diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2a2dfec5db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TODO
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+* check qcam plugin; it includes source of the qcam package that might
+  be librified
+
+* check xvideo; the flags need better handling but first try to understand
+  it better ;)
+
+* check SDL optimisation flags
diff --git a/scripts/autoplugins.sh b/scripts/autoplugins.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..03eea107a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/autoplugins.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# automatic testing of some of the plugins using gstreamer-launch
+
+MEDIA=/home/thomas/media
+GSTL=gstreamer-launch
+
+run_file_test()
+# run a pipe between filesrc and fakesink to test a set of plugins
+# first argument is the test name
+# second argument is the filename to work on
+# third argument is the part between filesrc and fakesink
+{
+  NAME=$1
+  FILE=$2
+  PIPE=$3
+  
+  echo -n "Testing $NAME ... "
+  COMMAND="$GSTL filesrc location=$MEDIA/$FILE ! $PIPE ! fakesink silent=true"
+  $COMMAND > /dev/null 2> /dev/null
+  if test $?; then PASSED="yes"; else PASSED="no"; fi
+  if test "x$PASSED"="xyes"; then echo "passed."; else echo "failed"; fi 
+}
+
+run_file_test "mad" "south.mp3" "mad"
+run_file_test "mad/lame" "south.mp3" "mad ! lame"
+run_file_test "mad/lame/mad" "south.mp3" "mad ! lame ! mad"
+run_file_test "vorbisdec" "Brown\ Sugar128.ogg" "vorbisdec"
+run_file_test "vorbisdec/vorbisenc" "Brown\ Sugar128.ogg" "vorbisdec ! vorbisenc"
+