diff --git a/include/ntux/ntux.h b/include/ntux/ntux.h
index d612e6e..d56e795 100644
--- a/include/ntux/ntux.h
+++ b/include/ntux/ntux.h
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ enum ntux_custom_error {
 enum ntux_cmd {
 	NTUX_CMD_DEFAULT,
 	NTUX_CMD_STAT,
+	NTUX_CMD_SPAWN,
+	NTUX_CMD_STRACE,
 };
 
 struct ntux_source_version {
@@ -78,6 +80,9 @@ struct ntux_common_ctx {
 	uint64_t			actflags;
 	uint64_t			fmtflags;
 	enum ntux_cmd			cmd;
+	uint32_t			state;
+	char **				sargv;
+	char **				senvp;
 };
 
 struct ntux_driver_ctx {
diff --git a/project/common.mk b/project/common.mk
index 4790bc0..bfc901d 100644
--- a/project/common.mk
+++ b/project/common.mk
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ DRIVER_SRCS = \
 	src/driver/ntux_amain.c \
 	src/driver/ntux_driver_ctx.c \
 	src/skin/ntux_skin_default.c \
+	src/skin/ntux_skin_spawn.c \
+	src/skin/ntux_skin_strace.c \
 
 INTERNAL_SRCS = \
 	src/internal/nolibc/ntux_compiler.c \
diff --git a/src/driver/ntux_driver_ctx.c b/src/driver/ntux_driver_ctx.c
index 95b4186..1b0d8f8 100644
--- a/src/driver/ntux_driver_ctx.c
+++ b/src/driver/ntux_driver_ctx.c
@@ -70,7 +70,13 @@ static int ntux_driver_usage(
 
 	snprintf(header,sizeof(header),
 		"Usage: %s [options] ...\n"
-		"Usage: %s [options] --cmd=<command> <arg> <arg> ...\n" "Options:\n",
+		"Usage: %s [options] [--cmd=<command>] <arg> <arg> ...\n\n"
+		"Notes: --cmd must precede all non-option arguments, as well as\n"
+		"       all arguments that are specific to the selected command;\n"
+		"       for commands that spawn other programs (e.g. spawn, strace),\n"
+		"       the first non-option argument must specify the name of the\n"
+		"       program to be executed.\n\n"
+		"Options:\n",
 		program,program);
 
 	argv_usage(stdout,header,optv,arg);
@@ -116,6 +122,55 @@ static struct ntux_driver_ctx_impl * ntux_driver_ctx_alloc(
 	return &ictx->ctx;
 }
 
+static int ntux_cctx_update(
+	const char *			program,
+	const struct argv_option **	optv,
+	struct argv_meta *		meta,
+	uint32_t			flags,
+	struct ntux_common_ctx *	cctx,
+	size_t *			nunits)
+{
+	struct argv_entry *		entry;
+
+	/* get options, count units */
+	for (entry=meta->entries; entry->fopt || entry->arg; entry++) {
+		if (entry->fopt) {
+			switch (entry->tag) {
+				case TAG_HELP:
+					if (flags & NTUX_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_USAGE)
+						return ntux_driver_usage(
+							program,entry->arg,
+							optv,0);
+
+				case TAG_VERSION:
+					cctx->drvflags |= NTUX_DRIVER_VERSION;
+					break;
+
+				case TAG_CMD:
+					if (*nunits)
+						return ntux_driver_usage(
+							program,entry->arg,
+							optv,0);
+
+					if (!strcmp(entry->arg,"stat"))
+						cctx->cmd = NTUX_CMD_STAT;
+
+					else if (!strcmp(entry->arg,"spawn"))
+						cctx->cmd = NTUX_CMD_SPAWN;
+
+					else if (!strcmp(entry->arg,"strace"))
+						cctx->cmd = NTUX_CMD_STRACE;
+
+					break;
+			}
+		} else {
+			(*nunits)++;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int ntux_get_driver_ctx_fail(struct argv_meta * meta)
 {
 	argv_free(meta);
@@ -128,64 +183,125 @@ int ntux_get_driver_ctx(
 	uint32_t			flags,
 	struct ntux_driver_ctx **	pctx)
 {
-	struct ntux_driver_ctx_impl *	ctx;
+	struct ntux_driver_ctx_impl *	ictx;
 	struct ntux_common_ctx		cctx;
 	const struct argv_option *	optv[NTUX_OPTV_ELEMENTS];
 	struct argv_meta *		meta;
-	struct argv_entry *		entry;
 	size_t				nunits;
 	const char *			program;
-
-	(void)envp;
-
-	argv_optv_init(ntux_default_options,optv);
-
+	char **				parg;
+	char **				cmdargv;
+	char *				cmdmark;
+	char **				execargv;
+	char *				execarg;
+	struct argv_ctx			ctx = {ARGV_VERBOSITY_NONE,
+                                               ARGV_MODE_SCAN,
+                                               0,0,0,0,0,0,0};
+
+	/* init */
 	if (ntux_init())
 		return -1;
 
