Index: Lib/platform.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/platform.py	(revision 66520)
+++ Lib/platform.py	(working copy)
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@
 
 __version__ = '1.0.4'
 
-import sys,string,os,re
+import subprocess,sys,string,os,re
 
 ### Platform specific APIs
 
@@ -217,13 +217,75 @@
 
     return distname,version,id
 
+_distributor_id = re.compile("(?:Distributor ID)?:?\s*(.*)", re.I)
+_release = re.compile("(?:Release)?:?\s*(.*)", re.I)
+_codename = re.compile("(?:Codename)?:?\s*(.*)", re.I)
+
+def dist(distname='',version='',id=''):
+
+    """ Tries to determine the name of the Linux OS distribution name.
+
+        The function tries to execute "lsb_release", as standardized in 2001:
+
+        http://refspecs.freestandards.org/LSB_1.0.0/gLSB/lsbrelease.html
+
+        The current version of the standard is here:
+
+        http://refspecs.freestandards.org/LSB_3.2.0/LSB-Core-generic/LSB-Core-generic/lsbrelease.html
+
+        If that works (that is, executing "lsb_release" raises no exception,
+        returns exit code 0, and emits a string which is non-empty after being
+        stripped of whitespace in response to "lsb_release --id" and
+        "lsb_release --release"), then dist() returns the information that
+        lsb_release emitted, else it falls back to _dist_try_a_little_harder()
+        (which is the code that used to be called dist() before this new dist()
+        that uses lsb_release was added).
+        
+        Returns a tuple (distname,version,id) which default to the
+        args given as parameters.  Distname is what LSB calls a
+        "distributor id", e.g. "Ubuntu".  Version is what LSB calls a "release",
+        e.g. "8.04".  ID is what LSB calls a "codename", e.g. "hardy".
+
+    """
+    _distname = None
+    _version = None
+    _id = None
+    try:
+        p = subprocess.Popen(["lsb_release", "--id"], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+        rc = p.wait()
+        if rc == 0:
+            m = _distributor_id.search(p.stdout.read())
+            if m:
+                _distname = m.group(1).strip()
+                
+        p = subprocess.Popen(["lsb_release", "--release"], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+        rc = p.wait()
+        if rc == 0:
+            m = _release.search(p.stdout.read())
+            if m:
+                _version = m.group(1).strip()
+            
+        p = subprocess.Popen(["lsb_release", "--codename"], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+        rc = p.wait()
+        if rc == 0:
+            m = _codename.search(p.stdout.read())
+            if m:
+                _id = m.group(1).strip()
+    except EnvironmentError:
+        pass
+        
+    if not _distname or not _version:
+        return _dist_try_a_little_harder(distname, version, id)
+   
+    return (_distname, _version, _id)
+
 _release_filename = re.compile(r'(\w+)[-_](release|version)')
 _release_version = re.compile(r'([\d.]+)[^(]*(?:\((.+)\))?')
 
 # Note:In supported_dists below we need 'fedora' before 'redhat' as in
 # Fedora redhat-release is a link to fedora-release.
 
-def dist(distname='',version='',id='',
+def _dist_try_a_little_harder(distname='',version='',id='',
 
          supported_dists=('SuSE', 'debian', 'fedora', 'redhat', 'mandrake')):