Hi, I've been troubling myself with trying to install MySQLdb on my VPS (a shared web hosting setup). I have my own copy of Python running out of my /usr/local directory. I have had to edit Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py to have it return the appropriate include and library directories. It assumes a certain structure of directories from the root directory. But, my root directory is actually /usr/home/ol0401 Anyway, here's what I get when I try to run the MySQLdb setup.py script: .. ol0401.vwh.net% python setup.py build running build running build_py not copying CompatMysqldb.py (output up-to-date) not copying _mysql_exceptions.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/__init__.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/converters.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/connections.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/cursors.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/sets.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/times.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/constants/__init__.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/constants/CR.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/constants/FIELD_TYPE.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/constants/ER.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/constants/FLAG.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/constants/REFRESH.py (output up-to-date) not copying MySQLdb/constants/CLIENT.py (output up-to-date) running build_ext building '_mysql' extension skipping _mysql.c (build/temp.solaris-2.6-sun4u-2.1/_mysql.o up-to-date) gcc -shared build/temp.solaris-2.6-sun4u-2.1/_mysql.o /usr/home/ol0401/usr/local/mysql-3.23.38/lib/mysql/libmysqlclient.a -L/usr/home/ol0401/usr/local/mysql-3.23.38/lib/mysql -R/usr/home/ol0401/usr/local/mysql-3.23.38/lib/mysql -lmysqlclient -lz -o build/lib.solaris-2.6-sun4u-2.1/_mysql.so /usr/local/sparc-sun-solaris2.6/bin/ld: cannot open -lz: No such file or directory collect2: ld returned 1 exit status error: command 'gcc' failed with exit status 1 ol0401.vwh.net% .. As you can see, it successfully builds many of the files, but chokes when it starts to build the _mysql extension. I've verified that all of the files listed in that last "gcc" command actually exist, except for the _mysql.so file. I'm totally unfamiliar with gcc and building in general. Does anyone know what's going on here? And, also, is there a way to get the distutils package to work when it's being run in an environment where the user is in a shared web hosting environment? Thanks, Tracy -- Tracy S. Ruggles :: trace@reinventnow.com :: 512/858.2280 "RHUBARB. / Rhubarb is susan not susan not seat in bunch toys not wild and laughable not in little places not in neglect and vegetable not in fold coal age not please." -- Gertrude Stein