cross compile Python to Linux-ARM

[jefm]

Hi,
We are looking to use Python on an embedded Linux ARM system.
What I gather from googling the subject is that it is not that
straight forward (a fair amount of patching & hacking).
Nobody out there that has done it claims it is easy, which makes me
worried.

I haven't seen a description on porting Python 2.6 or 3.0 yet. Is it
much different than for the earlier versions (the latest I have seem
is Python 2.5).

Does it matter whether Python is cross compiled to Linux 2.4 or Linux
2.6 ?

Can anyone point to a howto they know works well ?

What are the chances of an 'officially' supported ARM-Linux Python
distribution ?
(or is it safer to wait for industrial spec Intel Atom boards to avoid
the cross compilation altogether ?

What would it take for the Linux version of Python to be easily cross
compiled (i.e. would the Linux-Python maintainers be willing to
include and maintain cross-compilation specific functions) ?

Let's say we can get it done.
How is the performance and stability of a working Python on an
embedded ARM-Linux system ?

Does cross compiling Python automatically include the standard Python
library, or is that yet another adventure ?

thanks