running universal python2.6 with 'arch -i386' does not end up running 32-bit interpreter

[orez.org@…]

installing python26 with universal support (python26 @2.6.4_0+darwin+universal) I could not get it to launch in 32-bit mode.

$ arch -i386 /opt/local/bin/python 
Python 2.6.4 (r264:75706, Feb  6 2010, 15:16:39) 
[GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5646) (dot 1)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys; print sys.maxint
9223372036854775807
>>> 

this problem has been raised in a comment from  http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2155986/mac-10-6-universal-binary-scipy-cephes-specfun-aswfa-symbol-not-found/2213391#2213391 , I quote Markus "Does macports install python with a fixed version of pythonw.c? AFAIK there is a bug that makes arch -i386 execute the 64 bit version also. If it works properly, sys.maxint should differ between the two, with 2147483647 for i386 and 9223372036854775807 for x86_64, but unpatched python will print the larger number for both flags. Could you check how your sys.maxint behaves with the various arch's?"

[orez.org@…]

Cc Me!

[orez.org@…]

note that

$ arch -i386 /opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Resources/Python.app/Contents/MacOS/Python
Python 2.6.4 (r264:75706, Feb  6 2010, 15:16:40) 
[GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5646) (dot 1)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.maxint
2147483647
>>> 

[michaelld@…]

Cc Me!

[guidolorenz@…]

I think this explains the problem:

 http://bugs.python.org/issue6834

Unfortunately, the fix is not backported to Python 2.6.

[jjstickel@…]

Cc Me!

[jjstickel@…]

Cc Me!

[jmr@…]

As noted, this is an upstream issue. Closing since the maintainer has made no indication of working on a backport, and nobody else has supplied a patch.

[Lars.Rasmusson@…]

Cc Me!