My apologies for dumping a bad build on the list here, but googling returned absolutely nothing for this one. I haven't had this issue before so it may be related to my usage of the latest python 2.6 mainentance branch which I got from http://svn.python.org/projects/python/branches/release26-maint . It builds fine if I run a straight distutils build without setuptools being installed. Otherwise I get the below - tested against 2.1.5, 2.2, and 2.2.2, any ideas are appreciated. root@stageassets lxml-2.2.2]# /usr/local/bin/python setup.py install Building lxml version 2.2.2. NOTE: Trying to build without Cython, pre-generated 'src/lxml/lxml.etree.c' needs to be available. Using build configuration of libxslt 1.1.24 Building against libxml2/libxslt in the following directory: /usr/lib running install running build running build_py running build_ext running install_lib creating /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/sax.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/pyclasslookup.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/ElementInclude.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/etree.so -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/_elementpath.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/__init__.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/usedoctest.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/doctestcompare.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/cssselect.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/builder.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/objectify.so -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml creating /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/diff.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/defs.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/_setmixin.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/_diffcommand.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/__init__.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/usedoctest.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/ElementSoup.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/_html5builder.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/builder.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/formfill.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/html5parser.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/soupparser.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/clean.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html copying build/lib.linux-i686-2.6/lxml/html/_dictmixin.py -> /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/sax.py to sax.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/pyclasslookup.py to pyclasslookup.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/ElementInclude.py to ElementInclude.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/_elementpath.py to _elementpath.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/__init__.py to __init__.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/usedoctest.py to usedoctest.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/doctestcompare.py to doctestcompare.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/cssselect.py to cssselect.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/builder.py to builder.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/diff.py to diff.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/defs.py to defs.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/_setmixin.py to _setmixin.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/_diffcommand.py to _diffcommand.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/__init__.py to __init__.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/usedoctest.py to usedoctest.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/ElementSoup.py to ElementSoup.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/_html5builder.py to _html5builder.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/builder.py to builder.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/formfill.py to formfill.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/html5parser.py to html5parser.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/soupparser.py to soupparser.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/clean.py to clean.pyc byte-compiling /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml/html/_dictmixin.py to _dictmixin.pyc running install_egg_info Writing /usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/lxml-2.2.2-py2.6.egg-info [root@stageassets lxml-2.2.2]# /var/web/hosts/fanfeedr.com/snapscores.com/bin/python setup.py install Building lxml version 2.2.2. NOTE: Trying to build without Cython, pre-generated 'src/lxml/lxml.etree.c' needs to be available. Using build configuration of libxslt 1.1.24 Building against libxml2/libxslt in the following directory: /usr/lib running install running bdist_egg running egg_info writing src/lxml.egg-info/PKG-INFO writing top-level names to src/lxml.egg-info/top_level.txt writing dependency_links to src/lxml.egg-info/dependency_links.txt reading manifest file 'src/lxml.egg-info/SOURCES.txt' reading manifest template 'MANIFEST.in' writing manifest file 'src/lxml.egg-info/SOURCES.txt' installing library code to build/bdist.linux-i686/egg running install_lib running build_py running build_ext Traceback (most recent call last): File "setup.py", line 116, in <module> **extra_options File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/core.py", line 152, in setup dist.run_commands() File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/dist.py", line 975, in run_commands self.run_command(cmd) File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/dist.py", line 995, in run_command cmd_obj.run() File "/var/web/hosts/fanfeedr.com/snapscores.com/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg/setuptools/command/install.py", line 76, in run File "/var/web/hosts/fanfeedr.com/snapscores.com/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg/setuptools/command/install.py", line 96, in do_egg_install File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/cmd.py", line 333, in run_command self.distribution.run_command(command) File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/dist.py", line 995, in run_command cmd_obj.run() File "/var/web/hosts/fanfeedr.com/snapscores.com/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg/setuptools/command/bdist_egg.py", line 174, in run File "/var/web/hosts/fanfeedr.com/snapscores.com/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg/setuptools/command/bdist_egg.py", line 161, in call_command File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/cmd.py", line 333, in run_command self.distribution.run_command(command) File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/dist.py", line 995, in run_command cmd_obj.run() File "/var/web/hosts/fanfeedr.com/snapscores.com/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg/setuptools/command/install_lib.py", line 20, in run File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/command/install_lib.py", line 113, in build self.run_command('build_ext') File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/cmd.py", line 333, in run_command self.distribution.run_command(command) File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/dist.py", line 995, in run_command cmd_obj.run() File "/var/web/hosts/fanfeedr.com/snapscores.com/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg/setuptools/command/build_ext.py", line 46, in run File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/command/build_ext.py", line 340, in run self.build_extensions() File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/command/build_ext.py", line 449, in build_extensions self.build_extension(ext) File "/var/web/hosts/fanfeedr.com/snapscores.com/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg/setuptools/command/build_ext.py", line 175, in build_extension File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/command/build_ext.py", line 460, in build_extension ext_path = self.get_ext_fullpath(ext.name) File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/distutils/command/build_ext.py", line 633, in get_ext_fullpath filename = self.get_ext_filename(modpath[-1]) File "/var/web/hosts/fanfeedr.com/snapscores.com/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg/setuptools/command/build_ext.py", line 85, in get_ext_filename KeyError: 'etree'