Bug report

Tools/build/generate-build-details.py sets libpython.static to
os.path.join(LIBDIR, LIBRARY), but make install (libainstall) installs the
static library into LIBPL:

$(INSTALL_DATA) $(LIBRARY) $(DESTDIR)$(LIBPL)/$(LIBRARY)

The archive is copied to LIBDIR when it is LDLIBRARY (static-only
builds, via altbininstall). with the default --enable-shared configuration:

./configure --prefix=/tmp/py --enable-shared && make -j && make install ENSUREPIP=no
/tmp/py/bin/python3 -c "import json; print(json.load(open('/tmp/py/lib/python3.16/build-details.json'))['libpython'])"
# {'dynamic': '/tmp/py/lib/libpython3.16.dylib', 'static': '/tmp/py/lib/libpython3.16.a', ...}
ls /tmp/py/lib/libpython3.16.a                                # No such file
ls /tmp/py/lib/python3.16/config-3.16-darwin/libpython3.16.a  # exists

Framework builds still have STATIC_LIBPYTHON=1, but libainstall skips the
archive ("use make frameworkinstall"), and frameworkinstallmaclib creates
LIBPL/libpython3.X.a as a symlink to the framework's shared library. The
static entry should be omitted there.

Found while looking into relocatable builds.

CPython versions tested on:

CPython main branch

Operating systems tested on:

macOS

Linked PRs

• gh-159759: Fix libpython.static in PEP 739 build-details.json #159766
• [3.15] gh-159759: Fix libpython.static in PEP 739 build-details.json (GH-159766) #159823
• [3.14] gh-159759: Fix libpython.static in PEP 739 build-details.json (GH-159766) #159824