Python with MSC.Mentat

[Jeroen Kleijer]

Hi all,

I'm running into a very strange problem at work.
We're using an application called MSC.Mentat (modelling/meshing
application) which provides a programmable interface through Python.

Because we were told that the Python version they ship is missing some
libraries we compiled it ourselves on both Solaris 9 and RedHat EL 3.0

When we use some of our inhouse scripts, which were written by a
student who has left us a long time ago, the scripts work great on the
Solaris version. (they were once written with Python 1.5 in mind so we
get some string/strop errors but nothin terribly wrong)

However, if we use the exact same method for our Linux version, Mentat
(which calls the Python scripts) core dumps with the following
messages:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "main_process.py", line 6, in ?
    from read_data_file import retrieve_param
  File "read_data_file.py", line 3, in ?
    from pickle import *
  File "pickle.py", line 33, in ?
    import struct
ImportError:
/cadappl/python/2.2.4-64/lib/python2.2/lib-dynload/struct.so:
undefined symbol: PyInt_FromLong
Exception py_mentat.error: 'Error in module main\n' in 'garbage
collection' ignored
Fatal Python error: unexpected exception during garbage collection

When I do an 'nm' on the struct.so file I can see that PyInt_FromLong
is undefined (along with a whole batch of others) but this is the same
on the Solaris version so that can't be it.

Do you have any idea what could cause this?

Kind regards,

Jeroen Kleijer