Index: Lib/platform.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/platform.py	(revision 66179)
+++ Lib/platform.py	(working copy)
@@ -925,17 +925,6 @@
 
     _abspath = os.path.abspath
 
-def _follow_symlinks(filepath):
-
-    """ In case filepath is a symlink, follow it until a
-        real file is reached.
-    """
-    filepath = _abspath(filepath)
-    while os.path.islink(filepath):
-        filepath = os.path.normpath(
-            os.path.join(filepath,os.readlink(filepath)))
-    return filepath
-
 def _syscmd_uname(option,default=''):
 
     """ Interface to the system's uname command.
@@ -967,7 +956,7 @@
     if sys.platform in ('dos','win32','win16','os2'):
         # XXX Others too ?
         return default
-    target = _follow_symlinks(target)
+    target = os.path.realpath(target)
     try:
         f = os.popen('file "%s" 2> /dev/null' % target)
     except (AttributeError,os.error):