diff -Nur Python-2.5b2.orig/configure.in Python-2.5b2/configure.in
--- Python-2.5b2.orig/configure.in	2006-07-06 11:13:35.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-2.5b2/configure.in	2006-07-12 17:42:51.000000000 +0100
@@ -503,6 +503,41 @@
     ;;
 esac
 
+AC_SUBST(ARCH)
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(ARCH)
+ARCH=`uname -m`
+case $ARCH in
+i?86) ARCH=i386;;
+esac
+AC_MSG_RESULT($ARCH)
+
+AC_SUBST(LIB)
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(LIB)
+case $ac_sys_system in
+Linux*)
+  # Test if the compiler is 64bit
+  echo 'int i;' > conftest.$ac_ext
+  python_cv_cc_64bit_output=no
+  if AC_TRY_EVAL(ac_compile); then
+    case `/usr/bin/file conftest.$ac_objext` in
+    *"ELF 64"*)
+      python_cv_cc_64bit_output=yes
+      ;;
+    esac
+  fi
+  rm -rf conftest*
+  ;;
+esac
+
+case $ARCH:$python_cv_cc_64bit_output in
+powerpc64:yes | s390x:yes | sparc64:yes | x86_64:yes)
+  LIB="lib64"
+  ;;
+*:*)
+  LIB="lib"
+  ;;
+esac
+AC_MSG_RESULT($LIB)
 
 AC_SUBST(LIBRARY)
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(LIBRARY)
diff -Nur Python-2.5b2.orig/Include/pythonrun.h Python-2.5b2/Include/pythonrun.h
--- Python-2.5b2.orig/Include/pythonrun.h	2006-04-03 07:26:32.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-2.5b2/Include/pythonrun.h	2006-07-12 17:42:51.000000000 +0100
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@
 /* In their own files */
 PyAPI_FUNC(const char *) Py_GetVersion(void);
 PyAPI_FUNC(const char *) Py_GetPlatform(void);
+PyAPI_FUNC(const char *) Py_GetArch(void);
+PyAPI_FUNC(const char *) Py_GetLib(void);
 PyAPI_FUNC(const char *) Py_GetCopyright(void);
 PyAPI_FUNC(const char *) Py_GetCompiler(void);
 PyAPI_FUNC(const char *) Py_GetBuildInfo(void);
--- Python-3.2/Lib/distutils/command/install.py.orig	2010-11-25 04:46:44.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-3.2/Lib/distutils/command/install.py	2011-04-02 08:13:23.765733920 +0200
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
     from site import USER_SITE
     HAS_USER_SITE = True
 
+libname = sys.lib
+
 if sys.version < "2.2":
     WINDOWS_SCHEME = {
         'purelib': '$base',
@@ -47,14 +49,14 @@
 INSTALL_SCHEMES = {
     'unix_prefix': {
         'purelib': '$base/lib/python$py_version_short/site-packages',
-        'platlib': '$platbase/lib/python$py_version_short/site-packages',
+        'platlib': '$platbase/'+libname+'/python$py_version_short/site-packages',
         'headers': '$base/include/python$py_version_short$abiflags/$dist_name',
         'scripts': '$base/bin',
         'data'   : '$base',
         },
     'unix_home': {
         'purelib': '$base/lib/python',
-        'platlib': '$base/lib/python',
+        'platlib': '$base/'+libname+'/python',
         'headers': '$base/include/python/$dist_name',
         'scripts': '$base/bin',
         'data'   : '$base',
diff -Nur Python-2.5b2.orig/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py Python-2.5b2/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py
--- Python-2.5b2.orig/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py	2006-06-27 11:08:25.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-2.5b2/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py	2006-07-12 17:42:51.000000000 +0100
@@ -99,8 +99,12 @@
         prefix = plat_specific and EXEC_PREFIX or PREFIX
 
