diff --git a/openstack_dashboard/openstack/common/setup.py b/openstack_dashboard/openstack/common/setup.py
index 79b5a62bc..4e2a57717 100644
--- a/openstack_dashboard/openstack/common/setup.py
+++ b/openstack_dashboard/openstack/common/setup.py
@@ -19,9 +19,11 @@
 Utilities with minimum-depends for use in setup.py
 """
 
+import datetime
 import os
 import re
 import subprocess
+import sys
 
 from setuptools.command import sdist
 
@@ -29,13 +31,13 @@ from setuptools.command import sdist
 def parse_mailmap(mailmap='.mailmap'):
     mapping = {}
     if os.path.exists(mailmap):
-        fp = open(mailmap, 'r')
-        for l in fp:
-            l = l.strip()
-            if not l.startswith('#') and ' ' in l:
-                canonical_email, alias = [x for x in l.split(' ')
-                                          if x.startswith('<')]
-                mapping[alias] = canonical_email
+        with open(mailmap, 'r') as fp:
+            for l in fp:
+                l = l.strip()
+                if not l.startswith('#') and ' ' in l:
+                    canonical_email, alias = [x for x in l.split(' ')
+                                              if x.startswith('<')]
+                    mapping[alias] = canonical_email
     return mapping
 
 
@@ -50,10 +52,10 @@ def canonicalize_emails(changelog, mapping):
 
 # Get requirements from the first file that exists
 def get_reqs_from_files(requirements_files):
-    reqs_in = []
     for requirements_file in requirements_files:
         if os.path.exists(requirements_file):
-            return open(requirements_file, 'r').read().split('\n')
+            with open(requirements_file, 'r') as fil:
+                return fil.read().split('\n')
     return []
 
 
@@ -76,6 +78,10 @@ def parse_requirements(requirements_files=['requirements.txt',
         # -f lines are for index locations, and don't get used here
         elif re.match(r'\s*-f\s+', line):
             pass
+        # argparse is part of the standard library starting with 2.7
+        # adding it to the requirements list screws distro installs
+        elif line == 'argparse' and sys.version_info >= (2, 7):
+            pass
         else:
             requirements.append(line)
 
@@ -113,56 +119,126 @@ def write_requirements():
 def _run_shell_command(cmd):
     output = subprocess.Popen(["/bin/sh", "-c", cmd],
                               stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
-    return output.communicate()[0].strip()
+    out = output.communicate()
+    if len(out) == 0:
+        return None
+    if len(out[0].strip()) == 0:
+        return None
+    return out[0].strip()
 
 
-def write_vcsversion(location):
-    """Produce a vcsversion dict that mimics the old one produced by bzr.
-    """
-    if os.path.isdir('.git'):
-        branch_nick_cmd = 'git branch | grep -Ei "\* (.*)" | cut -f2 -d" "'
-        branch_nick = _run_shell_command(branch_nick_cmd)
-        revid_cmd = "git rev-parse HEAD"
-        revid = _run_shell_command(revid_cmd).split()[0]
-        revno_cmd = "git log --oneline | wc -l"
-        revno = _run_shell_command(revno_cmd)
-        with open(location, 'w') as version_file:
-            version_file.write("""
-# This file is automatically generated by setup.py, So don't edit it. :)
-version_info = {
-    'branch_nick': '%s',
-    'revision_id': '%s',
-    'revno': %s
-}
-""" % (branch_nick, revid, revno))
+def _get_git_next_version_suffix(branch_name):
+    datestamp = datetime.datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d')
+    if branch_name == 'milestone-proposed':
+        revno_prefix = "r"
+    else:
+        revno_prefix = ""
+    _run_shell_command("git fetch origin +refs/meta/*:refs/remotes/meta/*")
+    milestone_cmd = "git show meta/openstack/release:%s" % branch_name
+    milestonever = _run_shell_command(milestone_cmd)
+    if not milestonever:
+        milestonever = ""
+    post_version = _get_git_post_version()
+    # post version should look like:
+    # 0.1.1.4.gcc9e28a
+    # where the bit after the last . is the short sha, and the bit between
+    # the last and second to last is the revno count
+    (revno, sha) = post_version.split(".")[-2:]
+    first_half = "%s~%s" % (milestonever, datestamp)
+    second_half = "%s%s.%s" % (revno_prefix, revno, sha)
+    return ".".join((first_half, second_half))
+
+
+def _get_git_current_tag():
+    return _run_shell_command("git tag --contains HEAD")
+
+
+def _get_git_tag_info():
+    return _run_shell_command("git describe --tags")
+
+
+def _get_git_post_version():
+    current_tag = _get_git_current_tag()
+    if current_tag is not None:
+        return current_tag
+    else:
+        tag_info = _get_git_tag_info()
+        if tag_info is None:
+            base_version = "0.0"
+            cmd = "git --no-pager log --oneline"
+            out = _run_shell_command(cmd)
+            revno = len(out.split("\n"))
+            sha = _run_shell_command("git describe --always")
+        else:
+            tag_infos = tag_info.split("-")
+            base_version = "-".join(tag_infos[:-2])
+            (revno, sha) = tag_infos[-2:]
+        return "%s.%s.%s" % (base_version, revno, sha)
 