-	if (!(meta = argv_get(argv,optv,ntux_argv_flags(flags))))
-		return -1;
-
-	nunits	= 0;
-	program = argv_program_name(argv[0]);
 	memset(&cctx,0,sizeof(cctx));
+
 	cctx.drvflags = flags;
+	program       = argv_program_name(argv[0]);
+	nunits	      = 0;
+	execargv      = 0;
+
+	/* missing arguments? */
+	argv_optv_init(ntux_default_options,optv);
 
 	if (!argv[1] && (flags & NTUX_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_USAGE))
-		return ntux_driver_usage(program,0,optv,meta);
+		return ntux_driver_usage(program,0,optv,0);
+
+	/* initial argv scan: ... --cmd=xxx ... */
+	for (parg=argv, cmdargv=0; *parg && !cmdargv; parg++) {
+		if (!strcmp(*parg,"--cmd") && parg[1]) {
+				cmdargv = &parg[2];
+				cmdmark = parg[2];
+		} else if (!strncmp(*parg,"--cmd=",6)) {
+				cmdargv = &parg[1];
+				cmdmark = parg[1];
+		}
+	}
 
-	/* get options, count units */
-	for (entry=meta->entries; entry->fopt || entry->arg; entry++) {
-		if (entry->fopt) {
-			switch (entry->tag) {
-				case TAG_HELP:
-					if (flags & NTUX_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_USAGE)
-						return ntux_driver_usage(program,entry->arg,optv,meta);
+	/* process argv entries preceding --cmd */
+	if (cmdargv) {
+		*cmdargv = 0;
 
-				case TAG_VERSION:
-					cctx.drvflags |= NTUX_DRIVER_VERSION;
-					break;
+		if (!(meta = argv_get(argv,optv,ntux_argv_flags(flags))))
+			return -1;
 
-				case TAG_CMD:
-					if (!strcmp(entry->arg,"stat"))
-						cctx.cmd = NTUX_CMD_STAT;
-					break;
-			}
-		} else
-			nunits++;
+		if (ntux_cctx_update(program,optv,meta,flags,&cctx,&nunits)) {
+			argv_free(meta);
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		*cmdargv-- = cmdmark;
+		*cmdargv   = argv[0];
+		argv       = cmdargv;
 	}
 
+	/* set option vector by command */
+	if (cctx.cmd == NTUX_CMD_SPAWN)
+		argv_optv_init(ntux_spawn_options,optv);
+
+	else if (cctx.cmd == NTUX_CMD_STRACE)
+		argv_optv_init(ntux_strace_options,optv);
+
+	/* spawn, strace */
+	if ((cctx.cmd == NTUX_CMD_SPAWN) || (cctx.cmd == NTUX_CMD_STRACE)) {
+		argv_scan(argv,optv,&ctx,0);
+
+		if (ctx.erridx && !ctx.unitidx) {
+			if (flags & NTUX_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
+				argv_get(
+					argv,optv,
+					ntux_argv_flags(flags));
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		if (!ctx.unitidx && (flags & NTUX_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_USAGE))
+			ntux_driver_usage(program,0,optv,0);
+
+		if (!ctx.unitidx)
+			return NTUX_ERROR;
+
+		execargv  = &argv[ctx.unitidx];
+		execarg   = argv[ctx.unitidx];
+		*execargv = 0;
+	}
+
+	/* obtain ntux's own arguments */
+	if (!(meta = argv_get(argv,optv,ntux_argv_flags(flags))))
+		return -1;
+
+	if (ntux_cctx_update(program,optv,meta,flags,&cctx,&nunits)) {
+		argv_free(meta);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	/* spawn, strace: exec argv */
+	if (execargv) {
+		*execargv  = execarg;
+		cctx.sargv = execargv;
+		cctx.senvp = envp;
+		nunits     = 0;
+	}
+
+	/* finalize */
 	if (nunits && !cctx.cmd)
 		return ntux_driver_usage(program,0,optv,meta);
 
