diff -r b66e82c9f852 setup.py
--- a/setup.py	Tue Jun 26 23:05:27 2012 +0200
+++ b/setup.py	Wed Jun 27 00:00:35 2012 -0500
@@ -1198,6 +1198,7 @@
             curses_defines.append(('HAVE_NCURSESW', '1'))
             curses_defines.append(('_XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED', '1'))
 
+
         if curses_library.startswith('ncurses'):
             curses_libs = [curses_library]
             exts.append( Extension('_curses', ['_cursesmodule.c'],
@@ -1207,7 +1208,26 @@
         elif curses_library == 'curses' and platform != 'darwin':
                 # OSX has an old Berkeley curses, not good enough for
                 # the _curses module.
-            if (self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs, 'terminfo')):
+            curses_undefines = []
+            curses_libraries = []
+            curses_runtime = []
+            curses_include = []
+                # Bug 3786 and possibly Bug 13552: Solaris curses workarounds.
+                # Solaris 11 includes SysV curses, XPG4 curses, and GNU curses.
+                # This section sets up GNU curses. Since curses is found first
+                # we check and see if we can use the GNU version.
+            if platform == 'sunos5' and os.path.exists('/usr/include/ncurses'):
+                # this next guard may not be needed for gcc
+                if '-Kpic' in sysconfig.get_config_vars('CCSHARED'):
+                    curses_defines=[]
+                # work around for assumption on line 128 of Modules/_cursesmodule.c 
+                    curses_undefines = ['__sun']
+                    curses_includes=['/usr/include/ncurses']
+                    curses_libraries=['/usr/gnu/lib']
+                    curses_runtime=['/usr/gnu/lib']
+                    curses_libs = ['ncurses']
+                # and as if by magical _curses_panel should work as well
+            elif (self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs, 'terminfo')):
                 curses_libs = ['curses', 'terminfo']
             elif (self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs, 'termcap')):
                 curses_libs = ['curses', 'termcap']
@@ -1215,7 +1235,11 @@
                 curses_libs = ['curses']
 
             exts.append( Extension('_curses', ['_cursesmodule.c'],
-                                   define_macros=curses_defines,
+                                   undef_macros = curses_undefines,
+                                   define_macros = curses_defines,
+                                   include_dirs = curses_includes,
+                                   library_dirs = curses_libraries,
+                                   runtime_library_dirs = curses_runtime,
                                    libraries = curses_libs) )
         else:
             missing.append('_curses')
@@ -1764,7 +1788,9 @@
             # this option. If you want to compile ctypes with the Sun
             # compiler, please research a proper solution, instead of
             # finding some -z option for the Sun compiler.
-            extra_link_args.append('-mimpure-text')
+            if '-Kpic' not in sysconfig.get_config_vars('CCSHARED'):
+                # make sure this is only gcc and not the sunpro compiler
+                extra_link_args.append('-mimpure-text')
 
         elif sys.platform.startswith('hp-ux'):
             extra_link_args.append('-fPIC')