diff --git a/tools/build_release b/tools/build_release
index 494452c..1a9c830 100755
--- a/tools/build_release
+++ b/tools/build_release
@@ -20,16 +20,16 @@ for d in ['build','dist',pjoin('docs','build'),pjoin('docs','dist'),
         remove_tree(d)
 
 # Build source and binary distros
-c('./setup.py sdist --formats=gztar,zip')
+sh('./setup.py sdist --formats=gztar,zip')
 
 # Build eggs
-c('python2.6 ./setupegg.py bdist_egg')
+sh('python2.6 ./setupegg.py bdist_egg')
 
 # Call the windows build separately, so that the extra Windows scripts don't
 # get pulled into Unix builds (setup.py has code which checks for
 # bdist_wininst)
-c("python setup.py bdist_wininst --install-script=ipython_win_post_install.py")
+sh("python setup.py bdist_wininst --install-script=ipython_win_post_install.py")
 
 # Change name so retarded Vista runs the installer correctly
-c("rename 's/linux-i686/win32-setup/' dist/*.exe")
-c("rename 's/linux-x86_64/win32-setup/' dist/*.exe")
+sh("rename 's/linux-i686/win32-setup/' dist/*.exe")
+sh("rename 's/linux-x86_64/win32-setup/' dist/*.exe")
diff --git a/tools/compile.py b/tools/compile.py
deleted file mode 100755
index be34c42..0000000
--- a/tools/compile.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
-"""Script to check that all code in a directory compiles correctly.
-
-Usage:
-
-  compile.py
-
-This script verifies that all Python files in the directory where run, and all
-of its subdirectories, compile correctly.
-
-Before a release, call this script from the top-level directory.
-"""
-
-import sys
-
-from toollib import compile_tree
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    compile_tree()
diff --git a/tools/make_tarball.py b/tools/make_tarball.py
index 87acda3..f5203e9 100755
--- a/tools/make_tarball.py
+++ b/tools/make_tarball.py
@@ -21,5 +21,5 @@ tar_name = '%s.tgz' % base_name
 start_dir = os.getcwd()
 cd('..')
 git_tpl = 'git archive --format=tar --prefix={0}/ HEAD | gzip > {1}'
-c(git_tpl.format(base_name, tar_name))
-c('mv {0} tools/'.format(tar_name))
+sh(git_tpl.format(base_name, tar_name))
+sh('mv {0} tools/'.format(tar_name))
diff --git a/tools/toollib.py b/tools/toollib.py
index 206bd7a..b0fa830 100644
--- a/tools/toollib.py
+++ b/tools/toollib.py
@@ -11,14 +11,16 @@ pjoin = os.path.join
 cd = os.chdir
 
 # Utility functions
-def c(cmd):
-    """Run system command, raise SystemExit if it returns an error."""
+def sh(cmd):
+    """Run system command in shell, raise SystemExit if it returns an error."""
     print "$",cmd
     stat = os.system(cmd)
     #stat = 0  # Uncomment this and comment previous to run in debug mode
     if stat:
         raise SystemExit("Command %s failed with code: %s" % (cmd, stat))
 
+# Backwards compatibility
+c = sh
 
 def get_ipdir():
     """Get IPython directory from command line, or assume it's the one above."""
@@ -39,17 +41,8 @@ def get_ipdir():
 
 def compile_tree():
     """Compile all Python files below current directory."""
-    vstr = '.'.join(map(str,sys.version_info[:2]))
-    stat = os.system('python %s/lib/python%s/compileall.py .' %
-                     (sys.prefix,vstr))
+    stat = os.system('python -m compileall .')
     if stat:
         msg = '*** ERROR: Some Python files in tree do NOT compile! ***\n'
         msg += 'See messages above for the actual file that produced it.\n'
         raise SystemExit(msg)
-
-
-def version_info():
-    """Return bzr version info as a dict."""
-    out = os.popen('bzr version-info')
-    pairs = (l.split(':',1) for l in out)
-    return dict(((k,v.strip()) for (k,v) in pairs)) 
diff --git a/tools/update_revnum.py b/tools/update_revnum.py
deleted file mode 100755
index 7e03e74..0000000
--- a/tools/update_revnum.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
-"""Change the revision number in release.py
-
-This edits in-place release.py to update the revision number from bzr info. 
-
-Usage:
-
-./update_revnum.py"""
-
-import os
-import pprint
-import re
-
-from toollib import *
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    ver = version_info()
-
-    pprint.pprint(ver)
-
-    rfile = open('../IPython/core/release.py','rb').read()
-    newcont = re.sub(r'revision\s*=.*',
-                     "revision = '%s'" % ver['revno'],
-                     rfile)
-
-    newcont = re.sub(r'^branch\s*=[^=].*',
-                     "branch = '%s'"  % ver['branch-nick'],
-                     newcont)
-
-    f = open('../IPython/core/release.py','wb')
-    f.write(newcont)
-    f.close()