wxPython, Solaris and linking C++ objects and libraries

[Paul Boddie]

Hello,

I have been having some "fun" trying to get wxPython, wxGTK, and Python working
together on Solaris. In what I believe to be a general linking problem with
C++-based objects and libraries on Solaris (and possibly other platforms), I
have been experiencing all sorts of linking errors - some of which are
presumably my fault, but surely not all of them. ;-)

After seeing similar problems in the Bayonne project, and reading the
recommended advice (use the -fPIC flag when compiling sources and use GNU
binutils for good measure), I think I have managed to get beyond the missing
symbol problems, where obvious Python symbols cannot be found when importing
parts of wxPython, to a point where I am treated to a segmentation fault.
Actually, the demo.py file runs, showing the picture of John Cleese, before the
segmentation fault happens.

Are there any opinions on how these problems should be dealt with when building
Python and extensions? Should the detection of Solaris in Python's configure
script result in modified compiler options? What about using the -b flag with
ld, rather than the -G flag? I had to modify Makefiles by hand and recompile
various extensions to get even this close with wxPython!

Any advice?

Regards,

Paul