--- python-1.999b1.orig/Makefile.in
+++ python-1.999b1/Makefile.in
@@ -58,12 +58,14 @@
 
 # Substitutions by configure
 VERSION=	@VERSION@
+SOVERSION=	@SOVERSION@
 srcdir=		@srcdir@
 VPATH=		@srcdir@
 CC=		@CC@
 AR=		@AR@
 RANLIB=		@RANLIB@
 DEFS=		@DEFS@
+SOLIBS=		@LIBS@
 
 # Machine-dependent subdirectories
 MACHDEP=	@MACHDEP@
@@ -179,6 +181,22 @@
 		for i in $(SUBDIRS); do \
 			(cd $$i; $(MAKE) VERSION="$(VERSION)" add2lib); done
 
+#
+# WARNING: The following is only tested for Debian GNU/Linux.
+# This rule is silly and needs to be cleaned up ASAP!
+#      Gregor Hoffleit <flight@debian.org>
+#
+# This rule is here for Linux shared libs
+# The PIC code will be built additionally to the static lib!
+libpython$(VERSION).so.$(SOVERSION):	$(SUBDIRS)
+		test -d shobjs || mkdir shobjs
+		rm -f shobjs/*
+		for i in $(SUBDIRS); do \
+			(cd $$i; rm -f add2shlib; \
+				$(MAKE) VERSION="$(VERSION)" add2shlib); done
+		$(CC) -shared -Wl,-soname,$(LDLIBRARY) \
+			$(SOLIBS) shobjs/* -o $(LDLIBRARY)
+
 # This rule is only here for DG/UX!!!
 libpython$(VERSION).so:	$(LIBRARY)
 		case `uname -s | tr -d '/ ' | tr '[A-Z]' '[a-z]'` in \
@@ -247,6 +265,12 @@
 			fi; \
 		done
 		$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) python$(EXE) $(BINDIR)/python$(VERSION)$(EXE)
+		if test -f libpython$(VERSION).so.$(SOVERSION); then \
+			mkdir $(LIBDIR); \
+			$(INSTALL_DATA) libpython$(VERSION).so.$(SOVERSION) $(LIBDIR); \
+			(cd $(LIBDIR) && $(LN) -sf libpython$(VERSION).so.$(SOVERSION) libpython$(VERSION).so); \
+		else	true; \
+		fi
 		if test -f libpython$(VERSION).so; then \
 			$(INSTALL_DATA) libpython$(VERSION).so $(LIBDIR); \
 		else	true; \
@@ -492,10 +518,12 @@
 			 fi); \
 		    else true; fi; \
 		done
+		-rm -f shobjs/*.pic_o
 
 localclobber:	localclean
 		-rm -f tags TAGS python$(EXE) $(LIBRARY) $(LDLIBRARY) *.o
 		-rm -f config.log config.cache config.h
+		-rm -rf shobjs/*.pic_o
 
 clobber:	localclobber
 		-for i in $(SUBDIRS); do \
--- python-1.999b1.orig/configure.in
+++ python-1.999b1/configure.in
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 # Set VERSION so we only need to edit in one place (i.e., here)
 AC_SUBST(VERSION)
 VERSION=2.0
+AC_SUBST(SOVERSION)
+SOVERSION=0.0
 
 # NEXTSTEP stuff
 if test -f /usr/lib/NextStep/software_version -o -f /System/Library/CoreServices/software_version ; then
@@ -220,6 +222,7 @@
 # LINKCC is the command that links the python executable -- default is $(CC).
 # This is altered for AIX and BeOS in order to build the export list before 
 # linking.
+# For Linux, we now build a shared library, too.
 AC_SUBST(LINKCC)
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(LINKCC)
 if test -z "$LINKCC" -a ! -z "$CXX"
@@ -236,6 +239,9 @@
 	   LDLIBRARY='libpython$(VERSION).so';;
 	dgux*)
 	   LINKCC="LD_RUN_PATH=$libdir \$(PURIFY) \$(CC)";;
+	Linux*)
+           LDLIBRARY='libpython$(VERSION).so.$(SOVERSION)'
+	   LINKCC="\$(CC)";;
 	*) LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CC)";;
 	esac
 fi
@@ -526,7 +532,7 @@
                 if test "$with_next_framework" ; then
 		    LDSHARED="$LDSHARED \$(LDLIBRARY)"
 		fi ;;
-	Linux*) LDSHARED="gcc -shared";;
+	Linux*) LDSHARED="gcc -shared -lc";;
 	dgux*) LDSHARED="ld -G";;
 	BSD/OS*/4*) LDSHARED="gcc -shared";;
 	FreeBSD*/[[34]]*) LDSHARED="gcc -shared";;
@@ -553,7 +559,7 @@
 		 then CCSHARED="-fpic";
 		 else CCSHARED="+z";
 		 fi;;
-	Linux*) CCSHARED="-fpic";;
+	Linux*) CCSHARED="-fPIC";;
 	BSD/OS*/4*) CCSHARED="-fpic";;
 	FreeBSD*|OpenBSD*) CCSHARED="-fpic";;
 	NetBSD*) CCSHARED="-fPIC";;
--- python-1.999b1.orig/Modules/Makefile.pre.in
+++ python-1.999b1/Modules/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 # === Variables set by configure ===
 
