Extending Python with C: Can I specify another C compiler?

[spectrumdt at gmail.com]

  Hello.

  I am trying to extend my Python program with some C code.

  This thread is sort of a follow-up to another thread of mine, linked
below. I don't know what the conventions are in this newsgroup about
creating new threads vs. staying in existing ones, but I figured I'd
rather make a new one with a title pertaining to my current problem.

  http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/d60449f4db19f731#

  Anyway, my question is this: When compiling my C code to include in
Python, using a Python script with the function
distutils.core.setup... can I choose which C compiler to use? On my
system it defaults to gcc, but I would like to use mpicc instead (C
compiler for MPI, Message Passing Interface).

  Can I do this?

  My system, in case it matters, is Fedora Linux.

  Thanks in advance.