diff --git a/src/backup.rs b/src/backup.rs
index 7a5068f0..6a18f39b 100644
--- a/src/backup.rs
+++ b/src/backup.rs
@@ -181,3 +181,9 @@ pub use backup_info::*;
 
 mod datastore;
 pub use datastore::*;
+
+mod readline;
+pub use readline::*;
+
+mod catalog_shell;
+pub use catalog_shell::*;
diff --git a/src/backup/catalog_shell.rs b/src/backup/catalog_shell.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9a7e5248
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backup/catalog_shell.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,573 @@
+use std::collections::HashSet;
+use std::ffi::{CStr, CString, OsStr};
+use std::io::Write;
+use std::os::unix::ffi::OsStrExt;
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use failure::*;
+use libc;
+
+use crate::backup::*;
+use crate::client::*;
+use crate::pxar::*;
+
+use super::catalog::{CatalogReader, DirEntry};
+use super::readline::{Readline, Context};
+
+/// State of the shell instance
+pub struct Shell {
+    /// Readline context
+    rl: Readline,
+    /// List of paths selected for a restore
+    selected: HashSet<Vec<u8>>,
+    /// Decoder instance for the current pxar archive
+    decoder: Decoder<BufferedDynamicReader<RemoteChunkReader>, fn(&Path) -> Result<(), Error>>,
+    /// Root directory for the give archive as stored in the catalog
+    root: Vec<DirEntry>,
+}
+
+/// All supported commands of the shell
+enum Command<'a> {
+    /// List the content of the current dir or in path, if provided
+    List(&'a [u8]),
+    /// Stat of the provided path
+    Stat(&'a [u8]),
+    /// Select the given entry for a restore
+    Select(&'a [u8]),
+    /// Remove the entry from the list of entries to restore
+    Deselect(&'a [u8]),
+    /// Restore an archive to the provided target, can be limited to files
+    /// matching the provided match pattern
+    Restore(&'a [u8], &'a [u8]),
+    /// Restore the selected entries to the provided target
+    RestoreSelected(&'a [u8]),
+    /// List the entries currently selected for restore
+    ListSelected,
+    /// Change the current working directory
+    ChangeDir(&'a [u8]),
+    /// Print the working directory
+    PrintWorkingDir,
+    /// Terminate the shell loop, returns from the shell
+    Quit,
+    /// Empty line from readline
+    Empty,
+}
+
+const PROMPT_PREFIX: &str = "pxar:";
+const PROMPT_POST: &str = " > ";
+
+impl Shell {
+    pub fn new(
+        mut catalog: CatalogReader<std::fs::File>,
+        archive_name: &str,
+        decoder: Decoder<BufferedDynamicReader<RemoteChunkReader>, fn(&Path) -> Result<(), Error>>
+    ) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        let catalog_root = catalog.root()?;
+        // The root for the given archive as stored in the catalog
+        let archive_root = catalog.lookup(&catalog_root, archive_name.as_bytes())?;
+        let root = vec![archive_root];
+        Ok(Self {
+            rl: Readline::new(
+                Self::generate_prompt(b"/"),
+                root.clone(),
+                Box::new(complete),
+                catalog,
+            ),
+            selected: HashSet::new(),
+            decoder,
+            root,
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn generate_prompt(path: &[u8]) -> CString {
+        let mut buffer = Vec::new();
+        buffer.extend_from_slice(PROMPT_PREFIX.as_bytes());
+        buffer.extend_from_slice(path);
+        buffer.extend_from_slice(PROMPT_POST.as_bytes());
+        unsafe { CString::from_vec_unchecked(buffer) }
+    }
+
+    /// Start the interactive shell loop
+    pub fn shell(mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        while let Some(line) = self.rl.readline() {
+            let res = match self.parse_command(&line) {
+                Ok(Command::List(path)) => self.list(path).and_then(|list| {
+                    Self::print_list(&list).map_err(|err| format_err!("{}", err))?;
+                    Ok(())
+                }),
+                Ok(Command::ChangeDir(path)) => self.change_dir(path),
+                Ok(Command::Restore(target, pattern)) => self.restore(target, pattern),
+                Ok(Command::Select(path)) => self.select(path),
+                Ok(Command::Deselect(path)) => self.deselect(path),
+                Ok(Command::RestoreSelected(target)) => self.restore_selected(target),
+                Ok(Command::Stat(path)) => self.stat(&path).and_then(|(item, attr, size)| {
+                    Self::print_stat(&item, &attr, size)?;
+                    Ok(())
+                }),
+                Ok(Command::ListSelected) => {
+                    self.list_selected().map_err(|err| format_err!("{}", err))
+                }
+                Ok(Command::PrintWorkingDir) => self.pwd().and_then(|pwd| {
+                    Self::print_pwd(&pwd).map_err(|err| format_err!("{}", err))?;
+                    Ok(())
+                }),
+                Ok(Command::Quit) => break,
+                Ok(Command::Empty) => continue,
+                Err(err) => Err(err),
+            };
+            if let Err(err) = res {
+                println!("error: {}", err);
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// Command parser mapping the line returned by readline to a command.
