diff --git a/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-glob.ml b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-glob.ml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e4afaa334074
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-glob.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+--- glob.ml.orig	2006-02-23 06:34:35 UTC
++++ glob.ml
+@@ -100,13 +100,13 @@ let rec optimize_pattern pat res =
+ 	let s = String.create 2 in
+ 	  s.[0] <- c2;
+ 	  s.[1] <- c1;
+-	  optimize_pattern (String s :: cdr) res
++	  optimize_pattern (String (Bytes.unsafe_to_string s) :: cdr) res
+     | String s :: Char c :: cdr ->
+ 	let len = String.length s in
+ 	let ns = String.create (len + 1) in
+ 	  ns.[0] <- c;
+ 	  String.blit s 0 ns 1 (String.length s);
+-	  optimize_pattern (String ns :: cdr) res
++	  optimize_pattern (String (Bytes.unsafe_to_string ns) :: cdr) res
+     | Star :: Star :: cdr -> optimize_pattern (Star :: cdr) res
+     | cons :: cdr  -> optimize_pattern cdr (cons :: res)
+ 
+@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ let quote_str s =
+     | c ->
+         buf.[!pos] <- c; pos := !pos + 1
+   done;
+-  String.sub buf 0 !pos
++  Bytes.sub_string buf 0 !pos
+ 
+ let rec conv_str buf pat =
+   match pat with
diff --git a/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-iOExtras.ml b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-iOExtras.ml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..456112235002
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-iOExtras.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+--- iOExtras.ml.orig	2006-02-23 22:09:29 UTC
++++ iOExtras.ml
+@@ -87,4 +87,4 @@ let snarf_file filename =
+ 	ofs := !ofs + bytes;
+     done;
+     close fd;
+-    s
++    Bytes.unsafe_to_string s
diff --git a/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-strExtras.ml b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-strExtras.ml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0ed2c4593bbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-strExtras.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+--- strExtras.ml.orig	2006-02-23 06:34:35 UTC
++++ strExtras.ml
+@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ let map f str =
+     for n = 0 to len - 1 do
+       String.unsafe_set nstr n (f (String.unsafe_get str n))
+     done;
+-    nstr
++    Bytes.unsafe_to_string nstr
+ 
+ let mapi f str =
+   let len = String.length str in
+@@ -152,18 +152,18 @@ let mapi f str =
+     for n = 0 to len - 1 do
+       String.unsafe_set nstr n (f (String.unsafe_get str n) n)
+     done;
+-    nstr
++    Bytes.unsafe_to_string nstr
+       
+ let map_inplace f str =
+-  let len = String.length str in
++  let len = Bytes.length str in
+     for n = 0 to len - 1 do
+-      String.unsafe_set str n (f (String.unsafe_get str n))
++      Bytes.unsafe_set str n (f (Bytes.unsafe_get str n))
+     done
+ 
+ let mapi_inplace f str =
+-  let len = String.length str in
++  let len = Bytes.length str in
+     for n = 0 to len - 1 do
+-      String.unsafe_set str n (f (String.unsafe_get str n) n)
++      Bytes.unsafe_set str n (f (Bytes.unsafe_get str n) n)
+     done
+ 
+ let iteri f str =
+@@ -194,16 +194,16 @@ let lowercase = map CharExtras.to_lower
+ let capitalize str = 
+   if String.length str = 0 then ""
+   else
+-    let nstr = String.copy str in
+-      String.unsafe_set nstr 0 (CharExtras.to_upper (String.unsafe_get nstr 0));
+-      nstr
++    let nstr = Bytes.of_string str in
++      Bytes.unsafe_set nstr 0 (CharExtras.to_upper (Bytes.unsafe_get nstr 0));
++      Bytes.unsafe_to_string nstr
+ 
+ let uncapitalize str = 
+   if String.length str = 0 then ""
+   else
+-    let nstr = String.copy str in
+-      String.unsafe_set nstr 0 (CharExtras.to_lower (String.unsafe_get nstr 0));
+-      nstr
++    let nstr = Bytes.of_string str in
++      Bytes.unsafe_set nstr 0 (CharExtras.to_lower (Bytes.unsafe_get nstr 0));
++      Bytes.unsafe_to_string nstr
+ 
+ 
+ let startletter = Pcre.regexp "\\b\\w"
+@@ -281,28 +281,28 @@ let center ?(pad=' ') ?(trunc=false) src width =
+ 	String.copy src
+     end else 
+       let space = (width - len) / 2 in
+-      let centered = String.make width pad in
++      let centered = Bytes.make width pad in
+ 	String.blit src 0 centered space len;
+-	centered
++	Bytes.unsafe_to_string centered
+ 
+ let rev s =
+-  let str = String.copy s in