-	if (!(ctx = ntux_driver_ctx_alloc(meta,&cctx,nunits)))
+	if (!(ictx = ntux_driver_ctx_alloc(meta,&cctx,nunits)))
 		return ntux_get_driver_ctx_fail(meta);
 
-	ctx->ctx.program	= program;
-	ctx->ctx.cctx		= &ctx->cctx;
+	ictx->ctx.program = program;
+	ictx->ctx.cctx    = &ictx->cctx;
+	*pctx             = &ictx->ctx;
 
-	*pctx = &ctx->ctx;
-	return NTUX_OK;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int ntux_create_driver_ctx(
diff --git a/src/internal/ntux_driver_impl.h b/src/internal/ntux_driver_impl.h
index 38d10cc..3f7520f 100644
--- a/src/internal/ntux_driver_impl.h
+++ b/src/internal/ntux_driver_impl.h
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@
 
 #define NTUX_OPTV_ELEMENTS 64
 
-extern   const struct argv_option ntux_default_options[];
-extern   const ntapi_vtbl * ntux_ntapi;
+extern   const struct argv_option   ntux_default_options[];
+extern   const struct argv_option   ntux_spawn_options[];
+extern   const struct argv_option   ntux_strace_options[];
+extern   const struct _ntapi_vtbl * ntux_ntapi;
 
 #define  ntapi ntux_ntapi
 
diff --git a/src/skin/ntux_skin_default.c b/src/skin/ntux_skin_default.c
index fa4c33d..73a89bf 100644
--- a/src/skin/ntux_skin_default.c
+++ b/src/skin/ntux_skin_default.c
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ const struct argv_option ntux_default_options[] = {
 	{"help",		'h',TAG_HELP,ARGV_OPTARG_OPTIONAL,0,"short|long",0,
 				"show usage information [listing %s options only]"},
 
-	{"cmd",			0,TAG_CMD,ARGV_OPTARG_REQUIRED,0,"stat",0,
-				"invoke an internal ntux command"},
+	{"cmd",			0,TAG_CMD,ARGV_OPTARG_REQUIRED,0,"stat|spawn|strace",0,
+				"invoke one of the following ntux commands: %s"},
 
 	{0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}
 };
diff --git a/src/skin/ntux_skin_spawn.c b/src/skin/ntux_skin_spawn.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7bac9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/skin/ntux_skin_spawn.c
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#include "ntux_driver_impl.h"
+#include "argv/argv.h"
+
+const struct argv_option ntux_spawn_options[] = {
+	{"version",		'v',TAG_VERSION,ARGV_OPTARG_NONE,0,0,0,
+				"show version information"},
+
+	{"help",		'h',TAG_HELP,ARGV_OPTARG_OPTIONAL,0,"short|long",0,
+				"show usage information [listing %s options only]"},
+
+	{0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}
+};
diff --git a/src/skin/ntux_skin_strace.c b/src/skin/ntux_skin_strace.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..643c114
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/skin/ntux_skin_strace.c
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#include "ntux_driver_impl.h"
+#include "argv/argv.h"
+
+const struct argv_option ntux_strace_options[] = {
+	{"version",		'v',TAG_VERSION,ARGV_OPTARG_NONE,0,0,0,
+				"show version information"},
+
+	{"help",		'h',TAG_HELP,ARGV_OPTARG_OPTIONAL,0,"short|long",0,
+				"show usage information [listing %s options only]"},
+
+	{0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}
+};