     if os.name == "posix":
+        if plat_specific:
+            lib = sys.lib
+        else:
+            lib = 'lib'
         libpython = os.path.join(prefix,
-                                 "lib", "python" + get_python_version())
+                                 lib, "python" + get_python_version())
         if standard_lib:
             return libpython
         else:
diff -Nur Python-2.5b2.orig/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install.py Python-2.5b2/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install.py
--- Python-2.5b2.orig/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install.py	2004-06-26 00:02:59.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-2.5b2/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install.py	2006-07-12 17:42:51.000000000 +0100
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@
             self.assertEqual(got, expected)
 
         libdir = os.path.join(destination, "lib", "python")
+        platlibdir =  os.path.join(destination, sys.lib, "python")
         check_path(cmd.install_lib, libdir)
-        check_path(cmd.install_platlib, libdir)
+        check_path(cmd.install_platlib, platlibdir)
         check_path(cmd.install_purelib, libdir)
         check_path(cmd.install_headers,
                    os.path.join(destination, "include", "python", "foopkg"))
--- Python-3.2/Lib/site.py.orig	2010-12-26 20:54:29.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-3.2/Lib/site.py	2011-04-02 08:16:21.341737273 +0200
@@ -285,13 +285,16 @@
         if sys.platform in ('os2emx', 'riscos'):
             sitepackages.append(os.path.join(prefix, "Lib", "site-packages"))
         elif os.sep == '/':
-            sitepackages.append(os.path.join(prefix, "lib",
+            sitepackages.append(os.path.join(prefix, sys.lib,
                                         "python" + sys.version[:3],
                                         "site-packages"))
-            sitepackages.append(os.path.join(prefix, "lib", "site-python"))
+            sitepackages.append(os.path.join(prefix, sys.lib, "site-python"))
+            if sys.lib != 'lib':
+                sitepackages.append(os.path.join(prefix, "lib", "python" + sys.version[:3], "site-packages"))
+                sitepackages.append(os.path.join(prefix, "lib", "site-python"))
         else:
             sitepackages.append(prefix)
-            sitepackages.append(os.path.join(prefix, "lib", "site-packages"))
+            sitepackages.append(os.path.join(prefix, sys.lib, "site-packages"))
         if sys.platform == "darwin":
             # for framework builds *only* we add the standard Apple
             # locations.
--- Python-3.2/Makefile.pre.in.orig	2011-02-19 09:47:14.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-3.2/Makefile.pre.in	2011-04-02 08:17:59.357737273 +0200
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@
 
 # Machine-dependent subdirectories
 MACHDEP=	@MACHDEP@
+LIB=		@LIB@
+ARCH=		@ARCH@
 
 # Install prefix for architecture-independent files
 prefix=		@prefix@
@@ -102,7 +104,7 @@
 MANDIR=		@mandir@
 INCLUDEDIR=	@includedir@
 CONFINCLUDEDIR=	$(exec_prefix)/include
-SCRIPTDIR=	$(prefix)/lib
+SCRIPTDIR=	$(prefix)/$(LIB)
 ABIFLAGS=	@ABIFLAGS@
 
 # Detailed destination directories
@@ -605,7 +607,7 @@
 Python/compile.o Python/symtable.o Python/ast.o: $(GRAMMAR_H) $(AST_H)
 
 Python/getplatform.o: $(srcdir)/Python/getplatform.c
-		$(CC) -c $(PY_CORE_CFLAGS) -DPLATFORM='"$(MACHDEP)"' -o $@ $(srcdir)/Python/getplatform.c
+		$(CC) -c $(PY_CORE_CFLAGS) -DPLATFORM='"$(MACHDEP)"' -DARCH='"$(ARCH)"' -DLIB='"$(LIB)"' -o $@ $(srcdir)/Python/getplatform.c
 
 Python/importdl.o: $(srcdir)/Python/importdl.c
 		$(CC) -c $(PY_CORE_CFLAGS) -I$(DLINCLDIR) -o $@ $(srcdir)/Python/importdl.c
--- Python-3.2/Modules/getpath.c.orig	2010-12-03 21:14:31.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-3.2/Modules/getpath.c	2011-04-02 08:18:39.573738111 +0200
@@ -121,9 +121,17 @@
 #define EXEC_PREFIX PREFIX
 #endif
 
