CentOS - Mar 2009 - 64bit Python 32bit c library ...

I have a closed-source 32bit database application running on a 64bit 
CentOS 5.2 system which is running very well however i am looking at 
developing some python applications that require access to the data and 
the vendor only provides a 32bit c library.

So while attempting to utilize the library in python with ctypes it 
became obvious that the 64bit python cannot use the 32bit c library.

So what are my choices?

1. is there a way to use the 32bit library in 64bit python i haven't found?
2. install 32bit python on the 64bit system.  'yum list python.i386' 
shows that 32bit python is not available.
3. manually compile and install 32bit python and _ALL_ its libraries 
under /opt.  has someone already done this? are the RPMs available?

let me just say that i am no python expert, yet, so bare with me.

Any help would be appreciated.

Ben

--- On Thu, 3/26/09, Ben <abnormaliti at clivepeeters.com.au> wrote:
> From: Ben <abnormaliti at clivepeeters.com.au>
> Subject: [CentOS] 64bit Python 32bit c library ...
> To: "CentOS mailing list" <centos at centos.org>
> Date: Thursday, March 26, 2009, 10:48 PM
> 
> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
> 
> I have a closed-source 32bit
> database application running on a 64bit 
> CentOS 5.2 system which is running very well however i am
> looking at 
> developing some python applications that require access to
> the data and 
> the vendor only provides a 32bit c library.
> 
> So while attempting to utilize the library in python with
> ctypes it 
> became obvious that the 64bit python cannot use the 32bit c
> library.
> 
> So what are my choices?
> 
Yum and so many of the applets (system-config-*) are tied to Python that you
can't mess with the base version or arch of Python.

What about a 32 bit chroot using Mock? I've never done it, but that's
what Mock is intended to do.

Perl.i386 will run OK in x86_64 and there is a version of perl-Inline-CPP that
will allow you to write most of what you want in CPP and wrap it with Perl.

-- 
Mark