Python 2.4.3 does not produce a shared python library
on AIX even with the --enable-shared flag.  The
addition of the LDLIBRARY and RUNSHARED variables in
the patch should fix this.

If I create my own version of the Python engine in a
shared library, that version is not able to load any
modules.  My understanding is that this is because the
import directives used when building the modules say
that symbols should come from ".", which means the main
program.  In the patch I replace that with "..", which
should look both in the main program and loaded shared
libraries.

Strictly speaking you could argue that these are two
different problems, and could motivate two separate
reports.  But since they are closely related, both
having to do with dynamic linking on AIX, I submit them
together.

Göran: do you still need this?

It is a bit unclear.

We are currently still using Python 2.4 with my patch for the active
releases of our products.  It is at this time not quite clear if we will
continue to support AIX in future releases.  If we do, we will also have
to upgrade to a newer Python version.  But right now I do not know if we
will.  Nor, if so, when we will do this upgrade.

I suggest keeping the issue open since building on AIX with proper
extension module support can be tricky, and it's good to have an idea of
what a possible patch looks like.
(especially if snakebite finally gets an AIX machine)

OK :)