Issues in compiling Python to machine code

[Johnathan Doe]

Thanks for all the links!

Obviously I've just shown myself to think out loud, and not to think 
very much at all before doing the "out loud" part... :)

I'll take a look through all these.

Incidentally, this doesn't have anything to do with speeding up Python. 
  It's already fast enough for what I want.  My main issue is writing 
low level code in Python.  It's possible to do great things like 
autodetect hardware in Python for an OS, e.g. Anaconda/Kudzu, but why 
not be able to write an OS completely in Python?  I am sure it's 
possible somehow.  Just not sure yet :)

Possibly, GRUB can load the startup code, which contains an embedded 
Python interpeter.  Then the interpreter defines the kernel_main 
function and takes over.  I'd need some way of gluing up all the low 
level stuff to the interpreted Python "platform" : interrupts and page 
faults and whatnot.

Anyway, I should talk about this on alt.os.development :)

Johnathan