+    fn parse_command<'a>(&self, line: &'a [u8]) -> Result<Command<'a>, Error> {
+        // readline already handles tabs, so here we only split on spaces
+        let args: Vec<&[u8]> = line
+            .split(|b| *b == b' ')
+            .filter(|word| !word.is_empty())
+            .collect();
+
+        if args.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(Command::Empty);
+        }
+
+        match args[0] {
+            b"quit" => Ok(Command::Quit),
+            b"exit" => Ok(Command::Quit),
+            b"ls" => match args.len() {
+                1 => Ok(Command::List(&[])),
+                2 => Ok(Command::List(args[1])),
+                _ => bail!("To many parameters!"),
+            },
+            b"pwd" => Ok(Command::PrintWorkingDir),
+            b"restore" => match args.len() {
+                1 => bail!("no target provided"),
+                2 => Ok(Command::Restore(args[1], &[])),
+                4 => if args[2] == b"-p" {
+                    Ok(Command::Restore(args[1], args[3]))
+                } else {
+                    bail!("invalid parameter")
+                }
+                _ => bail!("to many parameters"),
+            },
+            b"cd" => match args.len() {
+                1 => Ok(Command::ChangeDir(&[])),
+                2 => Ok(Command::ChangeDir(args[1])),
+                _ => bail!("to many parameters"),
+            },
+            b"stat" => match args.len() {
+                1 => bail!("no path provided"),
+                2 => Ok(Command::Stat(args[1])),
+                _ => bail!("to many parameters"),
+            },
+            b"select" => match args.len() {
+                1 => bail!("no path provided"),
+                2 => Ok(Command::Select(args[1])),
+                _ => bail!("to many parameters"),
+            },
+            b"deselect" => match args.len() {
+                1 => bail!("no path provided"),
+                2 => Ok(Command::Deselect(args[1])),
+                _ => bail!("to many parameters"),
+            },
+            b"selected" => match args.len() {
+                1 => Ok(Command::ListSelected),
+                _ => bail!("to many parameters"),
+            },
+            b"restore-selected" => match args.len() {
+                1 => bail!("no path provided"),
+                2 => Ok(Command::RestoreSelected(args[1])),
+                _ => bail!("to many parameters"),
+            },
+            _ => bail!("command not known"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Get a mut ref to the context in order to be able to access the
+    /// catalog and the directory stack for the current working directory.
+    fn context(&mut self) -> &mut Context {
+        self.rl.context()
+    }
+
+    /// Change the current working directory to the new directory
+    fn change_dir(&mut self, path: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let mut path = self.canonical_path(path)?;
+        if !path
+            .last()
+            .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("invalid path component"))?
+            .is_directory()
+        {
+            // Change to the parent dir of the file instead
+            path.pop();
+            eprintln!("not a directory, fallback to parent directory");
+        }
+        self.context().current = path;
+        // Update the directory displayed in the prompt
+        let prompt = Self::generate_prompt(self.pwd()?.as_slice());
+        self.rl.update_prompt(prompt);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// List the content of a directory.
