Python 2.5 incompatible with Fedora Core 6 - packaging problems again

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    John> If a Python build needs all that, something in ./configure should
    John> be checking for each of those.  After all, that's what ./configure
    John> is supposed to be for.  It looks like a Python install will plow
    John> ahead without ncurses-devel, and install a dud version.

As another person pointed out, you're conflating Python proper with a
specific Linux distribution's packaging techniques.  I run on a Mac and use
MacPorts.  There is no ncurses-devel package there, just ncurses and
ncursesw.  Building a Python interpreter doesn't require ncurses.  It's an
add-on module which happens to be distributed with Python.  The distutils
setup.py script checks for ncurses bits and indeed "plows ahead" if it's not
found.  Not all systems (Windows, in particular) have ncurses.

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