Re: problem compiling python's readline on linux

Guido.van.Rossum@cwi.nl
Fri, 23 Sep 1994 17:08:02 +0200

> In ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/Libs, there's a package called
> readline-2.0.x (x round about 2 or 3) which contains a shared library image
> of readline-2.0.x, it's sources and some other goodies...
>
> You'll need a newer ld.so (1.4.4 ?) to use that package.
>
> Put the librl.so.2.0.x in /usr/lib, put a softlink named librl.so.2 in /lib
> and compile python --with-readline=/usr/lib.
>
> For me it worked.
>
> Nasty: Both Ncurses and Readline are defining backspace. This collides when
> using the cursesmodule and readline together.
> For me putting a -Dbackspace=bAckspace in ncurses' Makefile was the cure. So
> side effects so far... ;-)

I suppose the source found there would also be applicable to non-Linux
UNIX versions, and maybe fix a portability bug or two over readline
2.0.0? In that case it would be a good idea to point to this archive
instead of to the original readline 2.0 (where no new versions have
appeared yet, despite obvious problems with 2.0 on most platforms).

> I got a nearly full (module) featured python 1.0.3 running under
> linux. If someone wants the binary, drop me a line... ;-)

Good! If you're happy with it, you can give it to me and I'll make it
available on ftp.cwi.nl. (Please add a little README file and
instructions for installation, what other files you need, etc...)

By the way, maybe it's about time to make binary versions of Python
for as many UNIX platforms as possible available? (The dead-easy
binary installation was one of the factors contributing to Mosaic's
success...) I can build versions for SGI IRIX 4 and 5, for SunOS
4.1.3 and for Solaris 2.3. Who can contribute binaries for other
platforms?

Cheers,

--Guido van Rossum, CWI, Amsterdam <mailto:Guido.van.Rossum@cwi.nl>
<http://www.cwi.nl/cwi/people/Guido.van.Rossum.html>