[Python-Dev] Multilib strikes back

[Tim Peters]

[Mihai Ibanescu]
> This is yet another pain caused by the existance of both 32 and 64-bit
> libraries/binaries on the same system
> 
> This is the bug that landed on my plate:
> 
> http://bugzilla.redhat.com/beta/show_bug.cgi?id=139911
> 
> Even though I had no plan to have both 32 and 64-bit python on the
> same system, the reporter of this bug is trying to compule a 32-bit
> version of libxml on a 64-bit system, and is getting into weird errors,
> mostly because the .h files have the wrong definition.
>
> Please see comment #2 from Jakub about possible solutions. If one
> has strong preferences one way or another please let me know and I'll
> write the patch, otherwise I tend to favor the (int(sizeof()) option.

I can't make time to pretend to understand this, but this solution won't fly:

    Particularly for the SIZEOF_* defines, one solution is to change them
    from constants to sizeof (long), sizeof (double) etc.  In C that should
    make absolutely no difference, ...

The SIZEOF_* defines are used in C preprocessor #if expressions, and
sizeof() can't be used in that context.  That's why Python config
defines them as integer literals to begin with.