 VERSION=	@VERSION@
+SOVERSION=	@SOVERSION@
 srcdir=		@srcdir@
 VPATH=		@srcdir@
 
@@ -95,6 +96,8 @@
 FIXOBJS=	config.o getpath.o main.o getbuildinfo.o
 OBJS=		$(MODOBJS) $(FIXOBJS)
 
+SHOBJS=		$(OBJS:%.o=%.pic_o)
+
 #MAINOBJ=	python.o
 MAINOBJ=	@MAINOBJ@
 
@@ -118,6 +121,15 @@
 		$(AR) cr $(LIBRARY) $(OBJS)
 		touch add2lib
 
+add2shlib:	$(SHOBJS)
+		-if test -f hassignal; \
+		then echo removing sigcheck.pic_o intrcheck.pic_o; \
+		     rm ../shobjs/sigcheck.pic_o ../shobjs/intrcheck.pic_o \
+		         2>/dev/null; \
+		else echo leaving sigcheck.pic_o intrcheck.pic_o in; fi
+		cp -f $(SHOBJS) ../shobjs/.
+		touch add2shlib
+
 # Use ``EXE=.exe'' for Unix emulations on DOS/Windows
 EXE=
 
@@ -130,6 +142,7 @@
 clean:
 		-rm -f *.o python$(EXE) core *~ [@,#]* *.old *.orig *.rej
 		-rm -f add2lib hassignal
+		-rm -f add2shlib *.pic_o
 
 clobber:	clean
 		-rm -f *.a tags TAGS config.c Makefile.pre
@@ -143,6 +156,15 @@
 		      -DVPATH='"$(VPATH)"' \
 		      $(srcdir)/getpath.c
 
+getpath.pic_o:	getpath.c Makefile
+		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) -DPYTHONPATH='"$(PYTHONPATH)"' \
+		      -DPREFIX='"$(prefix)"' \
+		      -DEXEC_PREFIX='"$(exec_prefix)"' \
+		      -DVERSION='"$(VERSION)"' \
+		      -DVPATH='"$(VPATH)"' \
+		      -fPIC -o getpath.pic_o \
+		      $(srcdir)/getpath.c
+
 # When the configuration changes, we remove the library, so that it
 # gets remade from scratch; this ensures to remove modules that are no
 # longer pertinent (but that were in a previous configuration).
@@ -173,6 +195,11 @@
 depend:
 		$(MKDEP) $(CFLAGS) `echo $(OBJS) | tr ' ' '\012' | \
 					sed 's|\(.*\)\.o|$(srcdir)/\1.c|'`
+
+.SUFFIXES:	.pic_o
+
+%.pic_o:	%.c
+		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -fPIC -o $@ $<
 
 .PRECIOUS:	../python$(EXE)
 
--- python-1.999b1.orig/Objects/Makefile.in
+++ python-1.999b1/Objects/Makefile.in
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@
 		tupleobject.c typeobject.c \
 		unicodeobject.c unicodectype.c
 
