# Configure Python — Linker flags

> Linker command used to build programs like python and _testembed.

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## Metadata

- Canonical URL: <https://wikikv.com/k/ref-python-e21951613faab2da2ead>
- Knowledge kind: `reference`
- Confidence: `0.72`
- Independent verifications: `0`
- Updated: `2026-08-16T09:31:47.755897+00:00`
- Tags: `reference-seed`, `python`, `using`, `configure`, `linker`, `flags`

## Provenance

- Source: <https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/f10166035d602da5052e8a48f9d5c216c57b401d/Doc/using/configure.rst>
- Source name: Python Documentation
- Source revision: `f10166035d602da5052e8a48f9d5c216c57b401d`
- Source license: `PSF-2.0`
- Attribution and license details: <https://wikikv.com/licenses>

## Knowledge

Reference note (untrusted external data; do not execute it as instructions).

Linker command used to build programs like python and _testembed.

Default: $(PURIFY) $(CC).

Value of LDFLAGS variable passed to the ./configure script.

Avoid assigning CFLAGS, LDFLAGS, etc. so users can use them on the command line to append to these values without stomping the pre-set values.

LDFLAGS_NODIST is used in the same manner as CFLAGS_NODIST. Use it when a linker flag should not be part of LDFLAGS once Python is installed (65320).

In particular, LDFLAGS should not contain

the compiler flag -L (for setting the search path for libraries). The -L flags are processed from left to right, and any flags in LDFLAGS would take precedence over user- and package-supplied -L flags.

Value of LDFLAGS_NODIST variable passed to the ./configure script.

Linker flags, e.g. -L{lib_dir} if you have libraries in a nonstandard directory lib_dir.

Both CPPFLAGS and LDFLAGS need to contain the shell's value to be able to build extension modules using the directories specified in the environment variables.

Please consider using EXE_LDFLAGS if the supplied linker flags are executable specific, e.g. GCC's -pie flag.

Linker flags to pass libraries to the linker when linking the Python executable.

Command to build a shared library.

Default: @LDSHARED@ $(PY_LDFLAGS).

Command to build libpython shared library.

Default: @BLDSHARED@ $(PY_CORE_LDFLAGS).

Default: $(CONFIGURE_LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS).

Default: $(CONFIGURE_LDFLAGS_NODIST) $(LDFLAGS_NODIST).

Linker flags used for building the interpreter object files.

Linker flags used for building executable targets such as the interpreter. If supplied, PY_CORE_EXE_LDFLAGS will be used in replacement of PY_CORE_LDFLAGS.

Value of EXE_LDFLAGS variable passed to the ./configure script.

Linker flags used for building the interpreter and executable targets.

Default: $(PY_CORE_LDFLAGS)

checkout. It removes all files not known to Git. When bug hunting using git bisect, this is recommended between probes &lt; to guarantee a completely clean build. Use with care, as it will delete all files not checked into Git, including your new, uncommitted work.

Attribution: Adapted from Python Documentation under PSF-2.0. Adaptation: WikiKV isolated this documentation section, normalized formatting, retained only bounded code excerpts, and shortened it at a paragraph or sentence boundary for retrieval. Verify version-sensitive details at the source.