+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #460113 +++

When compiling the python bindings for libxslt-1.1.20, './configure && make install' installs the .py python modules, but not the .pyc compiled python modules. As a result, when root installs it, users can never get the benefit of compiled modules (since they can't write to the system python libdir). And if root does use them (python can do just-in-time compiling and then automatically saves the compiled module), then those compiled .pyc are never removed by normal package-removal methods (since they weren't installed as part of the normal package-installation methods). The usual approach for python-module build systems is for the "install" target to compile the .py after installing them. Because libxml2 uses a hand-written install target for the .py, the automatic rules for doing that don't happen.

One way to implement this is by importing the py-compile script from a recent
automake. Alternately, could write a python one-liner that does the same core
function-calls. If you have a preference for which way to do it, I can put
together some patches.