[Python-Dev] use cases for "python-config" versus "pkg-config python"

[Matthias Klose]

Am 02.06.2014 20:11, schrieb Michael Haubenwallner:
> Hi,
> 
> following up myself with a patch proposal:
> 
> On 05/28/2014 04:51 PM, Michael Haubenwallner wrote:
>> Stumbling over problems on AIX (Modules/python.exp not found) building libxml2 as python module
>> let me wonder about the intended use-cases for 'python-config' and 'pkg-config python'.
>>
>> FWIW, I can see these distinct use cases here, and I'm kindly asking if I got them right:
>>
>> * Build an application containing a python interpreter (like python$EXE itself):
>>   + link against libpython.so
>>   + re-export symbols from libpython.so for python-modules (platform-specific)
>>   + This is similar to build against any other library, thus
>>   = 'python.pc' is installed (for 'pkg-config python').
>>
>> * Build a python-module (like build/lib.<platform>-<pyver>/*.so):
>>   + no need to link against libpython.so, instead
>>   + expect symbols from libpython.so to be available at runtime, platform-specific either as
>>   + undefined symbols at build-time (Linux, others), or
>>   + a list of symbols to import from "the main executable" (AIX)
>>   + This is specific to python-modules, thus
>>   = 'python-config' is installed.
>>
> 
> Based on these use-cases, I'm on a trip towards a patch improving AIX support here,
> where the attached one is a draft against python-tip (next step is to have python-config
> not print $LIBS, but $LINKFORMODULE only).
> 
> Thoughts?

there is http://bugs.python.org/issue15590

I think it is worth improving, together with adding documentation, and maybe
distinguishing the two use cases linking for a module or an embedded interpreter.

  Matthias