Python MultiArch Installation

See Python/Python3.3 for general issues with Python 3.3. See Multiarch for general information on the Debian multiarch effort.

PythonX.Y packages

The experimental release has Python3.3 and Python2.7 (the latter still in NEW) packaged for installation as a Multi-Arch package. There is no plan to provide the multiarch installation for 2.6 and 3.2; these python versions need to be dropped first in jessie.

The packages pythonX.Y-minimal, pythonX.Y, pythonX.Y-dev and pythonX.Y-dbg are split, the library parts are now found in the packages libpythonX.Y-minimal, libpythonX.Y-stdlib, libpythonX.Y-dev and libpythonX.Y-dbg. Package build-dependencies and dependencies do not have to be changed for package builds for now. The new lib* packages are Multi-Arch: same, the existing pythonX.Y packages are now Multi-Arch: allowed.

Some installation paths and file names are changed:

Python defaults packages

The defaults packages for python, python-dev, python-dbg need to become Arch: any packages, Multi-Arch: allowed.

Third party modules

Extension modules can be made Multi-Arch same, if it doesn't have any file conflicts. Normally that does mean to rename the files for extension modules (Note: dh_python[23] doesn't support this renaming yet).

If an architecture dependent python-foo (Multi-Arch: same) package depends on a binary independent python-bar package, this python-bar package has to be made Multi-Arch: allowed.

Cross builds

Currently just the python3.3 package can be cross-built. Most python build systems are not yet ready for cross builds.