 
 def write_git_changelog():
     """Write a changelog based on the git changelog."""
-    if os.path.isdir('.git'):
-        git_log_cmd = 'git log --stat'
-        changelog = _run_shell_command(git_log_cmd)
-        mailmap = parse_mailmap()
-        with open("ChangeLog", "w") as changelog_file:
-            changelog_file.write(canonicalize_emails(changelog, mailmap))
+    new_changelog = 'ChangeLog'
+    if not os.getenv('SKIP_WRITE_GIT_CHANGELOG'):
+        if os.path.isdir('.git'):
+            git_log_cmd = 'git log --stat'
+            changelog = _run_shell_command(git_log_cmd)
+            mailmap = parse_mailmap()
+            with open(new_changelog, "w") as changelog_file:
+                changelog_file.write(canonicalize_emails(changelog, mailmap))
+    else:
+        open(new_changelog, 'w').close()
 
 
 def generate_authors():
     """Create AUTHORS file using git commits."""
-    jenkins_email = 'jenkins@review.openstack.org'
+    jenkins_email = 'jenkins@review.(openstack|stackforge).org'
     old_authors = 'AUTHORS.in'
     new_authors = 'AUTHORS'
-    if os.path.isdir('.git'):
-        # don't include jenkins email address in AUTHORS file
-        git_log_cmd = ("git log --format='%aN <%aE>' | sort -u | "
-                       "grep -v " + jenkins_email)
-        changelog = _run_shell_command(git_log_cmd)
-        mailmap = parse_mailmap()
-        with open(new_authors, 'w') as new_authors_fh:
-            new_authors_fh.write(canonicalize_emails(changelog, mailmap))
-            if os.path.exists(old_authors):
-                with open(old_authors, "r") as old_authors_fh:
-                    new_authors_fh.write('\n' + old_authors_fh.read())
+    if not os.getenv('SKIP_GENERATE_AUTHORS'):
+        if os.path.isdir('.git'):
+            # don't include jenkins email address in AUTHORS file
+            git_log_cmd = ("git log --format='%aN <%aE>' | sort -u | "
+                           "egrep -v '" + jenkins_email + "'")
+            changelog = _run_shell_command(git_log_cmd)
+            mailmap = parse_mailmap()
+            with open(new_authors, 'w') as new_authors_fh:
+                new_authors_fh.write(canonicalize_emails(changelog, mailmap))
+                if os.path.exists(old_authors):
+                    with open(old_authors, "r") as old_authors_fh:
+                        new_authors_fh.write('\n' + old_authors_fh.read())
+    else:
+        open(new_authors, 'w').close()
+
+
+_rst_template = """%(heading)s
+%(underline)s
+
+.. automodule:: %(module)s
+  :members:
+  :undoc-members:
+  :show-inheritance:
+"""
+
+
+def read_versioninfo(project):
+    """Read the versioninfo file. If it doesn't exist, we're in a github
+       zipball, and there's really no way to know what version we really
+       are, but that should be ok, because the utility of that should be
+       just about nil if this code path is in use in the first place."""
+    versioninfo_path = os.path.join(project, 'versioninfo')
+    if os.path.exists(versioninfo_path):
+        with open(versioninfo_path, 'r') as vinfo:
+            version = vinfo.read().strip()
+    else:
+        version = "0.0.0"
+    return version
+
+
+def write_versioninfo(project, version):
+    """Write a simple file containing the version of the package."""
+    with open(os.path.join(project, 'versioninfo'), 'w') as fil:
+        fil.write("%s\n" % version)
 
 
 def get_cmdclass():
@@ -170,6 +246,12 @@ def get_cmdclass():
 
     cmdclass = dict()
 
