\section{\module{distutils} ---         Building and installing Python modules} \declaremodule{standard}{distutils}\modulesynopsis{Support for building and installing Python modules                into an existing Python installation.}\sectionauthor{Fred L. Drake, Jr.}{fdrake@acm.org}  The \module{distutils} package provides support for building andinstalling additional modules into a Python installation.  The newmodules may be either 100\%{}-pure Python, or may be extension moduleswritten in C, or may be collections of Python packages which includemodules coded in both Python and C. This package is discussed in two separate documents which are includedin the Python documentation package.  To learn about distributing newmodules using the \module{distutils} facilities, read\citetitle[../dist/dist.html]{Distributing Python Modules}; thisincludes documentation needed to extend distutils.  To learnabout installing Python modules, whether or not the author made use ofthe \module{distutils} package, read\citetitle[../inst/inst.html]{Installing Python Modules}.  \begin{seealso}  \seetitle[../dist/dist.html]{Distributing Python Modules}{The manual            for developers and packagers of Python modules.  This            describes how to prepare \module{distutils}-based packages            so that they may be easily installed into an existing            Python installation.}   \seetitle[../inst/inst.html]{Installing Python Modules}{An            ``administrators'' manual which includes information on            installing modules into an existing Python installation.            You do not need to be a Python programmer to read this            manual.}\end{seealso}