--- platform.py	2008-06-11 14:25:29.000000000 -0700
+++ pnew.py	2008-06-11 15:43:00.000000000 -0700
@@ -1090,6 +1090,8 @@
 
     """
     global _uname_cache
+    attribute_error = 0
+    unknown = 0
 
     if _uname_cache is not None:
         return _uname_cache
@@ -1097,14 +1099,38 @@
     # Get some infos from the builtin os.uname API...
     try:
         system,node,release,version,machine = os.uname()
-
+    
     except AttributeError:
-        # Hmm, no uname... we'll have to poke around the system then.
-        system = sys.platform
+        attribute_error = 1
+    
+    #
+    if system == 'unknown':
+	system = sys.platform
+        unknown = 1
+    if node == 'unknown':
+	node = _node()
+        unknown = 1
+    if release == 'unknown':
         release = ''
+        unknown = 1
+    if version == 'unkown':
         version = ''
-        node = _node()
-        machine = ''
+        unknown = 1
+    if machine == 'unknown':
+	machine = ''
+        unknown = 1
+        
+    
+    if attribute_error or unknown:   
+        # Hmm, no there is either no uname or uname has returned 
+        #'unknowns'... we'll have to poke around the system then.
+        if attribute_error:
+            system = sys.platform
+            release = ''
+            version = ''
+            node = _node()
+            machine = ''
+
         processor = ''
         use_syscmd_ver = 1
 
@@ -1160,7 +1186,7 @@
             release,(version,stage,nonrel),machine = mac_ver()
             system = 'MacOS'
 
-    else:
+    if not attribute_error:
         # System specific extensions
         if system == 'OpenVMS':
             # OpenVMS seems to have release and version mixed up
@@ -1181,9 +1207,8 @@
         else:
             # Get processor information from the uname system command
             processor = _syscmd_uname('-p','')
-
-    # 'unknown' is not really any useful as information; we'll convert
-    # it to '' which is more portable
+    
+    #If any unknowns still exist, replace them with ''s, which are more portable
     if system == 'unknown':
         system = ''
     if node == 'unknown':