Python 2.4.3 does not produce a shared python library
on AIX even with the --enable-shared flag.  The
addition of the LDLIBRARY and RUNSHARED variables in
the patch should fix this.

If I create my own version of the Python engine in a
shared library, that version is not able to load any
modules.  My understanding is that this is because the
import directives used when building the modules say
that symbols should come from ".", which means the main
program.  In the patch I replace that with "..", which
should look both in the main program and loaded shared
libraries.

Strictly speaking you could argue that these are two
different problems, and could motivate two separate
reports.  But since they are closely related, both
having to do with dynamic linking on AIX, I submit them
together.