diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bafa37066b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+VERSION_MAJOR = 1
+VERSION_MINOR = 9
+PATCHLEVEL = 99
+VERSION_TWEAK = 0
+EXTRAVERSION =
diff --git a/cmake/hex.cmake b/cmake/hex.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..012172431a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/hex.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# from https://gist.github.com/korzo89/71a6de0f388f7cf8b349101b0134060c
+function(from_hex HEX DEC)
+    string(SUBSTRING "${HEX}" 2 -1 HEX)
+    string(TOUPPER "${HEX}" HEX)
+    set(_res 0)
+    string(LENGTH "${HEX}" _strlen)
+
+    while(_strlen GREATER 0)
+        math(EXPR _res "${_res} * 16")
+        string(SUBSTRING "${HEX}" 0 1 NIBBLE)
+        string(SUBSTRING "${HEX}" 1 -1 HEX)
+        if(NIBBLE STREQUAL "A")
+            math(EXPR _res "${_res} + 10")
+        elseif(NIBBLE STREQUAL "B")
+            math(EXPR _res "${_res} + 11")
+        elseif(NIBBLE STREQUAL "C")
+            math(EXPR _res "${_res} + 12")
+        elseif(NIBBLE STREQUAL "D")
+            math(EXPR _res "${_res} + 13")
+        elseif(NIBBLE STREQUAL "E")
+            math(EXPR _res "${_res} + 14")
+        elseif(NIBBLE STREQUAL "F")
+            math(EXPR _res "${_res} + 15")
+        else()
+            math(EXPR _res "${_res} + ${NIBBLE}")
+        endif()
+
+        string(LENGTH "${HEX}" _strlen)
+    endwhile()
+
+    set(${DEC} ${_res} PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()
+
+function(to_hex DEC HEX)
+    while(DEC GREATER 0)
+        math(EXPR _val "${DEC} % 16")
+        math(EXPR DEC "${DEC} / 16")
+        if(_val EQUAL 10)
+            set(_val "A")
+        elseif(_val EQUAL 11)
+            set(_val "B")
+        elseif(_val EQUAL 12)
+            set(_val "C")
+        elseif(_val EQUAL 13)
+            set(_val "D")
+        elseif(_val EQUAL 14)
+            set(_val "E")
+        elseif(_val EQUAL 15)
+            set(_val "F")
+        endif()
+        set(_res "${_val}${_res}")
+    endwhile()
+    set(${HEX} "0x${_res}" PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()