diff -u --recursive /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/archive_util.py distutils/archive_util.py
--- /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/archive_util.py	2008-12-07 15:32:31.944870435 +0100
+++ distutils/archive_util.py	2008-12-07 18:04:56.457694711 +0100
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@
     func = format_info[0]
     for (arg,val) in format_info[1]:
         kwargs[arg] = val
-    filename = apply(func, (base_name, base_dir), kwargs)
+    filename = func(base_name, base_dir, **kwargs)
 
     if root_dir is not None:
         log.debug("changing back to '%s'", save_cwd)
diff -u --recursive /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/command/build_ext.py distutils/command/build_ext.py
--- /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/command/build_ext.py	2008-12-07 15:32:32.356868270 +0100
+++ distutils/command/build_ext.py	2008-12-07 18:05:35.674357602 +0100
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@
         # extensions in debug_mode are named 'module_d.pyd' under windows
         so_ext = get_config_var('SO')
         if os.name == 'nt' and self.debug:
-            return apply(os.path.join, ext_path) + '_d' + so_ext
+            return os.path.join(*ext_path) + '_d' + so_ext
         return os.path.join(*ext_path) + so_ext
 
     def get_export_symbols (self, ext):
diff -u --recursive /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/command/build_py.py distutils/command/build_py.py
--- /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/command/build_py.py	2008-12-07 15:32:32.536868015 +0100
+++ distutils/command/build_py.py	2008-12-07 18:05:19.087347308 +0100
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@
 
         if not self.package_dir:
             if path:
-                return apply(os.path.join, path)
+                return os.path.join(*path)
             else:
                 return ''
         else:
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@
                     tail.insert(0, pdir)
 
                 if tail:
-                    return apply(os.path.join, tail)
+                    return os.path.join(*tail)
                 else:
                     return ''
 
diff -u --recursive /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/dir_util.py distutils/dir_util.py
--- /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/dir_util.py	2008-12-07 15:32:32.020868513 +0100
+++ distutils/dir_util.py	2008-12-07 18:04:14.567621475 +0100
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@
     _build_cmdtuple(directory, cmdtuples)
     for cmd in cmdtuples:
         try:
-            apply(cmd[0], (cmd[1],))
+            cmd[0](cmd[1])
             # remove dir from cache if it's already there
             abspath = os.path.abspath(cmd[1])
             if abspath in _path_created:
diff -u --recursive /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/filelist.py distutils/filelist.py
--- /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/filelist.py	2008-12-07 15:32:32.076868653 +0100
+++ distutils/filelist.py	2008-12-07 18:02:43.016864807 +0100
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
         sortable_files.sort()
         self.files = []
         for sort_tuple in sortable_files:
-            self.files.append(apply(os.path.join, sort_tuple))
+            self.files.append(os.path.join(*sort_tuple))
 
 
     # -- Other miscellaneous utility methods ---------------------------
diff -u --recursive /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/util.py distutils/util.py
--- /home/srittau/.root/lib/python2.6/distutils/util.py	2008-12-07 15:32:32.164869719 +0100
+++ distutils/util.py	2008-12-07 18:03:34.766082284 +0100
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@
         paths.remove('.')
     if not paths:
         return os.curdir
-    return apply(os.path.join, paths)
+    return os.path.join(*paths)
 
 # convert_path ()
 
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@
 
     log.info(msg)
     if not dry_run:
-        apply(func, args)
+        func(*args)
 
 
 def strtobool (val):