_name == "free" || func_name == "memmove" || func_name == "fflush" || func_name == "snprintf" || func_name == "fopen" || func_name == "fclose" || func_name == "ftell" || func_name == "fseek" || func_name == "fread" || func_name == "fwrite" || func_name == "atan" || func_name == "atan2" || func_name == "acos" || func_name == "asin" || func_name == "tan" || func_name == "cos" || func_name == "sin" || func_name == "fgets" || func_name == "popen" || func_name == "pclose")
             return make_pair(call_built_in_extern(func_name, parameters), control_flow::nor())
         if (!func_call_func->function.body_statement)
             error(string("trying to call unsupported extern function: ") + func_name)
@@ -814,6 +815,17 @@ fun call_built_in_extern(func_name: string, parameters: vector<value>): value {
     } else if (func_name == "sin") {
         assert(parameters.size == 1 && is_double_precision(parameters[0]), "Calling sin with wrong params")
         return value::double_precision(sin(parameters[0].double_precision))
+    } else if (func_name == "fgets") {
+        assert(parameters.size == 3 && is_pointer(parameters[0]) && is_integer(parameters[1]) && is_pointer(parameters[2]), "Calling fgets with wrong params")
+        // first param is *char, so reuse for return
+        return value::pointer(make_pair((fgets((parameters[0].pointer.first) cast *char, parameters[1].integer, parameters[2].pointer.first)) cast *void, parameters[0].pointer.second))
+    } else if (func_name == "popen") {
+        assert(parameters.size == 2 && is_pointer(parameters[0]) && is_pointer(parameters[1]), "Calling popen with wrong params")
+        return value::pointer(
+            make_pair(popen((parameters[0].pointer.first) cast *char, (parameters[1].pointer.first) cast *char), type_ptr(base_type::void_return(), 1)))
+    } else if (func_name == "pclose") {
+        assert(parameters.size == 1 && is_pointer(parameters[0]), "Calling pclose with wrong params")
+        return value::integer(pclose(parameters[0].pointer.first))
     } else {
         error(string("trying to call invalid func: ") + func_name)
     }
diff --git a/stdlib/io.krak b/stdlib/io.krak
index 4ac83f8..2da1cbc 100644
--- a/stdlib/io.krak
+++ b/stdlib/io.krak
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@ fun get_line(prompt: string::string, line_size: int): string::string {
     print(prompt)
     return get_line(line_size)
 }
-fun get_line(line_size: int): string::string {
+fun get_line(line_size: int): string::string
+    return get_line(line_size, stdin)
+fun get_line(line_size: int, file: *void): string::string {
     var buff = new<char>(line_size)
-    fgets(buff, line_size, stdin)
+    fgets(buff, line_size, file)
     var to_ret = string::string(buff)
     delete(buff)
     return to_ret.slice(0,-2) // remove '\n'
diff --git a/stdlib/os.krak b/stdlib/os.krak
index 33f934b..fc36f55 100644
--- a/stdlib/os.krak
+++ b/stdlib/os.krak
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import string:*
 import mem:*
+import io:*
 
 fun system(call_string: string):int {
     var c_call_string = call_string.toCharArray()
@@ -9,5 +10,15 @@ fun system(call_string: string):int {
 }
 ext fun system(call_string: *char): int
 ext fun exit(code: int):void
-fun exit() exit(0);
+fun exit() exit(0)
 
+ext fun popen(command: *char, mode: *char): *void
+ext fun pclose(file: *void): int
+fun from_system_command(command: string, line_size: int): string {
+    var command_string = command.toCharArray()
+    defer delete(command_string)
+    var p = popen(command_string, "r")
+    var to_ret = get_line(line_size, p)
+    pclose(p)
+    return to_ret
+}
diff --git a/stdlib/string.krak b/stdlib/string.krak
index 2a160ef..65f7b30 100644
--- a/stdlib/string.krak
+++ b/stdlib/string.krak
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ obj string (Object, Serializable) {
     }
 
     fun operator+(integer: int): string return *this + to_string(integer);
+    fun operator+(integer: ulong): string return *this + to_string(integer);
     /*fun operator+(b: bool): string return *this + to_string(b);*/
 
     fun operator+(str: *char): string {
@@ -194,6 +195,7 @@ obj string (Object, Serializable) {
     }
 
     fun operator+=(integer: int) *this += to_string(integer);
+    fun operator+=(integer: ulong) *this += to_string(integer);
     /*fun operator+=(b: bool) *this += to_string(b);*/
 
     fun operator+=(character: char): void {
diff --git a/tests/test_ctce.expected_results b/tests/test_ctce.expected_results
index f7cf94f..db9a4b3 100644
--- a/tests/test_ctce.expected_results
+++ b/tests/test_ctce.expected_results
@@ -1,2 +1,14 @@
 3
 hello, world
+From Shell
+From Shell
+From Shell
+From Shell
+From Shell
+From Shell
+From Shell
+From Shell
+From Shell
+From Shell
+true
+true
diff --git a/tests/test_ctce.krak b/tests/test_ctce.krak
index eb415f3..4b1e30c 100644
--- a/tests/test_ctce.krak
+++ b/tests/test_ctce.krak
@@ -1,8 +1,28 @@
 import io: *
+import os: *
+import string: *
+import ast_nodes: *
+
+fun compare_sizes<T>() {
+    var a = #sizeof<T>
+    var b = #ctce(#sizeof<T>)
+    println(a == b)
+    if (a != b)
+        println(string() + a + " is not the same size as " + b)
+}
 
 fun main(): int {
     var a = #ctce(1+2)
     println(a)
     println(#ctce("junkhello, world"+4))
+    for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++;) {
+        println(#ctce(fun(): *char {
+            println("\n\n=====During CTCE!=====\n\n")
+            var it = from_system_command(string("echo From Shell"), 100)
+            return it.toCharArray()
+        }()))
+    }
+    compare_sizes<string>()
+    compare_sizes<ast_node>()
     return 0
 }