+    ///
+    /// Executed on files it returns the DirEntry of the file as single element
+    /// in the list.
+    fn list(&mut self, path: &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<DirEntry>, Error> {
+        let parent = if !path.is_empty() {
+            self.canonical_path(path)?
+                .last()
+                .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("invalid path component"))?
+                .clone()
+        } else {
+            self.context().current.last().unwrap().clone()
+        };
+
+        let list = if parent.is_directory() {
+            self.context().catalog.read_dir(&parent)?
+        } else {
+            vec![parent]
+        };
+        Ok(list)
+    }
+
+    /// Return the current working directory as string
+    fn pwd(&mut self) -> Result<Vec<u8>, Error> {
+        Self::to_path(&self.context().current.clone())
+    }
+
+    /// Generate an absolute path from a directory stack.
+    fn to_path(dir_stack: &[DirEntry]) -> Result<Vec<u8>, Error> {
+        let mut path = vec![b'/'];
+        // Skip the archive root, '/' is displayed for it
+        for item in dir_stack.iter().skip(1) {
+            path.extend_from_slice(&item.name);
+            if item.is_directory() {
+                path.push(b'/');
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(path)
+    }
+
+    /// Resolve the indirect path components and return an absolute path.
+    ///
+    /// This will actually navigate the filesystem tree to check that the
+    /// path is vaild and exists.
+    /// This does not include following symbolic links.
+    /// If None is given as path, only the root directory is returned.
+    fn canonical_path(&mut self, path: &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<DirEntry>, Error> {
+        if path == b"/" {
+            return Ok(self.root.clone());
+        }
+
+        let mut path_slice = if path.is_empty() {
+            // Fallback to root if no path was provided
+            return Ok(self.root.clone());
+        } else {
+            path
+        };
+
+        let mut dir_stack = if path_slice.starts_with(&[b'/']) {
+            // Absolute path, reduce view of slice and start from root
+            path_slice = &path_slice[1..];
+            self.root.clone()
+        } else {
+            // Relative path, start from current working directory
+            self.context().current.clone()
+        };
+        let should_end_dir = if path_slice.ends_with(&[b'/']) {
+            path_slice = &path_slice[0..path_slice.len() - 1];
+            true
+        } else {
+            false
+        };
+        for name in path_slice.split(|b| *b == b'/') {
+            match name {
+                b"." => continue,
+                b".." => {
+                    // Never pop archive root from stack
+                    if dir_stack.len() > 1 {
+                        dir_stack.pop();
+                    }
+                }
+                _ => {
+                    let entry = self.context().catalog.lookup(dir_stack.last().unwrap(), name)?;
+                    dir_stack.push(entry);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if should_end_dir && !dir_stack.last()
+            .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("invalid path component"))?
+            .is_directory()
+        {
+            bail!("entry is not a directory");
+        }
+
+        Ok(dir_stack)
+    }
+
+    /// Read the metadata for a given directory entry.
+    ///
+    /// This is expensive because the data has to be read from the pxar `Decoder`,
+    /// which means reading over the network.
+    fn stat(&mut self, path: &[u8]) -> Result<(DirectoryEntry, PxarAttributes, u64), Error> {
+        // First check if the file exists in the catalog, therefore avoiding
+        // expensive calls to the decoder just to find out that there could be no
+        // such entry. This is done by calling canonical_path(), which returns
+        // the full path if it exists, error otherwise.
+        let path = self.canonical_path(path)?;
+        self.lookup(&path)
+    }
+
+    /// Look up the entry given by a canonical absolute `path` in the archive.
+    ///
+    /// This will actively navigate the archive by calling the corresponding decoder
+    /// functionalities and is therefore very expensive.
+    fn lookup(
+        &mut self,
+        absolute_path: &[DirEntry],
+    ) -> Result<(DirectoryEntry, PxarAttributes, u64), Error> {
+        let mut current = self.decoder.root()?;
+        let (_, _, mut attr, mut size) = self.decoder.attributes(0)?;
+        // Ignore the archive root, don't need it.
