how to succesfully compile python 3.x

Question

Upon attempting to compile python 3.7 I hit Could not import runpy module:

jeremyr@b88:$ wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.7.3/Python-3.7.3.tar.xz
....
jeremyr@b88:~/Python-3.7.3$ ./configure --enable-optimizations    
jeremyr@b88:~/Python-3.7.3$ make clean 
jeremyr@b88:~/Python-3.7.3$ make -j32 
.... 

gcc -pthread     -Xlinker -export-dynamic -o Programs/_testembed Programs/_testembed.o libpython3.7m.a -lcrypt -lpthread -ldl  -lutil   -lm  
./python -E -S -m sysconfig --generate-posix-vars ;\
if test $? -ne 0 ; then \
    echo "generate-posix-vars failed" ; \
    rm -f ./pybuilddir.txt ; \
    exit 1 ; \
fi
Could not import runpy module
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/jeremyr/Python-3.7.3/Lib/runpy.py", line 15, in <module>
    import importlib.util
  File "/home/jeremyr/Python-3.7.3/Lib/importlib/util.py", line 14, in <module>
    from contextlib import contextmanager
  File "/home/jeremyr/Python-3.7.3/Lib/contextlib.py", line 4, in <module>
    import _collections_abc
SystemError: <built-in function compile> returned NULL without setting an error
generate-posix-vars failed
Makefile:603: recipe for target 'pybuilddir.txt' failed
make[1]: *** [pybuilddir.txt] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/jeremyr/Python-3.7.3'
Makefile:531: recipe for target 'profile-opt' failed
make: *** [profile-opt] Error 2

jeremyr@88:~/Python-3.7.3$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Debian
Description:    Debian GNU/Linux 8.11 (jessie)
Release:    8.11
Codename:   jessie

jeremyr@88:~/Python-3.7.3$ gcc --version 
gcc (Debian 4.9.2-10+deb8u2) 4.9.2
Copyright (C) 2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

jeremyr@88:~/Python-3.7.3$ sudo apt upgrade gcc
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... gcc is already the newest version.

jeremyr@b88:~/Python-3.7.3$ echo $PYTHONPATH

Any advice on how to overcome this and install python3.7 appreciated.

Edit - the solution listed below seems to work for various other python versions, so I changed title to python 3.x from 3.7

Answer 1

In case others come across this question: I encountered the same problem on Centos 7. I also had --enable-optimizations but didn't want to remove that flag. Updating my build dependencies and then re-running solved the problem. To do that I ran:

sudo yum groupinstall "Development Tools" -y

In case the yum group is not available, you can also install the pacakges individually using:

sudo yum install bison byacc cscope ctags cvs diffstat doxygen flex gcc gcc-c++ gcc-gfortran gettext git indent intltool libtool patch patchutils rcs redhat-rpm-config rpm-build subversion swig systemtap

Answer 2

It seems the enable-optimizations was the problem,

jeremyr@b88:~/Python-3.7.3$ ./configure   
jeremyr@b88:~/Python-3.7.3$ make clean 

takes care of it in my case.