[Python-ideas] CPython needs to revamp/replace it's build system && Cross-compiling Python sucks

[Ryan Gonzalez]

I've been trying to work on Issue 23496. And want to tear my hair out. I've
noticed a few problems with Python's current build system:

- There is no separation of the host C compiler and the target C compiler.
When you give configure a C compiler for cross-compiling, make will happily
try to build Parser/pgen with the cross-compiler. And try to run the
generated executable. And fail. I know you can use `make touch` to get
around this, but it still sucks.

- For some reason, autoconf decided to re-configure everything about 2
minutes into make. But it didn't pass any of the flags I needed, resulting
in everything failing.

- I do not like having to use this for configuring:

   PYTHON_FOR_BUILD=`realpath ../cpython/python`
CC=arm-linux-androideabi-clang CXX=arm-linux-androideabi-clang++
./configure --host=arm-linux-androideabi --build=x86_64 --disable-ipv6
ac_cv_file__dev_ptmx=no ac_cv_file__dev_ptc=no
ac_cv_have_long_long_format=yes

At the same time, I'm not quite sure how many people would want to sift
through the 5000 lines in configure.ac or the 1650 lines in Makefile.pre.in.

I just get the feeling that, whenever I build Python, there are too many
holes/hacks to get around make/autoconf things.

-- 
Ryan
If I were in a 10-story building glass-sided building and forced to write
either Go or autconf scripts, I’d jump out a window.
http://kirbyfan64.github.io/
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