+        for item in absolute_path.iter().skip(1) {
+            match self.decoder.lookup(&current, &OsStr::from_bytes(&item.name))? {
+                Some((item, item_attr, item_size)) => {
+                    current = item;
+                    attr = item_attr;
+                    size = item_size;
+                }
+                // This should not happen if catalog an archive are consistent.
+                None => bail!("no such file or directory in archive"),
+            }
+        }
+        Ok((current, attr, size))
+    }
+
+    /// Select an entry for restore.
+    ///
+    /// This will return an error if the entry is already present in the list or
+    /// if an invalid path was provided.
+    fn select(&mut self, path: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        // Calling canonical_path() makes sure the provided path is valid and
+        // actually contained within the catalog and therefore also the archive.
+        let path = self.canonical_path(path)?;
+        if self.selected.insert(Self::to_path(&path)?) {
+            Ok(())
+        } else {
+            bail!("entry already selected for restore")
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Deselect an entry for restore.
+    ///
+    /// This will return an error if the entry was not found in the list of entries
+    /// selected for restore.
+    fn deselect(&mut self, path: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        if self.selected.remove(path) {
+            Ok(())
+        } else {
+            bail!("entry not selected for restore")
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Restore the selected entries to the given target path.
+    ///
+    /// Target must not exist on the clients filesystem.
+    fn restore_selected(&mut self, target: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let mut list = Vec::new();
+        for path in &self.selected {
+            let pattern = MatchPattern::from_line(path)?
+                .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("encountered invalid match pattern"))?;
+            list.push(pattern);
+        }
+
+        // Entry point for the restore is always root here as the provided match
+        // patterns are relative to root as well.
+        let start_dir = self.decoder.root()?;
+        let target: &OsStr = OsStrExt::from_bytes(target);
+        self.decoder.restore(&start_dir, &Path::new(target), &list)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// List entries currently selected for restore.
+    fn list_selected(&self) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
+        let mut out = std::io::stdout();
+        for entry in &self.selected {
+            out.write_all(entry)?;
+            out.write_all(&[b'\n'])?;
+        }
+        out.flush()?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// Restore the sub-archive given by the current working directory to target.
+    ///
+    /// By further providing a pattern, the restore can be limited to a narrower
+    /// subset of this sub-archive.
+    /// If pattern is an empty slice, the full dir is restored.
+    fn restore(&mut self, target: &[u8], pattern: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let match_pattern = match pattern {
+            b"" | b"/" | b"." => Vec::new(),
+            _ => vec![MatchPattern::from_line(pattern)?.unwrap()],
+        };
+        // Entry point for the restore.
+        let start_dir = if pattern.starts_with(&[b'/']) {
+            self.decoder.root()?
+        } else {
+            // Get the directory corresponding to the working directory from the
+            // archive.
+            let cwd = self.context().current.clone();
+            let (dir, _, _) = self.lookup(&cwd)?;
+            dir
+        };
+
+        let target: &OsStr = OsStrExt::from_bytes(target);
+        self.decoder.restore(&start_dir, &Path::new(target), &match_pattern)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn print_list(list: &Vec<DirEntry>) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
+        let max = list
+            .iter()
+            .max_by(|x, y| x.name.len().cmp(&y.name.len()));
+        let max = match max {
+            Some(dir_entry) => dir_entry.name.len() + 1,
+            None => 0,
+        };
+        let (_rows, mut cols) = Self::get_terminal_size();
+        cols /= max;
+        let mut out = std::io::stdout();
+
+        for (index, item) in list.iter().enumerate() {
+            out.write_all(&item.name)?;
+            // Fill with whitespaces
