--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/python/other/takeshot.py	Fri Dec 06 12:09:35 2013 +0100
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+
+"""
+    Utility to take a snapshot of the screen
+"""
+
+import sys
+from PyQt5.QtGui import QGuiApplication, QPainter, QPen
+from PyQt5.QtCore import QRect, Qt, pyqtSignal, QBuffer
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication, QWidget
+
+
+class RegionSelecter(QWidget):
+    sigBitmap = pyqtSignal(bytes)
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        screen = QGuiApplication.primaryScreen()
+        self.desktopPixmap = screen.grabWindow(0)
+        self.setWindowFlags(Qt.FramelessWindowHint | Qt.X11BypassWindowManagerHint | Qt.WindowStaysOnTopHint)
+        self.setWindowState(Qt.WindowFullScreen)
+        self.move(0, 0)
+        self.resize(self.desktopPixmap.size())
+        self.drawSelection = False
+
+    @property
+    def Selection(self):
+        return QRect(self.startPoint, self.endPoint).normalized()
+
+    def paintEvent(self, ev):
+        painter = QPainter(self)
+        painter.drawPixmap(0, 0, self.desktopPixmap)
+        if self.drawSelection:
+            painter.setPen(QPen(Qt.red))
+            painter.drawRect(self.Selection)
+
+    def mousePressEvent(self, ev):
+        self.startPoint = ev.pos()
+        self.endPoint = ev.pos()
+        self.drawSelection = True
+
+    def mouseMoveEvent(self, ev):
+        self.update()
+        self.endPoint = ev.pos()
+
+    def mouseReleaseEvent(self, ev):
+        self.endPoint = ev.pos()
+        pm = self.desktopPixmap.copy(self.Selection)
+        memfile = QBuffer()
+        pm.save(memfile, "png")
+        self.sigBitmap.emit(bytes(memfile.data()))
+
+
+def takeShot():
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    screen = QGuiApplication.primaryScreen()
+    desktopPixmap = screen.grabWindow(0)
+    desktopPixmap.save('tst2.png')
+
+
+def takeRegion():
+    """ Take a snapshot of the current desktop """
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    r = RegionSelecter()
+    TMP = {}
+    def handleBitmap(bm):
+        app.quit()
+        TMP['bm'] = bm
+    r.sigBitmap.connect(handleBitmap)
+    r.show()
+    app.exec()
+    return TMP['bm']
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    bm = takeRegion()
+    print(bm)
+    with open('tst.png', 'wb') as f:
+        f.write(bm)