/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lpython2.7

Question

I'm trying to install MySQLdb with Python 2.7. The error I'm getting looks like this:

gcc -pthread -fno-strict-aliasing -g -O2 -DNDEBUG -g -fwrapv -O3 -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -fPIC -Dversion_info=(1,2,3,'final',0) -D__version__=1.2.3 -I/usr/include/mysql -I/opt/python2.7/include/python2.7 -c _mysql.c -o build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/_mysql.o -g -pipe -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fexceptions -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -m64
gcc -pthread -shared build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/_mysql.o -L/usr/lib64/mysql -L. -lmysqlclient_r -lz -lpthread -lcrypt -lnsl -lm -lpthread -lmygcc -lpython2.7 -o build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/_mysql.so
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lpython2.7
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
error: command 'gcc' failed with exit status 1

Clearly, it can't find Python 2.7. Looking in /usr/bin I see:

python*
python2@
python2.4*
python2.7@

What does the @ symbol mean? Can anyone advise a remedy to the error?

Answer 1

It can't find the Python library, not the executable. Run locate libpython2.7.a to see where your Python library is located, and add it to the library path (e.g. if it is in /opt/python2.7/lib, you want to call LDFLAGS="-L/opt/python2.7/lib" make).

The @ symbol means the file is a symbolic link; * means it's executable (these are produced by ls -F, which you might have as an alias).