++  let str = Bytes.of_string s in
+   let n = ref 0
+-  and p = ref ((String.length str) - 1) in
++  and p = ref ((Bytes.length str) - 1) in
+     while !n < !p do
+-      let tmp = String.unsafe_get str !n in
+-	String.unsafe_set str !n (String.unsafe_get str !p);
++      let tmp = Bytes.unsafe_get str !n in
++	Bytes.unsafe_set str !n (Bytes.unsafe_get str !p);
+ 	String.unsafe_set str !p tmp;
+ 	incr n;
+ 	decr p;
+     done;
+-    str
++    Bytes.unsafe_to_string str
+ 
+ let implode lst =
+   let str = String.create (List.length lst) in
+   let pos = ref 0 in
+     List.iter (fun c -> str.[!pos] <- c; incr pos) lst;
+-    str
++    Bytes.unsafe_to_string str
+ 
+ let explode str =
+   let res = ref [] in
+@@ -332,9 +332,9 @@ let ljust ?(pad=' ') ?(trunc=false) str n =
+       else 
+ 	String.copy str
+     end else 
+-      let newstr = String.make n pad in
++      let newstr = Bytes.make n pad in
+ 	String.blit str 0 newstr 0 len;
+-	newstr
++	Bytes.unsafe_to_string newstr
+ 
+ let rjust ?(pad=' ') ?(trunc=false) str  n =
+   let len = String.length str in
+@@ -344,9 +344,9 @@ let rjust ?(pad=' ') ?(trunc=false) str  n =
+       else 
+ 	String.copy str
+     end else 
+-      let newstr = String.make n pad in
++      let newstr = Bytes.make n pad in
+ 	String.blit str 0 newstr (n - len) len;
+-	newstr
++	Bytes.unsafe_to_string newstr
+ 
+ let subpos str start stop =
+   let len = stop - start + 1 in
+@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ let repeat str times =
+     for n = 0 to times - 1 do
+       String.unsafe_blit str 0 newstr (n * len) len
+     done;
+-    newstr
++    Bytes.unsafe_to_string newstr
+ 
+ external collate: string -> string -> int = "stew_strcoll"
+ 
+@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ let replace str old rep =
+ let of_array arr = 
+   let str = String.create (Array.length arr) in
+     Array.iteri (fun i c -> str.[i] <- c) arr;
+-    str
++    Bytes.unsafe_to_string str
+ 
+ let to_array str = Array.init (String.length str) (function i -> str.[i])
+ 
diff --git a/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-strExtras.mli b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-strExtras.mli
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..83968c6893f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-strExtras.mli
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+--- strExtras.mli.orig	2006-02-23 06:34:35 UTC
++++ strExtras.mli
+@@ -105,10 +105,10 @@ type trim_style = [ `Both | `Left | `Right ]
+ val trim: ?style:trim_style -> string -> char -> string
+ 
+ (** Like [map], but modifies the argument string. *)
+-val map_inplace: (char -> char) -> string -> unit
++val map_inplace: (char -> char) -> bytes -> unit
+ 
+ (** Like [map_inplace], but passes the index of the character as well. *)
+-val mapi_inplace: (char -> int -> char) -> string -> unit
++val mapi_inplace: (char -> int -> char) -> bytes -> unit
+ 
+ (** Returns a reversed version of the string *)
+ val rev: string -> string
diff --git a/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-syslog.ml b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-syslog.ml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5b3b57b15b76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devel/ocaml-annexlib/files/patch-syslog.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+--- syslog.ml.orig	2006-02-23 06:34:35 UTC
++++ syslog.ml
+@@ -142,18 +142,18 @@ let syslog ?fac lev str =
+     let realmsg = ref (Buffer.contents msg) in
+       if String.length !realmsg > 1024 then begin
+ 	realmsg := String.sub !realmsg 0 1024;
+-	String.blit "<truncated>\000" 0 !realmsg 1012 12
++	String.blit "<truncated>\000" 0 (Bytes.unsafe_of_string !realmsg) 1012 12
+       end;
+       begin try
+-	ignore (Unix.write loginfo.fd !realmsg 0 (String.length !realmsg))
++	ignore (Unix.write_substring loginfo.fd !realmsg 0 (String.length !realmsg))
+       with 
+ 	| Unix.Unix_error(_,_,_) ->
+ 	if List.mem `LOG_CONS loginfo.flags then
+ 	  log_console !realmsg
+       end;
+       if List.mem `LOG_PERROR loginfo.flags then begin
+-	ignore (Unix.write Unix.stderr !realmsg 0 (String.length !realmsg));
+-	ignore (Unix.write Unix.stderr "\n" 0 1)
++	ignore (Unix.write_substring Unix.stderr !realmsg 0 (String.length !realmsg));
++	ignore (Unix.write_substring Unix.stderr "\n" 0 1)
+       end
+ 
+ let closelog () =