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