Building and installing multiple Python versions using autotools

I am trying to figure out how to build my project for multiple Python versions. I am testing this on Debian wheezy where the default Python version is 2.7. but 2.6 is also supported and installed. However, automake only installs and compiles for Python 2.7. I would like it to compile for 2.6 too.

Here are the settings for configure.ac and Makefile.am. I can provide more details if needed, but hopefully enough will be enough.

I am starting with Autotools, so there might be some obvious solution.

Here's what looks like a bug in the wishlist: RFE: Build against multiple python stacks . There is also a similar discussion here: RFC: (automake) add support for two versions of python 2 / python 3 .

There is also a suggested solution (which looks complicated) given in CDBS + Autotools + Python

This is configure.ac.

##################################################################################
#                                               -*- Autoconf -*-
# Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.

AC_PREREQ([2.69])
AC_INIT([corrmodel], [0.1], [faheem@faheem.info])
AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign -Wall -Werror -Wno-extra-portability parallel-tests])
AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile])

# Checks for programs.
AC_PROG_CXX
AC_PROG_CC
AM_PATH_PYTHON([2.6])

# Checks for libraries.
AX_BOOST_BASE
AX_BOOST_PYTHON

# Checks for header files.

# Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.

# Checks for library functions.

#AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([hello/hello-2.9])
LT_INIT
AC_OUTPUT
##################################################################################

      

        
        
        
      

    

Here is the Makefile.am.

##################################################################################
# Define primaries
noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libcommon.la
dist_sysconf_DATA = corrmodel/default_conf.yaml

COMMON_CPPFLAGS = -I /usr/include/python$(PYTHON_VERSION) -L/usr/lib/python$(PYTHON_VERSION)/config -ftemplate-depth-100 -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -ansi -Wextra -Wall -Werror -Wno-unused-function -Wc++0x-compat -Wshadow -Wpointer-arith -Wcast-qual -Wcast-align -std=c++11 -march=native -mtune=native -mfpmath=sse -msse3 -O3 -DBOOST_PYTHON_DYNAMIC_LIB -DBOOST_PYTHON_MAX_ARITY=20
libcommon_la_SOURCES = randutil.cc util.cc gendata_fn.cc model.cc score_fn.cc search_fn.cc pval.cc print.cc \
                       common.hh util.hh model.hh gendata_fn.hh randutil.hh score_fn.hh search_fn.hh pval.hh \
                       print.hh
COMMON_LDFLAGS = -lblitz -lRmath -lpython$(PYTHON_VERSION) -lm -lboost_python
libcommon_la_CPPFLAGS = $(COMMON_CPPFLAGS)
#libcommon_la_LDFLAGS = $(COMMON_LDFLAGS)

# name of Python library.
# See http://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/html_node/Python.html
pkgpyexec_LTLIBRARIES = cpplib.la
cpplib_la_SOURCES = cpparr_conv_pif.cc cppmap_conv_pif.cc cpppair_conv_pif.cc cppset_conv_pif.cc cpptup_conv_pif.cc \
                    cppvec_conv_pif.cc cppunicode_conv_pif.cc util_pif.cc gendata_fn_pif.cc model_pif.cc score_fn_pif.cc \
                    search_fn_pif.cc pval_pif.cc main.cc conv_pif.hh util_pif.hh gendata_fn_pif.hh score_fn_pif.hh search_fn_pif.hh
cpplib_la_CPPFLAGS = $(COMMON_CPPFLAGS)
cpplib_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version -share $(COMMON_LDFLAGS)

cpplib_la_LIBADD = libcommon.la

ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4

pkgpython_PYTHON =  corrmodel/dbschema.py corrmodel/__init__.py corrmodel/init_schema.py  corrmodel/modeldist.py corrmodel/crossval.py corrmodel/dbutils.py corrmodel/getmodel.py corrmodel/load.py corrmodel/utils.py

##################################################################################