[ python-Bugs-1536825 ] distutils.sysconfig.get_config_h_filename gets useless file

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Bugs item #1536825, was opened at 2006-08-08 18:48
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by loewis
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Category: Distutils
>Group: 3rd Party
>Status: Closed
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Submitted By: Parzival Herzog (walt-kelly)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: distutils.sysconfig.get_config_h_filename gets useless file

Initial Comment:
python -v:   
Python 2.4.1 (#2, Aug 25 2005, 18:20:57)   
[GCC 4.0.1 (4.0.1-2mdk for Mandriva Linux release   
2006.0)] on linux2   
   
While attempting to install cElementTree, the setup   
build failed because the setup.py attempted to parse   
the sysconfig.h file, using the filename provided by  
distutils.sysconfig.get_config_h_filename(). The file  
retrieved was "/usr/include/python2.4/pyconfig.h",  
which contains the text:  
----------  
#define _MULTIARCH_HEADER python2.4/pyconfig.h  
#include <multiarch-dispatch.h>  
----------  
  
The cElementTree setup.py script then parsed this  
file, and attempted to configure itself as follows:  
--------  
    # determine suitable defines (based on Python's  
setup.py file)  
    config_h = sysconfig.get_config_h_filename()  
    config_h_vars =  
sysconfig.parse_config_h(open(config_h))  
    for feature_macro in ["HAVE_MEMMOVE",  
"HAVE_BCOPY"]:  
        if config_h_vars.has_key(feature_macro):  
            defines.append((feature_macro, "1"))  
--------  
  
Since file with useful information is in  
"/usr/include/multiarch-i386-linux/python2.4/pyconfig.h",  
the subsequent build failed due to no HAVE_MEMMOVE or  
HAVE_BCOPY macro being defined.  
  
So, either  
1) the cElementTree setup.py script is too clever for  
its own good, or is not clever enough, (tell that to  
F. Lundh) or  
2) the sysconfig.get_config_h_filename is returning  
the wrong filename (i.e. a file that does not  
actually contain the needed configuration  
information), or  
3) sysconfig.parse_config_h should, but does not  
follow the multi-arch-dispatch.h include, to get at  
the real sysconfig_h defines, or  
4) Mandriva 2006 has messed up the Python  
distribution with that multi-arch-dispatch thing.  
  
I'm hoping that a solution is found rectifying either  
(2) or (3).  
  
  
  
  

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>Comment By: Martin v. Löwis (loewis)
Date: 2006-08-09 16:38

Message:
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My analysis is that it is (4). If Mandriva thinks it can
change Python header files just like that and rearrange the
layout of a Python installation, they also ought to fix
distutils correspondingly.

Before any code is added to distutils that supports this
kind of installation, I'd like to see a PEP first stating
the problem that is solved with that multi-arch-dispatch
thing, and suggests a solution that will survive possible
upcoming changes to that mechanism.

Closing as a third-party bug.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

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