diff -r 54154be6b27d Lib/platform.py
--- a/Lib/platform.py	Thu Oct 04 22:59:45 2012 +0200
+++ b/Lib/platform.py	Fri Oct 05 00:01:20 2012 +0200
@@ -910,7 +910,7 @@ def _syscmd_uname(option,default=''):
     else:
         return output
 
-def _syscmd_file(target,default=''):
+def _syscmd_file(target,default=b''):
 
     """ Interface to the system's file command.
 
@@ -924,13 +924,12 @@ def _syscmd_file(target,default=''):
         return default
     target = _follow_symlinks(target)
     try:
-        with open(DEV_NULL) as dev_null:
-            proc = subprocess.Popen(['file', '-b', '--', target],
-                     stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=dev_null)
+        proc = subprocess.Popen(['file', '-b', '--', target],
+                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL)
 
     except (AttributeError,os.error):
         return default
-    output = proc.stdout.read()
+    output = proc.communicate()[0]
     rc = proc.wait()
     if not output or rc:
         return default
@@ -983,7 +982,7 @@ def architecture(executable=sys.executab
     if executable:
         fileout = _syscmd_file(executable, '')
     else:
-        fileout = ''
+        fileout = b''
 
     if not fileout and \
        executable == sys.executable:
@@ -997,31 +996,31 @@ def architecture(executable=sys.executab
                 linkage = l
         return bits,linkage
 
-    if 'executable' not in fileout:
+    if b'executable' not in fileout:
         # Format not supported
         return bits,linkage
 
     # Bits
-    if '32-bit' in fileout:
+    if b'32-bit' in fileout:
         bits = '32bit'
-    elif 'N32' in fileout:
+    elif b'N32' in fileout:
         # On Irix only
         bits = 'n32bit'
-    elif '64-bit' in fileout:
+    elif b'64-bit' in fileout:
         bits = '64bit'
 
     # Linkage
-    if 'ELF' in fileout:
+    if b'ELF' in fileout:
         linkage = 'ELF'
-    elif 'PE' in fileout:
+    elif b'PE' in fileout:
         # E.g. Windows uses this format
         if 'Windows' in fileout:
             linkage = 'WindowsPE'
         else:
             linkage = 'PE'
-    elif 'COFF' in fileout:
+    elif b'COFF' in fileout:
         linkage = 'COFF'
-    elif 'MS-DOS' in fileout:
+    elif b'MS-DOS' in fileout:
         linkage = 'MSDOS'
     else:
         # XXX the A.OUT format also falls under this class...