|  |  |  | Distributing Python Modules |  |  |  | 
 
 
The distutils.sysconfig module provides access to Python's
low-level configuration information.  The specific configuration
variables available depend heavily on the platform and configuration.
The specific variables depend on the build process for the specific
version of Python being run; the variables are those found in the
Makefile and configuration header that are installed with
Python on Unix systems.  The configuration header is called
pyconfig.h for Python versions starting with 2.2, and
config.h for earlier versions of Python.
Some additional functions are provided which perform some useful
manipulations for other parts of the distutils package.
- PREFIX
- 
  The result of os.path.normpath(sys.prefix).
- EXEC_PREFIX
- 
  The result of os.path.normpath(sys.exec_prefix).
- 
  Return the value of a single variable.  This is equivalent to
  get_config_vars().get(name).
- 
  Return a set of variable definitions.  If there are no arguments,
  this returns a dictionary mapping names of configuration variables
  to values.  If arguments are provided, they should be strings, and
  the return value will be a sequence giving the associated values.
  If a given name does not have a corresponding value, Nonewill be included for that variable.
- 
  Return the full path name of the configuration header.  For Unix,
  this will be the header generated by the configure script;
  for other platforms the header will have been supplied directly by
  the Python source distribution.  The file is a platform-specific
  text file.
- 
  Return the full path name of the Makefile used to build
  Python.  For Unix, this will be a file generated by the
  configure script; the meaning for other platforms will
  vary.  The file is a platform-specific text file, if it exists.
  This function is only useful on POSIX platforms.
- 
  | get_python_inc( | [plat_specific[, prefix]]) |  
 
- 
  Return the directory for either the general or platform-dependent C
  include files.  If plat_specific is true, the
  platform-dependent include directory is returned; if false or
  omitted, the platform-independent directory is returned.  If
  prefix is given, it is used as either the prefix instead of
  PREFIX, or as the exec-prefix instead of
  EXEC_PREFIX if plat_specific is true.
- 
  | get_python_lib( | [plat_specific[,
                                 standard_lib[, prefix]]]) |  
 
- 
  Return the directory for either the general or platform-dependent
  library installation.  If plat_specific is true, the
  platform-dependent include directory is returned; if false or
  omitted, the platform-independent directory is returned.  If
  prefix is given, it is used as either the prefix instead of
  PREFIX, or as the exec-prefix instead of
  EXEC_PREFIX if plat_specific is true.  If
  standard_lib is true, the directory for the standard library
  is returned rather than the directory for the installation of
  third-party extensions.
The following function is only intended for use within the
distutils package.
- 
  | customize_compiler( | compiler) |  
 
- 
  Do any platform-specific customization of a
  distutils.ccompiler.CCompiler instance.
This function is only needed on Unix at this time, but should be
  called consistently to support forward-compatibility.  It inserts
  the information that varies across Unix flavors and is stored in
  Python's Makefile.  This information includes the selected
  compiler, compiler and linker options, and the extension used by the
  linker for shared objects.
 
This function is even more special-purpose, and should only be used
from Python's own build procedures.
- 
  Inform the distutils.sysconfig module that it is being used
  as part of the build process for Python.  This changes a lot of
  relative locations for files, allowing them to be located in the
  build area rather than in an installed Python.
Release 2.4.3, documentation updated on 29 March 2006.
 
See About this document... for information on suggesting changes.