[Distutils] Cross compiling with extensions

[Dale Weber]

	Hi, everyone,

	I've been in the process of rebuilding my robot, W.A.L.T.E.R. and will
be using Python to create all the new control and interface software for
it. I'm currently using Gentoo Embedded Linux on a TinCanTools Hammer
Board (http://www.tincantools.com). I have gotten all the software
components I need cross compiled except two - pysqlite and imaging
(Python Imaging). These packages have extensions, and will not cross
compile properly.

	I'm willing to do work on getting a cross compile working for these
types of packages, but am not quite sure where to start. I've been
looking at the code for distutils that installes with Python 2.4.4, and
I think I understand at least part of what needs to be done, but again
am not completely sure because I don't know how to interface to
distutils.

	What is the proper way to interface to distutils to start a build? Is
there already a mechanism to tell distutils which compiler to use and/or
which platform to build for?

	8-Dale