ADDED some logging to see which locations are checked for the python

library in config.log

configure.in

@@ -276,12 +276,13 @@ if test "x$pylibs" = xnone; then
        AC_MSG_RESULT(found)
    else
        py_paths="$PYPREFIX/lib64/python$PYLIBVER/config $PYPREFIX/lib64 \
-	$PYPREFIX/lib/python$PYLIBVER/config $PYPREFIX/lib \
-	$PYPREFIX/lib/python$PYLIBVER/config-$target_cpu-$target_os"
+    $PYPREFIX/lib/python$PYLIBVER/config-${target_cpu}-${target_os} \
+	$PYPREFIX/lib/python$PYLIBVER/config $PYPREFIX/lib"
 
        dnl Try for specific version first, then the generic version, then panic
 
        for ppath in $py_paths ; do
+           echo "searching in $ppath" >&AS_MESSAGE_LOG_FD
            if test -r "$ppath/libpython$PYLIBVER.so" -o \
                -r "$ppath/libpython$PYLIBVER.a"; then
                PYLIB="-L$ppath -lpython$PYLIBVER"