Building C++ modules for python using GNU autotools, automake, whatever

[af300wsm at gmail.com]

Hi,

I'm a complete neophyte to the whole use of GNU autotools/automake/auto... .  (I'm not sure what it should be called anymore.)  Regardless, I'm porting a library project, for which I'm a team member, to using this toolset for building in Linux.  I'm to the point now of writing the Makefile.am file for the actual library.  (There are several other static libraries compiled first that are sucked into this shared object file.)  

I found some references here: http://www.gnu.org/savannah-checkouts/gnu/automake/manual/html_node/Python.html, which seemed to be just what I was after.  However, I've got a big question about a file named "module.la" instead of "module.so" which is what we compile it to now.

I guess I should have mentioned some background.  Currently, we build this tool through some homegrown makefiles.  This has worked, but distribution is difficult and our product must now run on an embedded platform (so building it cleanly requires the use of autotools).  

Basically, I need this thing to install to /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages when the user invokes "make install".  I thought the variables and primaries discussed at the link above were what I needed.  However, what is a "*.la"?  I'm reading up on libtool now, but will it function the same way as a *.so?  

I need pointers on where to go from here.

Thanks,
Andy