+            out.write_all(&vec![b' '; max - item.name.len()])?;
+            if index % cols == (cols - 1)  {
+                out.write_all(&[b'\n'])?;
+            }
+        }
+        // If the last line is not complete, add the newline
+        if list.len() % cols != cols - 1 {
+            out.write_all(&[b'\n'])?;
+        }
+        out.flush()?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn print_pwd(pwd: &[u8]) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
+        let mut out = std::io::stdout();
+        out.write_all(pwd)?;
+        out.write_all(&[b'\n'])?;
+        out.flush()?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn print_stat(item: &DirectoryEntry, _attr: &PxarAttributes, size: u64) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
+        let mut out = std::io::stdout();
+        out.write_all("File: ".as_bytes())?;
+        out.write_all(&item.filename.as_bytes())?;
+        out.write_all(&[b'\n'])?;
+        out.write_all(format!("Size: {}\n", size).as_bytes())?;
+        let mode = match item.entry.mode as u32 & libc::S_IFMT {
+            libc::S_IFDIR => "directory".as_bytes(),
+            libc::S_IFREG => "regular file".as_bytes(),
+            libc::S_IFLNK => "symbolic link".as_bytes(),
+            libc::S_IFBLK => "block special file".as_bytes(),
+            libc::S_IFCHR => "character special file".as_bytes(),
+            _ => "unknown".as_bytes(),
+        };
+        out.write_all("Type: ".as_bytes())?;
+        out.write_all(&mode)?;
+        out.write_all(&[b'\n'])?;
+        out.write_all(format!("Uid: {}\n", item.entry.uid).as_bytes())?;
+        out.write_all(format!("Gid: {}\n", item.entry.gid).as_bytes())?;
+        out.flush()?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// Get the current size of the terminal
+    ///
+    /// uses tty_ioctl, see man tty_ioctl(2)
+    fn get_terminal_size() -> (usize, usize) {
+
+        const TIOCGWINSZ: libc::c_ulong = 0x00005413;
+
+        #[repr(C)]
+        struct WinSize {
+            ws_row: libc::c_ushort,
+            ws_col: libc::c_ushort,
+            _ws_xpixel: libc::c_ushort, // unused
+            _ws_ypixel: libc::c_ushort, // unused
+        }
+
+        let mut winsize = WinSize {
+            ws_row: 0,
+            ws_col: 0,
+            _ws_xpixel: 0,
+            _ws_ypixel: 0,
+        };
+        unsafe { libc::ioctl(libc::STDOUT_FILENO, TIOCGWINSZ, &mut winsize) };
+        (winsize.ws_row as usize, winsize.ws_col as usize)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Filename completion callback for the shell
+// TODO: impl command completion. For now only filename completion.
+fn complete(
+    ctx: &mut Context,
+    text: &CStr,
+    _start: usize,
+    _end: usize
+) -> Vec<CString> {
+    let slices: Vec<_> = text
+        .to_bytes()
+        .split(|b| *b == b'/')
+        .collect();
+    let to_complete = match slices.last() {
+        Some(last) => last,
+        None => return Vec::new(),
+    };
+    let mut current = ctx.current.clone();
+    let (prefix, entries) = {
+        let mut prefix = Vec::new();
+        if slices.len() > 1 {
+            for component in &slices[..slices.len() - 1] {
+                if component == b"." {
+                    continue;
+                } else if component == b".." {
+                    // Never leave the current archive in the catalog
+                    if current.len() > 1 { current.pop(); }
+                } else {
+                    match ctx.catalog.lookup(current.last().unwrap(), component) {
+                        Err(_) => return Vec::new(),
+                        Ok(dir) => current.push(dir),
+                    }
+                }
+                prefix.extend_from_slice(component);
+                prefix.push(b'/');
+            }
+        }
+        let entries = match ctx.catalog.read_dir(&current.last().unwrap()) {
+            Ok(entries) => entries,
+            Err(_) => return Vec::new(),
+        };
+        (prefix, entries)
+    };
+    // Create a list of completion strings which outlives this function
+    let mut list = Vec::new();
+    for entry in &entries {
+        if entry.name.starts_with(to_complete) {
+            let mut name_buf = prefix.clone();
+            name_buf.extend_from_slice(&entry.name);
+            if entry.is_directory() {
+                name_buf.push(b'/');
+            }
+            let name = unsafe { CString::from_vec_unchecked(name_buf) };
+            list.push(name);
+        }
+    }
+    list
+}