diff --git a/vagrantSandbox/README b/vagrantSandbox/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..37057362a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vagrantSandbox/README
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# -*- mode: org -*-
+#+TITLE: Virtual machines for testing and Packaging
+* Prerequisites
+  These virtual machines require
+  - VirtualBox :: for running from [[https://www.virtualbox.org]]
+  - Vagrant :: to automatically set them up from [[http://www.vagrantup.com]]
+* Starting
+  A virtual machine is set up with
+: vagrant up <machineName>
+  will download a virtual machine image and set it up. It will then
+  modify the image:
+  - add packages required to compile OpenFOAM and package it
+  - mount the directory of the sources
+  - from this directory clone it to the local disc with mercurial or
+    git (whatever the parent uses)
+  One can then connect to the virtual machine with
+: vagrant ssh <machinName>
+  and will be in the =$HOME= directory of the user =vagrant= where in
+  the directory =~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.6-ext= the sources are
+  available. Modifications can be pushed "outside" the virtual machine
+  with
+: hg push
+  There is also a symbolic link =~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-1.6-ext-parent=
+  to the sources if you want to edit there directly. Use with care
+  and don't compile in that directory unless you know what you're
+  doing
+* Virtual machines
+  Currently existing virtual machines are
+  - precise :: Latest LTS Ubuntu.
+  - lucid :: Previous LTS Ubuntu. Currently problems
+             with automatic setting up (something with the
+             =postfix=-package)
+  - maverick :: Tries to fix the problems with the
+                =lucid=-machine. Not yet working
diff --git a/vagrantSandbox/Vagrantfile b/vagrantSandbox/Vagrantfile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c604ee090
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vagrantSandbox/Vagrantfile
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# -*- mode: ruby -*-
+# vi: set ft=ruby :
+
+Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
+  config.vm.synced_folder "..", "/OpenFOAM-sources"
+
+  config.vm.provider :virtualbox do |vb|
+    #   # Don't boot with headless mode
+    #   vb.gui = true
+    #
+    #   # Use VBoxManage to customize the VM. For example to change memory:
+    vb.customize ["modifyvm", :id, "--memory", "1024"]
+  end
+
+  config.vm.define :lucid do |lucid|
+    lucid.vm.box = "lucid64"
+    lucid.vm.box_url = "http://files.vagrantup.com/lucid64.box"
+    lucid.vm.provision :shell do |s|
+      s.args   = "lucid"
+      s.path   = "initUbunutuScript.sh"
+    end
+  end
+
+  config.vm.define :maverick do |maverick|
+    maverick.vm.box = "maverick64"
+    maverick.vm.box_url = "http://mathie-vagrant-boxes.s3.amazonaws.com/maverick64.box"
+    maverick.vm.provision :shell do |s|
+      s.args   = "lucid"
+      s.path   = "initUbunutuScript.sh"
+    end
+  end
+
+  config.vm.define :precise do |precise|
+    precise.vm.box = "precise64"
+    precise.vm.box_url = "http://files.vagrantup.com/precise64.box"
+    precise.vm.provision :shell do |s|
+      s.args   = "precise"
+      s.path   = "initUbunutuScript.sh"
+    end
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/vagrantSandbox/ccache4vm/.stubForGitAndHg b/vagrantSandbox/ccache4vm/.stubForGitAndHg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/vagrantSandbox/initUbunutuScript.sh b/vagrantSandbox/initUbunutuScript.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..1171eee6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vagrantSandbox/initUbunutuScript.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+
+boxName=$1
+
+echo
+echo "Init script for $boxName"
+echo
+
+if [ "$boxName" == "lucid" ]
+then
+    echo
+    echo "Additional Python-Repository"
+    echo
+
+    # needed for add-appt-repository
+    apt-get -y install python-software-properties
+
+    add-apt-repository ppa:mercurial-ppa/releases
+
+    apt-get update -y
