[Distutils] problems building Python 2.1a1 on QNX 4.25

[Goodger, David]

[Already sent to python-dev; forwarding it at Guido's suggestion.]

[CC'ing to Armin Steinhoff, who maintains pyqnx on SourceForge.]

I'm having trouble building Python 2.1a1 on QNX 4.25. Caveat: my C is very
rusty (long live Python!), I don't know my way around configure, and am not
familiar with Python's Makefile. Python 2.0 compiled fine (with a couple of
tweaks), but I'm getting caught by the new way of building things. Please
help if you can! Many thanks in advance.

Here's an excerpt of my efforts:

    # cd /tmp/py
    # gunzip -c < python-2.1a1.tgz | tar -rf -
    # cd Python-2.1a1
    # ./configure 2>&1 | tee ../configure.1
    # make 2>&1 | tee ../make.1
    ...
    ./python //5/tmp/py/Python-2.1a1/setup.py build
    'import site' failed; use -v for traceback
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "//5/tmp/py/Python-2.1a1/setup.py", line 4, in ?
        import sys, os, string, getopt
    ImportError: No module named string

Running ./python results in stack overflow. The old QNX instructions in
README recommend editing Modules/Makefile:
    LDFLAGS=    -N 64k

    # make 2>&1 | tee ../make.2

Same error as first make. But now the stack doesn't overflow.

    # python
    'import site' failed; use -v for traceback
    Python 2.1a1 (#2, Jan 26 2001, 11:38:55) [C] on qnxJ
    Type "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
    >>> import sys
    >>> sys.path
    ['', '/usr/local/lib/python', '/home/dgoodger/lib/python', 
    '/5/tmp/py/Python-2.1a1/Lib', '/5/tmp/py/Python-2.1a1/Lib/plat-qnxJ', 
    '/tmp/py/Python-2.1a1/Modules']
    >>> ^D

    # fullpath .
    . is //5/tmp/py/Python-2.1a1

The QNX node number prefix '//5' (machine or host number, equivalent to a
'hostname:' prefix for network paths) is being reduced somehow (path
normalization?) to '/5', so paths don't resolve. 2 slashes ('//') are
required at the head of the path. Is this something that can be fixed?

I added a prefix (QNX virtual-to-real path mapping on the filesystem tree)
to correct this:

    # prefix -A /5=//5

Now /5 points to //5, similar to a link.

    # make 2>&1 | tee ../make.3
    ...
    ./python //5/tmp/py/Python-2.1a1/setup.py build
    unable to execute ld: No such file or directory
    running build
    running build_ext
    building 'struct' extension
    creating build
    creating build/temp.qnx-J-PCI-2.1
    cc -O -I. -I/5/tmp/py/Python-2.1a1/./Include -IInclude/
-I/usr/local/include -c /5/tmp/py/Python-2.1a1/Modules/structmodule.c -o
build/temp.qnx-J-PCI-2.1/structmodule.o
    creating build/lib.qnx-J-PCI-2.1
    ld build/temp.qnx-J-PCI-2.1/structmodule.o -L/usr/local/lib -o
build/lib.qnx-J-PCI-2.1/struct.so
    error: command 'ld' failed with exit status 1
    make: *** [sharedmods] Error 1

QNX doesn't have an 'ld' command. Is configure not getting its info to
setup.py? (Is it supposed to?)

What should I check? I have logs of each of the configure & make runs.
Should I submit this as a bug on SourceForge?

Hope to hear from somebody soon.


David Goodger
Systems Administrator & Programmer, Advanced Systems
Automation Tooling Systems Inc., Automation Systems Division
direct: (519) 653-4483 ext. 7121    fax: (519) 650-6695
e-mail: dgoodger@atsautomation.com