Hmmm, this seems to be a recurring theme; I guess this is just what a moderator is supposed to do, though. Anyways, it should be obvious but apparently is not: arguing about how best to test for OS features through Python is not really on topic for this SIG. We should be arguing, err discussing, high-level design of the distutils suite; or, failing that, nit-picking implementation details. For example, the sysconfig module, what to call it, when it runs, how it provides its information, etc. are all on-topic. Please stick to relevant things and learn to live with the fact that there's no formal specification for the Python Library, nor is there likely to be one anytime soon, nor will we solve that perceived problem with the distutils. Thanks -- Greg -- Greg Ward - software developer gward@cnri.reston.va.us Corporation for National Research Initiatives 1895 Preston White Drive voice: +1-703-620-8990 x287 Reston, Virginia, USA 20191-5434 fax: +1-703-620-0913