+    def _find_modules(arg, dirname, files):
+        for filename in files:
+            if filename.endswith('.py') and filename != '__init__.py':
+                arg["%s.%s" % (dirname.replace('/', '.'),
+                               filename[:-3])] = True
+
     class LocalSDist(sdist.sdist):
         """Builds the ChangeLog and Authors files from VC first."""
 
@@ -188,13 +270,91 @@ def get_cmdclass():
         from sphinx.setup_command import BuildDoc
 
         class LocalBuildDoc(BuildDoc):
+            def generate_autoindex(self):
+                print "**Autodocumenting from %s" % os.path.abspath(os.curdir)
+                modules = {}
+                option_dict = self.distribution.get_option_dict('build_sphinx')
+                source_dir = os.path.join(option_dict['source_dir'][1], 'api')
+                if not os.path.exists(source_dir):
+                    os.makedirs(source_dir)
+                for pkg in self.distribution.packages:
+                    if '.' not in pkg:
+                        os.path.walk(pkg, _find_modules, modules)
+                module_list = modules.keys()
+                module_list.sort()
+                autoindex_filename = os.path.join(source_dir, 'autoindex.rst')
+                with open(autoindex_filename, 'w') as autoindex:
+                    autoindex.write(""".. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 1
+
+""")
+                    for module in module_list:
+                        output_filename = os.path.join(source_dir,
+                                                       "%s.rst" % module)
+                        heading = "The :mod:`%s` Module" % module
+                        underline = "=" * len(heading)
+                        values = dict(module=module, heading=heading,
+                                      underline=underline)
+
+                        print "Generating %s" % output_filename
+                        with open(output_filename, 'w') as output_file:
+                            output_file.write(_rst_template % values)
+                        autoindex.write("   %s.rst\n" % module)
+
             def run(self):
+                if not os.getenv('SPHINX_DEBUG'):
+                    self.generate_autoindex()
+
                 for builder in ['html', 'man']:
                     self.builder = builder
                     self.finalize_options()
+                    self.project = self.distribution.get_name()
+                    self.version = self.distribution.get_version()
+                    self.release = self.distribution.get_version()
                     BuildDoc.run(self)
         cmdclass['build_sphinx'] = LocalBuildDoc
     except ImportError:
         pass
 
     return cmdclass
+
+
+def get_git_branchname():
+    for branch in _run_shell_command("git branch --color=never").split("\n"):
+        if branch.startswith('*'):
+            _branch_name = branch.split()[1].strip()
+    if _branch_name == "(no":
+        _branch_name = "no-branch"
+    return _branch_name
+
+
+def get_pre_version(projectname, base_version):
+    """Return a version which is leading up to a version that will
+       be released in the future."""
+    if os.path.isdir('.git'):
+        current_tag = _get_git_current_tag()
+        if current_tag is not None:
+            version = current_tag
+        else:
+            branch_name = os.getenv('BRANCHNAME',
+                                    os.getenv('GERRIT_REFNAME',
+                                              get_git_branchname()))
+            version_suffix = _get_git_next_version_suffix(branch_name)
+            version = "%s~%s" % (base_version, version_suffix)
+        write_versioninfo(projectname, version)
+        return version
+    else:
+        version = read_versioninfo(projectname)
+    return version
+
+
+def get_post_version(projectname):
+    """Return a version which is equal to the tag that's on the current
+    revision if there is one, or tag plus number of additional revisions
+    if the current revision has no tag."""
+
+    if os.path.isdir('.git'):
+        version = _get_git_post_version()
+        write_versioninfo(projectname, version)
+        return version
+    return read_versioninfo(projectname)