1 Q. I want to port Python to a new platform. How do I begin? 2 3 A. I guess the two things to start with is to familiarize yourself 4 with are the development system for your target platform and the 5 generic build process for Python. Make sure you can compile and run a 6 simple hello-world program on your target platform. Make sure you can 7 compile and run the Python interpreter on a platform to which it has 8 already been ported (preferably Unix, but Mac or Windows will do, 9 too). 10 11 I also would never start something like this without at least 12 medium-level understanding of your target platform (i.e. how it is 13 generally used, how to write platform specific apps etc.) and Python 14 (or else you'll never know how to test the results). 15 16 The build process for Python, in particular the Makefiles in the 17 source distribution, will give you a hint on which files to compile 18 for Python. Not all source files are relevant -- some are platform 19 specific, others are only used in emergencies (e.g. getopt.c). The 20 Makefiles tell the story. 21 22 You'll also need a pyconfig.h file tailored for your platform. You can 23 start with pyconfig.h.in, read the comments and turn on definitions that 24 apply to your platform. 25 26 And you'll need a config.c file, which lists the built-in modules you 27 support. Start with Modules/config.c.in. 28 29 Finally, you'll run into some things that aren't supported on your 30 target platform. Forget about the posix module for now -- simply take 31 it out of the config.c file. 32 33 Bang on it until you get a >>> prompt. (You may have to disable the 34 importing of "site.py" by passing the -S option.) 35 36 Then bang on it until it executes very simple Python statements. 37 38 Now bang on it some more. At some point you'll want to use the os 39 module; this is the time to start thinking about what to do with the 40 posix module. It's okay to simply #ifdef out those functions that 41 cause problems; the remaining ones will be quite useful. 42
