diff --git a/py/misc/terminal_helper.py b/py/misc/terminal_helper.py
index cf136bc00..3696a2d33 100644
--- a/py/misc/terminal_helper.py
+++ b/py/misc/terminal_helper.py
@@ -1,132 +1,14 @@
 """
 
-Helper functions for writing to terminals and files. 
+(DEPRECATED) use py.io.TerminalWriter
 
 """
 
-
 import sys, os
 import py
 
-def get_terminal_width():
-    try:
-        import termios,fcntl,struct
-        call = fcntl.ioctl(0,termios.TIOCGWINSZ,"\000"*8)
-        height,width = struct.unpack( "hhhh", call ) [:2]
-        terminal_width = width
-    except (SystemExit, KeyboardInterrupt), e:
-        raise
-    except:
-        # FALLBACK
-        terminal_width = int(os.environ.get('COLUMNS', 80))-1
-    return terminal_width
+py.std.warnings.warn("py.__.misc.terminal_helper is deprecated, use py.io.TerminalWriter", 
+                     DeprecationWarning, stacklevel=2)
 
-terminal_width = get_terminal_width()
-
-def ansi_print(text, esc, file=None, newline=True, flush=False):
-    if file is None:
-        file = sys.stderr
-    text = text.rstrip()
-    if esc and sys.platform != "win32" and file.isatty():
-        if not isinstance(esc, tuple):
-            esc = (esc,)
-        text = (''.join(['\x1b[%sm' % cod for cod in esc])  +  
-                text +
-                '\x1b[0m')     # ANSI color code "reset"
-    if newline:
-        text += '\n'
-    file.write(text)
-    if flush:
-        file.flush()
-
-class Out(object):
-    tty = False
-    def __init__(self, file):
-        self.file = py.io.dupfile(file)
-        self.fullwidth = get_terminal_width()
-
-    def sep(self, sepchar, title=None, fullwidth=None):
-        if not fullwidth:
-            fullwidth = self.fullwidth
-        # the goal is to have the line be as long as possible
-        # under the condition that len(line) <= fullwidth
-        if title is not None:
-            # we want 2 + 2*len(fill) + len(title) <= fullwidth
-            # i.e.    2 + 2*len(sepchar)*N + len(title) <= fullwidth
-            #         2*len(sepchar)*N <= fullwidth - len(title) - 2
-            #         N <= (fullwidth - len(title) - 2) // (2*len(sepchar))
-            N = (fullwidth - len(title) - 2) // (2*len(sepchar))
-            fill = sepchar * N
-            line = "%s %s %s" % (fill, title, fill)
-        else:
-            # we want len(sepchar)*N <= fullwidth
-            # i.e.    N <= fullwidth // len(sepchar)
-            line = sepchar * (fullwidth // len(sepchar))
-        # in some situations there is room for an extra sepchar at the right,
-        # in particular if we consider that with a sepchar like "_ " the
-        # trailing space is not important at the end of the line
-        if len(line) + len(sepchar.rstrip()) <= fullwidth:
-            line += sepchar.rstrip()
-        self.line(line)
-
-class TerminalOut(Out):
-    tty = True
-    def __init__(self, file):
-        super(TerminalOut, self).__init__(file)
-
-    def sep(self, sepchar, title=None):
-        super(TerminalOut, self).sep(sepchar, title,
-                                     self.terminal_width)
-
-    def write(self, s):
-        self.file.write(str(s))
-        self.file.flush()
-
-    def line(self, s=''):
-        if s:
-            self.file.write(s + '\n')
-        else:
-            self.file.write('\n')
-        self.file.flush()
-
-    def xxxrewrite(self, s=''):
-        #self.write('\x1b[u%s' % s) - this escape sequence does
-        # strange things, or nothing at all, on various terminals.
-        # XXX what is it supposed to do in the first place??
-        self.write(s)
-
-class FileOut(Out):
-    def write(self, s):
-        self.file.write(str(s))
-        self.file.flush()
-
-    def line(self, s=''):
-        if s:
-            self.file.write(str(s) + '\n')
-        else:
-            self.file.write('\n')
-        self.file.flush()
-
-    def xxxrewrite(self, s=''):
-        self.write(s)
-
-def getout(file):
-    # XXX investigate further into terminal output, this is not enough
-    #
-    if file is None: 
-        file = py.std.sys.stdout 
-    elif hasattr(file, 'send'):
-        file = WriteFile(file.send) 
-    elif callable(file):
-        file = WriteFile(file)
-    if hasattr(file, 'isatty') and file.isatty(): 
-        return TerminalOut(file)
-    else:
-        return FileOut(file)
-
-class WriteFile(object): 
-    def __init__(self, writemethod): 
-        self.write = writemethod 
-    def flush(self): 
-        return 
+from py.__.io.terminalwriter import get_terminal_width, terminal_width, ansi_print