diff --git a/tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains/impl/default_commands.bzl b/tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains/impl/default_commands.bzl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4210a179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains/impl/default_commands.bzl
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+load("@rules_foreign_cc//tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains:function_and_call.bzl", "FunctionAndCall")
+
+_REPLACE_VALUE = "BAZEL_GEN_ROOT"
+
+def os_name():
+    return "linux"
+
+def pwd():
+    return "$(pwd)"
+
+def echo(text):
+    return "printf \"{text}\"".format(text = text)
+
+def export_var(name, value):
+    return "export {name}={value}".format(name = name, value = value)
+
+def local_var(name, value):
+    return "local {name}={value}".format(name = name, value = value)
+
+def use_var(name):
+    return "$" + name
+
+def env():
+    return "env"
+
+def path(expression):
+    return "export PATH=\"{expression}:$PATH\"".format(expression = expression)
+
+def touch(path):
+    return "touch " + path
+
+def mkdirs(path):
+    return "mkdir -p " + path
+
+def tmpdir():
+    return "$(mktemp -d)"
+
+def if_else(condition, if_text, else_text):
+    return """
+if [ {condition} ]; then
+  {if_text}
+else
+  {else_text}
+fi
+""".format(condition = condition, if_text = if_text, else_text = else_text)
+
+def define_function(name, text):
+    lines = []
+    lines += ["function " + name + "() {"]
+    for line_ in text.splitlines():
+        lines += ["  " + line_]
+    lines += ["}"]
+    return "\n".join(lines)
+
+def replace_in_files(dir, from_, to_):
+    return FunctionAndCall(
+        text = """if [ -d "$1" ]; then
+  find -L $1 -print -type f \
+  \( -name "*.pc" -or -name "*.la" -or -name "*-config" -or -name "*.cmake" \) \
+  -exec sed -i 's@'"$2"'@'"$3"'@g' {} ';'
+fi
+""",
+    )
+
+def copy_dir_contents_to_dir(source, target):
+    return """cp -L -r --no-target-directory "{}" "{}" """.format(source, target)
+
+def symlink_contents_to_dir(source, target):
+    text = """local target="$2"
+mkdir -p $target
+if [[ -f $1 ]]; then
+  ##symlink_to_dir## $1 $target
+  return 0
+fi
+
+local children=$(find $1 -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1)
+for child in $children; do
+  ##symlink_to_dir## $child $target
+done
+"""
+    return FunctionAndCall(text = text)
+
+def symlink_to_dir(source, target):
+    text = """local target="$2"
+mkdir -p ${target}
+
+if [[ -d $1 ]]; then
+  ln -s -t ${target} $1
+elif [[ -f $1 ]]; then
+  ln -s -t ${target} $1
+elif [[ -L $1 ]]; then
+  cp --no-target-directory $1 ${target}
+else
+  echo "Can not copy $1"
+fi
+"""
+    return FunctionAndCall(text = text)
+
+def script_prelude():
+    return "set -e"
+
+def increment_pkg_config_path(source):
+    text = """local children=$(find $1 -mindepth 1 -name '*.pc')
+# assume there is only one directory with pkg config
+for child in $children; do
+  export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$$PKG_CONFIG_PATH$$:$(dirname $child)"
+  return
+done
+"""
+    return FunctionAndCall(text = text)
+
+def cleanup_function(message_cleaning, message_keeping):
+    text = "\n".join([
+        "local ecode=$?",
+        "if [ $ecode -eq 0 ]; then",
+        "printf \"%s\"" % message_cleaning,
+        "rm -rf $BUILD_TMPDIR $EXT_BUILD_DEPS",
+        "else",
+        "printf \"\"",
+        "printf \"%s\"" % message_keeping,
+        "printf \"\"",
+        "fi",
+    ])
+    return FunctionAndCall(text = text, call = "trap \"cleanup_function\" EXIT")
+
+def children_to_path(dir_):
+    text = """if [ -d {dir_} ]; then
+  local tools=$(find $EXT_BUILD_DEPS/bin -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1)
+  for tool in $tools;
+  do
+    if  [[ -d \"$tool\" ]] || [[ -L \"$tool\" ]]; then
+      export PATH=$PATH:$tool
+    fi
+  done
+fi""".format(dir_ = dir_)
+    return FunctionAndCall(text = text)
+
+def define_absolute_paths(dir_, abs_path):
+    return "##replace_in_files## {dir_} {REPLACE_VALUE} {abs_path}".format(
+        dir_ = dir_,
+        REPLACE_VALUE = _REPLACE_VALUE,
+        abs_path = abs_path,
+    )
+
+def replace_absolute_paths(dir_, abs_path):
+    return "##replace_in_files## {dir_} {abs_path} {REPLACE_VALUE}".format(
+        dir_ = dir_,
+        REPLACE_VALUE = _REPLACE_VALUE,
+        abs_path = abs_path,
+    )
diff --git a/tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains/toolchain_mappings.bzl b/tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains/toolchain_mappings.bzl
index af9647e0..a22a108a 100644
--- a/tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains/toolchain_mappings.bzl
+++ b/tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains/toolchain_mappings.bzl
@@ -29,4 +29,7 @@ TOOLCHAIN_MAPPINGS = [
         ],
         file = "@rules_foreign_cc//tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains/impl:osx_commands.bzl",
     ),
+    _ToolchainMapping(
+        file = "@rules_foreign_cc//tools/build_defs/shell_toolchain/toolchains/impl:default_commands.bzl",
+    ),
 ]