I would like to create a python wrapper to access to pacman features, and so I started to take a look about how it works.. The first thing that I noted is that the INSTALL instructions are a bit confusing. Because it says: --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- Briefly, the shell commands `./configure; make; make install' should configure, build, and install this package. The following instructions are generic. Run `./configure --help` for specific options. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- But actually there is no "configure" until autoconf is run, but that is explained only later. So maybe just inverting the order might be fine, first talking about autoconf and configure.ac and after talking about configure && make. Then I was actually trying to compile it myself but I get on configure: --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- configure: creating ./config.status config.status: error: cannot find input file: `lib/libalpm/Makefile.in' --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- (from the git repository). And about my original idea, is anyone interested? From what I've understood I think I might use SWIG using the file alpm.h as header and export all the symbols in a nice Python wrapper, does it make sense?