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*sigh* - forgot that the object layout changed :(

Re malloc issues: they are indeed still a problem - but 
Python will not *force* you to do this.  It used to be the 
case that an extension module would malloc an object, and 
whatever module did the final Py_DECREF (often the core) 
would perform the free().  I believe this is no longer 
true.  It *is* still true with FILE objects and the 
tp_print slot IIRC.

My point with the "_d" was that iff we can get things 
working so that the standard Python extensions 
are "safe", "_d" need not imply anything other than "the 
preferred extension for debug builds of the core" - and 
even that is only for b/w compat and convenience reasons.

How has Linux survived so long?  I assume Py_DEBUG builds 
are simply never made in the "wild".