I'm attempting to build a Python 2.7.3 RPM but the build command from the documentation fails.  My platform is RHEL 5.9, x86_64

http://docs.python.org/2/distutils/builtdist.html#creating-rpm-packages

Steps to reproduce:

1.  Download latest Python tarball to home directory.
wget http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.3/Python-2.7.3.tgz

2.  Unpack it, configure and install it:
[scarolan@titania:~/Python-2.7.3]$ make clean; ./configure --with-zlib=/usr/include; make; sudo make install

3.  Attempt to run command in the documentation, build fails.

[scarolan@titania:~/Python-2.7.3]$ python -V
Python 2.7.3

[scarolan@titania:~/Python-2.7.3]$ python setup.py bdist_rpm
running bdist_rpm
creating build/bdist.linux-x86_64
creating build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm
creating build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SOURCES
creating build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SPECS
creating build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/BUILD
creating build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/RPMS
creating build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SRPMS
writing 'build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SPECS/Python.spec'
running sdist
running check
warning: sdist: manifest template 'MANIFEST.in' does not exist (using default file list)

writing manifest file 'MANIFEST'
creating Python-2.7.3
creating Python-2.7.3/Lib
creating Python-2.7.3/Tools
creating Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts
making hard links in Python-2.7.3...
hard linking README -> Python-2.7.3
'_struct.c' not a regular file -- skipping
hard linking setup.py -> Python-2.7.3
hard linking Lib/smtpd.py -> Python-2.7.3/Lib
hard linking Tools/scripts/2to3 -> Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts
hard linking Tools/scripts/idle -> Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts
hard linking Tools/scripts/pydoc -> Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts
creating dist
Creating tar archive
removing 'Python-2.7.3' (and everything under it)
copying dist/Python-2.7.3.tar.gz -> build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SOURCES
building RPMs
rpmbuild -ba --define _topdir /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm --clean build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SPECS/Python.spec
Executing(%prep): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.64365
+ umask 022
+ cd /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/BUILD
+ cd /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/BUILD
+ rm -rf Python-2.7.3
+ /bin/gzip -dc /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SOURCES/Python-2.7.3.tar.gz
+ tar -xvvf -
drwxrwxr-x scarolan/scarolan 0 2013-03-26 15:26:01 Python-2.7.3/
-rw-rw-r-- scarolan/scarolan 1524 2013-03-26 15:26:01 Python-2.7.3/PKG-INFO
-rw-r--r-- scarolan/scarolan 90350 2012-04-09 18:07:36 Python-2.7.3/setup.py
-rw-r--r-- scarolan/scarolan 53744 2012-04-09 18:07:35 Python-2.7.3/README
drwxrwxr-x scarolan/scarolan     0 2013-03-26 15:26:01 Python-2.7.3/Tools/
drwxrwxr-x scarolan/scarolan     0 2013-03-26 15:26:01 Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts/
-rwxr-xr-x scarolan/scarolan    79 2012-04-09 18:07:35 Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts/pydoc
-rwxr-xr-x scarolan/scarolan    95 2012-04-09 18:07:35 Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts/idle
-rwxr-xr-x scarolan/scarolan    96 2012-04-09 18:07:35 Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts/2to3
drwxrwxr-x scarolan/scarolan     0 2013-03-26 15:26:01 Python-2.7.3/Lib/
-rwxr-xr-x scarolan/scarolan 18543 2012-04-09 18:07:31 Python-2.7.3/Lib/smtpd.py
+ STATUS=0
+ '[' 0 -ne 0 ']'
+ cd Python-2.7.3
++ /usr/bin/id -u
+ '[' 500 = 0 ']'
++ /usr/bin/id -u
+ '[' 500 = 0 ']'
+ /bin/chmod -Rf a+rX,u+w,g-w,o-w .
+ exit 0
Executing(%build): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.64365
+ umask 022
+ cd /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/BUILD
+ cd Python-2.7.3
+ env 'CFLAGS=-O2 -g -m64 -mtune=generic' python setup.py build
running build
running build_ext
error: pyconfig.h: No such file or directory
error: Bad exit status from /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.64365 (%build)


RPM build errors:
    Bad exit status from /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.64365 (%build)
error: command 'rpmbuild' failed with exit status 1


If I hard-code the location of pyconfig.h into setup.py, it still fails:

data = open('/home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/pyconfig.h').read()