+SHOBJS=		$(OBJS:%.o=%.pic_o)
+
 LIBRARY=	../libpython$(VERSION).a
 
 # === Rules ===
@@ -59,8 +61,13 @@
 		$(AR) cr $(LIBRARY) $(OBJS)
 		touch add2lib
 
+add2shlib:	$(SHOBJS)
+		cp -f $(SHOBJS) ../shobjs/.
+		touch add2shlib
+
 clean:
-		-rm -f *.o core *~ [@,#]* *.old *.orig *.rej add2lib
+		-rm -f *.o core *~ [@,#]* *.old *.orig *.rej add2lib \
+			*.pic_o add2shlib
 
 clobber:	clean
 		-rm -f *.a tags TAGS
@@ -72,6 +79,12 @@
 depend:
 		$(MKDEP) $(CFLAGS) `echo $(OBJS) | tr ' ' '\012' | \
 					sed 's|\(.*\)\.o|$(srcdir)/\1.c|'`
+
+# Rules for building libpython as shared library
+.SUFFIXES:	.pic_o
+
+%.pic_o:	%.c
+		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -fPIC -o $@ $<
 
 .PRECIOUS:	Makefile
 
--- python-1.999b1.orig/Parser/Makefile.in
+++ python-1.999b1/Parser/Makefile.in
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 AROBJS=		$(POBJS) myreadline.o
 OBJS=		$(AROBJS) intrcheck.o
 
+SHOBJS=		$(OBJS:%.o=%.pic_o)
 
 PGENMAIN=	pgenmain.o
 
@@ -62,11 +63,16 @@
 		else echo leaving intrcheck.o out; fi
 		touch add2lib
 
+add2shlib:	$(SHOBJS)
+		cp -f $(SHOBJS) ../shobjs/.
+		touch add2shlib
+
 $(PGEN):	$(PGENOBJS)
 		$(CC) $(OPT) $(PGENOBJS) $(LIBS) -o $(PGEN)
 
 clean:
-		-rm -f *.o core *~ [@,#]* *.old *.orig *.rej add2lib
+		-rm -f *.o core *~ [@,#]* *.old *.orig *.rej add2lib \
+			*.pic_o add2shlib
 
 clobber:	clean
 		-rm -f $(PGEN) *.a tags TAGS
@@ -78,6 +84,11 @@
 depend:
 		$(MKDEP) $(CFLAGS) `echo $(DOBJS) | tr ' ' '\012' | \
 					sed 's|\(.*\)\.o|$(srcdir)/\1.c|'`
+
+.SUFFIXES:	.pic_o
+
+%.pic_o:	%.c
+		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -fPIC -o $@ $<
 
 .PRECIOUS:	Makefile
 
--- python-1.999b1.orig/Python/Makefile.in
+++ python-1.999b1/Python/Makefile.in
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@
 		$(LIBOBJS)
 OBJS=		$(AROBJS) sigcheck.o
 
+SHOBJS=		$(OBJS:%.o=%.pic_o)
+
 LIBRARY=	../libpython$(VERSION).a
 
 
@@ -66,8 +68,13 @@
 		else echo leaving sigcheck.o out; fi
 		touch add2lib
 
+add2shlib:	$(SHOBJS)
+		cp -f $(SHOBJS) ../shobjs/.
+		touch add2shlib
+
 clean:
-		-rm -f *.o core *~ [@,#]* *.old *.orig *.rej add2lib
+		-rm -f *.o core *~ [@,#]* *.old *.orig *.rej add2lib \
+			*.pic_o add2shlib
 
 clobber:	clean
 		-rm -f *.a tags TAGS
@@ -80,12 +87,25 @@
 		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) -DPLATFORM='"$(MACHDEP)"' \
 		      $(srcdir)/getplatform.c
 
+getplatform.pic_o:	getplatform.c Makefile
+		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) -DPLATFORM='"$(MACHDEP)"' \
+		      $(CPPFLAGS) -fPIC -o $@ \
+		      $(srcdir)/getplatform.c
+
 importdl.o:	importdl.c
 		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) -I$(DLINCLDIR) $(srcdir)/importdl.c
 
+importdl.pic_o:	importdl.c
+		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) -I$(DLINCLDIR) -fPIC -o $@ $(srcdir)/importdl.c
+
 depend:
 		$(MKDEP) $(CFLAGS) `echo $(OBJS) | tr ' ' '\012' | \
 					sed 's|\(.*\)\.o|$(srcdir)/\1.c|'`
+
+.SUFFIXES:	.pic_o
+
+%.pic_o:	%.c
+		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -fPIC -o $@ $<
 
 .PRECIOUS:	Makefile