+#ifndef LIB_PYTHON
+#if defined(__x86_64__) || (defined(__sparc__) && defined(__arch64__)) || defined(__powerpc64__) || defined(__s390x__)
+#define LIB_PYTHON L"lib64/python"
+#else
+#define LIB_PYTHON L"lib/python"
+#endif
+#endif
+
 #ifndef PYTHONPATH
-#define PYTHONPATH PREFIX "/lib/python" VERSION ":" \
-              EXEC_PREFIX "/lib/python" VERSION "/lib-dynload"
+#define PYTHONPATH PREFIX "/" LIB_PYTHON VERSION ":" \
+              EXEC_PREFIX "/" LIB_PYTHON VERSION "/lib-dynload:"
 #endif
 
 #ifndef LANDMARK
@@ -134,7 +142,7 @@
 static wchar_t exec_prefix[MAXPATHLEN+1];
 static wchar_t progpath[MAXPATHLEN+1];
 static wchar_t *module_search_path = NULL;
-static wchar_t *lib_python = L"lib/python" VERSION;
+static wchar_t *lib_python = LIB_PYTHON VERSION;
 
 static void
 reduce(wchar_t *dir)
diff -Nur Python-2.5b2.orig/Python/getplatform.c Python-2.5b2/Python/getplatform.c
--- Python-2.5b2.orig/Python/getplatform.c	2000-09-02 00:29:29.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-2.5b2/Python/getplatform.c	2006-07-12 17:42:51.000000000 +0100
@@ -10,3 +10,23 @@
 {
 	return PLATFORM;
 }
+
+#ifndef ARCH
+#define ARCH "unknown"
+#endif
+
+const char *
+Py_GetArch(void)
+{
+	return ARCH;
+}
+
+#ifndef LIB
+#define LIB "lib"
+#endif
+
+const char *
+Py_GetLib(void)
+{
+	return LIB;
+}
--- Python-3.2/Python/sysmodule.c.orig	2011-01-05 21:08:25.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-3.2/Python/sysmodule.c	2011-04-02 08:20:16.773734758 +0200
@@ -1608,6 +1608,10 @@
                         PyUnicode_FromString(Py_GetCopyright()));
     SET_SYS_FROM_STRING("platform",
                         PyUnicode_FromString(Py_GetPlatform()));
+    SET_SYS_FROM_STRING("arch",
+                        PyUnicode_FromString(Py_GetArch()));
+    SET_SYS_FROM_STRING("lib",
+                        PyUnicode_FromString(Py_GetLib()));
     SET_SYS_FROM_STRING("executable",
                         PyUnicode_FromWideChar(
                                Py_GetProgramFullPath(), -1));
--- Python-3.2/setup.py.orig	2010-12-28 10:51:43.000000000 +0100
+++ Python-3.2/setup.py	2011-04-02 08:21:49.597738949 +0200
@@ -422,12 +422,12 @@
             add_dir_to_list(self.compiler.include_dirs,
                             sysconfig.get_config_var("INCLUDEDIR"))
 
+        libname = sys.lib
         # lib_dirs and inc_dirs are used to search for files;
         # if a file is found in one of those directories, it can
         # be assumed that no additional -I,-L directives are needed.
         lib_dirs = self.compiler.library_dirs + [
-            '/lib64', '/usr/lib64',
-            '/lib', '/usr/lib',
+            libname, '/usr/'+libname
             ]
         inc_dirs = self.compiler.include_dirs + ['/usr/include']
         exts = []
@@ -620,11 +620,11 @@
             elif curses_library:
                 readline_libs.append(curses_library)
             elif self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs +
-                                                     ['/usr/lib/termcap'],
+                                                     ['/usr/' + libname + '/termcap'],
                                                      'termcap'):
                 readline_libs.append('termcap')
             exts.append( Extension('readline', ['readline.c'],
-                                   library_dirs=['/usr/lib/termcap'],
+                                   library_dirs=['/usr/' + libname + '/termcap'],
                                    extra_link_args=readline_extra_link_args,
                                    libraries=readline_libs) )
         else: