ICCky Python
Recently, I became bored and tried installing icc, the Intel C/C++ Compiler. I heard that programs compiled with icc run much quicker than programs compiled with gcc (the GNU Compiler Collection). I tried it out on my ray tracer and, sure enough, the icc version ran 30% faster than the gcc version. Impressed, I added the necessary configuration files to have Paludis use icc.
According to the Gentoo Linux wiki, icc used to be unable to compile Python properly using the -O3 optimization level (specifically, the find function didn't work). Supposedly, I had a version in which this was no longer a problem. But find—and Portage—failed magnificently. I tried compiling Pythong using -O2 and then find worked fine.
Today, I tried running Picard and I uncovered another error. Python wouldn't import ctypes. I tried running python-updater, but that fixed nothing. I tried reinstalling ctypes and Python, but nothing changed. Then I tried compiling python with gcc and Picard worked fine.
In conclusion, compile Python with gcc.
Update: I just installed Python 2.6. I wonder how this version works with icc.
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