You can add additional directories to search for include files in setup.py:

if sys.platform == "linux-i386": # Red Hat include_dirs = ['/usr/include/mysql','/opt/Python-2.1.1/Include'] library_dirs = ['/usr/lib/mysql'] libraries = [mysqlclient, "z"] runtime_library_dirs = [] extra_objects = []

OK I did that, I found though that I was still getting the can't find Python.h error - so I printed sys.platform and found it contained the value 'linux2'. So I changed the line to if sys.platform == "linux2": # Red Hat and it got past the Python.h error - however it then errored with In file included from _mysql.c:31: /opt/Python-2.1.1/Include/Python.h:24: config.h: No such file or directory In file included from /opt/Python-2.1.1/Include/Python.h:54, from _mysql.c:31: /opt/Python-2.1.1/Include/pyport.h:4: config.h: No such file or directory In file included from /opt/Python-2.1.1/Include/Python.h:54, from _mysql.c:31: /opt/Python-2.1.1/Include/pyport.h:404: #error "could not set LONG_MAX in pypor" error: command 'gcc' failed with exit status 1 Any ideas ? Thanks. Richard Richard Moon richard@dcs.co.uk