+fi
+
+echo
+echo "Installing additional packages"
+echo
+
+apt-get -y install mercurial
+apt-get -y install bison
+apt-get -y install flex
+apt-get -y install g++
+apt-get -y install make
+#apt-get -y install python-dev
+apt-get -y install ccache
+
+# this is needed for the packaging stuff
+echo
+echo "Setting for postfix"
+echo
+
+# Make sure that default-mta installs
+debconf-set-selections <<< "postfix postfix/mailname string vagrant.test.machine.com"
+debconf-set-selections <<< "postfix postfix/myhostname string vagrant.test.machine.com"
+debconf-set-selections <<< "postfix postfix/main_mailer_type string 'Internet Site'"
+debconf-set-selections <<< "postfix postfix/destinations string localhost"
+
+# this workaround doesn't work for lucid
+export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+
+echo
+echo "Tools for packaging"
+echo
+
+# Needed for packaging
+apt-get -y install default-mta
+apt-get -y install dpkg-dev
+apt-get -y install debhelper devscripts cdbs
+
+# Not needed. Just to keep Bernhard happy
+apt-get -y install emacs
+
+echo
+echo "Copying stuff from skeleton"
+echo
+for f in $(ls -A /vagrant/skel)
+do
+    target="/home/vagrant/$f"
+    if [ -e $target ]
+    then
+	echo "$target already there"
+    else
+	echo "Copying $target from skeleton"
+	cp -r "/vagrant/skel/$f" $target
+    fi
+done
+
+OFDIR=/home/vagrant/OpenFOAM/
+
+mkdir -vp $OFDIR
+
+OFClone=$OFDIR/OpenFOAM-1.6-ext
+OFReference=$OFDIR/OpenFOAM-1.6-ext-parent
+
+OFParent=/OpenFOAM-sources
+
+if [ ! -e $OFClone ]
+then
+    echo
+    echo "Cloning the OF-sources"
+    echo
+    if [ -e "$OFParent/.git" ]
+    then
+	echo
+	echo "Parent is git"
+	echo
+	su vagrant - -c "git clone $OFParent $OFClone"
+	echo
+	echo "Git cloned: TODO: set same branch as parent"
+	echo
+    elif [ -e "$OFParent/.hg" ]
+    then
+	echo
+	echo "Parent is mercurial. Hello Bernhard"
+	echo
+	su vagrant - -c "hg clone $OFParent $OFClone"
+	branchName=`hg branch -R $OFParent`
+	echo
+	echo "Parent is on branch $branchName"
+	su vagrant - -c "hg update -R $OFClone $branchName"
+    else
+	echo
+	echo "Problem. Parent $OFParent is neither git nor mercurial"
+	echo
+    fi
+else
+    echo "Repository $OFClone already there. No cloning"
+fi
+
+if [ ! -e $OFReference ]
+then
+    echo
+    echo "Linking $OFReference to $OFParent"
+    echo
+    ln -s $OFParent $OFReference
+else
+    echo
+    echo "Link $OFReference already there"
+    echo
+fi
+
+chown -R vagrant:vagrant $OFDIR
+
+echo
+echo "Current ccache:"
+export CCACHE_DIR=/vagrant/ccache4vm; ccache --show-stats
+
+echo
+echo "Ended"
diff --git a/vagrantSandbox/skel/.OpenFOAM/prefs.sh b/vagrantSandbox/skel/.OpenFOAM/prefs.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5bf38b7fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vagrantSandbox/skel/.OpenFOAM/prefs.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+export WM_SCHEDULER=ccache
+export CCACHE_DIR=/vagrant/ccache4vm
diff --git a/vagrantSandbox/skel/.hgrc b/vagrantSandbox/skel/.hgrc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63dc7a0b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vagrantSandbox/skel/.hgrc
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+[ui]
+merge = emacs
+editor = emacs
+
+[extensions]
+color =
+fetch =
+graphlog =
+hgk =
+keyword =
+pager =
+transplant =
+purge =
+rebase =
+bookmarks =
+extdiff =
+interhg =
+highlight =
+progress =
+
+[diff]
+git=1
+nodates=1
+
+[pager]
+pager = LESS='FSRX' less
+attend = help,annotate, cat, diff, export, glog, log, qdiff, incoming, outgoing,interdiff,slog,rlog
+
+[merge-tools]
+emacs.args = -q --eval "(require 'ediff)" --eval "(setq ediff-window-setup-function 'ediff-setup-windows-plain)" --eval "(add-hook 'ediff-quit-hook 'save-buffers-kill-emacs)" --eval "(ediff-merge-with-ancestor \""$local"\" \""$other"\" \""$base"\" nil \""$output"\")"
+
+[alias]
+slog = log --template '{rev}:{node|short} {date|age} {author|email}: {desc|firstline}\n'
+rlog = log -r : --template '{rev}:{node|short} {date|shortdate} {author|user}:       Statistics: {diffstat}\n{desc}\n\n'
+