>>>>> "Michael" == Michael Nandris <sui...@ya...> writes: Michael> Well, Xandros ship a python with no distutils. Michael> Hmmmmmmmmmm, usefull. Install distutils rather than trying to work around them. For example, all the configure, gcc, make stuff you attempted is unnecessary if you simply use distutils with 'python setup.py build'.. Everything else you are trying will result in a fragmented and corrupted source. The standard installation techinques will work on Xandros, I'm willing to wager, and will result in a cleaner, better system that trying to hack the install. This isn't always true (solaris and perhaps os x spring to mind) but I have some confidence that it will be true for your install Michael> Anyway, I have a clean reinstall now; but both mpl deb's Michael> are broken (see below). Did you do what I suggested in my last post. Step by step, what was the output? For example, to the suggested commands >>> import matplotlib >>> print matplotlib.__version__ What was the output of the apt-get commands? Did you follow the instructions in the response I sent to matplotlib-users? Did you try a different GUI backend? JDH