The customize_compiler function is broken in python 3.1. The archiver
for a 'standard' unix compiler is set as ['ar', '-cr'], but in python
3.*, customize_compiler overwrites self.archiver from
get_sysconfig_var('AR'), and AR is defined as ar, which breaks
create_static_library.

I think the solution is to define a new env variable AR_something or to
set AR to 'ar -rc' (like LDSHARED is set to ['gcc', '-shared'] on gnu
systems, for example).

Hi David, do you have an example that breaks, I can reuse to write the
test ?

Hi Tarek,

Yes, I have a simple example, which show both 5940 and 5941 bugs:

"""
from distutils.core import setup

# How to install libfoo.a/foo.lib in say pkg_dir/lib ?
setup(name='yo', libraries=[('foo', {'sources': ['foo.c']})])
"""

foo.c can be an empty file.

Both should be set as serious, in the sense that build_clib is totally
broken ATM, with no simple workaround. OTOH, maybe numpy is the only
user of build_clib, in which case it is not so serious (I use my own
fixed, copied versions of the original code for the time being in numpy
distutils extensions).

The bug is also present in python 2.7a

what is your traceback ? I want to make sure I have the same in the 
test I built.

Also, just before the traceback, can you tell me the exact command
that is spawned in ccompiler.py line 1036.

You can see the traceback in this recent email:

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2009-May/712106.html

Ok I am able to reproduce it. We can't change AR in the makefile,
so I think the best way is to add like you said the -cr option
in Python Makefile under a new variable, then use it in customize_compiler

I'll ask on python-dev because I am new to the Makefile.

A turnaround until then is to set AR with the correct option 
in os.environ['AR']

Ok, here is a patch which fixes the issue while retaining the AR
customization. Here is what it does:

 - configure defines both AR and ARFLAGS in the configure script, and
those are used in the Makefile
 - ARFLAGS is used instead of the harcoded rc (rc is the default value
for ARFLAGS in configure)
 - Both AR and ARFLAGS are used in customize_compiler in distutils. If
any of them is customized from the environment, they are overriden.

Some examples:
 - default: nothing changes, except that archiver is set to ar rc
instead of ar in customize_compiler, thus build_clib is not broken anymore
 - setting AR/ARFLAGS in configure: those are used in the python build
 - ARFLAGS=cru python setup.py build_clib will use ar cru instead of ar
cr for libraries.

The only thing I am a bit unsure is that instead of ar -cr, we have ar
cr used as archiver in distutils. Since ac cr is currently used in the
python makefile, I guess most unixes understand ar cr, though.

Fixed in r72445 and r72446

Thanks David !