[scarolan@titania:~/Python-2.7.3]$ python setup.py bdist_rpm
running bdist_rpm
writing 'build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SPECS/Python.spec'
running sdist
running check
warning: sdist: manifest template 'MANIFEST.in' does not exist (using default file list)

writing manifest file 'MANIFEST'
creating Python-2.7.3
creating Python-2.7.3/Lib
creating Python-2.7.3/Tools
creating Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts
making hard links in Python-2.7.3...
hard linking README -> Python-2.7.3
'_struct.c' not a regular file -- skipping
hard linking setup.py -> Python-2.7.3
hard linking Lib/smtpd.py -> Python-2.7.3/Lib
hard linking Tools/scripts/2to3 -> Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts
hard linking Tools/scripts/idle -> Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts
hard linking Tools/scripts/pydoc -> Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts
Creating tar archive
removing 'Python-2.7.3' (and everything under it)
copying dist/Python-2.7.3.tar.gz -> build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SOURCES
building RPMs
rpmbuild -ba --define _topdir /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm --clean build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SPECS/Python.spec
Executing(%prep): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.43579
+ umask 022
+ cd /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/BUILD
+ cd /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/BUILD
+ rm -rf Python-2.7.3
+ /bin/gzip -dc /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SOURCES/Python-2.7.3.tar.gz
+ tar -xvvf -
drwxrwxr-x scarolan/scarolan 0 2013-03-26 15:28:15 Python-2.7.3/
-rw-rw-r-- scarolan/scarolan 1524 2013-03-26 15:28:15 Python-2.7.3/PKG-INFO
-rw-r--r-- scarolan/scarolan 90378 2013-03-26 15:27:30 Python-2.7.3/setup.py
-rw-r--r-- scarolan/scarolan 53744 2012-04-09 18:07:35 Python-2.7.3/README
drwxrwxr-x scarolan/scarolan     0 2013-03-26 15:28:15 Python-2.7.3/Tools/
drwxrwxr-x scarolan/scarolan     0 2013-03-26 15:28:15 Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts/
-rwxr-xr-x scarolan/scarolan    79 2012-04-09 18:07:35 Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts/pydoc
-rwxr-xr-x scarolan/scarolan    95 2012-04-09 18:07:35 Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts/idle
-rwxr-xr-x scarolan/scarolan    96 2012-04-09 18:07:35 Python-2.7.3/Tools/scripts/2to3
drwxrwxr-x scarolan/scarolan     0 2013-03-26 15:28:15 Python-2.7.3/Lib/
-rwxr-xr-x scarolan/scarolan 18543 2012-04-09 18:07:31 Python-2.7.3/Lib/smtpd.py
+ STATUS=0
+ '[' 0 -ne 0 ']'
+ cd Python-2.7.3
++ /usr/bin/id -u
+ '[' 500 = 0 ']'
++ /usr/bin/id -u
+ '[' 500 = 0 ']'
+ /bin/chmod -Rf a+rX,u+w,g-w,o-w .
+ exit 0
Executing(%build): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.43579
+ umask 022
+ cd /home/scarolan/Python-2.7.3/build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/BUILD
+ cd Python-2.7.3
+ env 'CFLAGS=-O2 -g -m64 -mtune=generic' python setup.py build
running build
running build_ext
INFO: Can't locate Tcl/Tk libs and/or headers
error: Modules/Setup: No such file or directory
error: Bad exit status from /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.43579 (%build)


RPM build errors:
    Bad exit status from /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.43579 (%build)
error: command 'rpmbuild' failed with exit status 1

To build Python itself you need to use the Makefile and the Misc/RPM/python-2.7.spec file.  The doc you’re referring to talks about building rpm packages for Python libraries, not CPython itself.

Éric Araujo, if that is the case then why does it build what looks like a *.spec file for Python itself?

[scarolan@titania:~/Python-2.7.3]$ head -10 ./build/bdist.linux-x86_64/rpm/SPECS/Python.spec
%define name Python
%define version 2.7.3
%define unmangled_version 2.7.3
%define release 1

Summary: A high-level object-oriented programming language
Name: %{name}
Version: %{version}
Release: %{release}
Source0: %{name}-%{unmangled_version}.tar.gz

Sorry, I don’t understand the question.

The point still stands: one should not use setup.py build_rpm to build an RPM for CPython.  Please read Misc/RPM/README.

Ok, thanks for clearing that up.  Maybe the documentation could be updated to explicitly state this to avoid confusion, eg:

"NOTE:  You cannot use setup.py to build a Python RPM.  It is only for building Python modules."

On second thought, it seems to me that packagers already know that they should use their usual tool to create a CPython RPM, and I would not want to confuse Python developers with a note in the bdist_rpm doc.

If someone thinks there really should be a note in some README, please reopen the issue.