If there is no libtermcap all the readline tests failed.

This inappropriately disabled some capabilities which exist.

Now test for readline in -lreadline, if not found there, try it
in -ltermcap only if not in -lreadline.  If both libraries are
required, there will need to be more work, but I'm not sure
under what conditions both libraries would be required.

configure

 #! /bin/sh
-# From configure.in Revision: 41923 .
+# From configure.in Revision: 41924 .
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
 # Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.59 for python 2.5.
 #
@@ -19694,6 +19694,159 @@ _ACEOF
 
 fi
 
+# check where readline lives
+
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for readline in -lreadline" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for readline in -lreadline... $ECHO_C" >&6
+if test "${ac_cv_lib_readline_readline+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-lreadline  $LIBS"
+cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any gcc2 internal prototype to avoid an error.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+/* We use char because int might match the return type of a gcc2
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+char readline ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+readline ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+rm -f conftest.$ac_objext conftest$ac_exeext
+if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_link\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_link) 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } &&
+	 { ac_try='test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag"
+			 || test ! -s conftest.err'
+  { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_try) 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); }; } &&
+	 { ac_try='test -s conftest$ac_exeext'
+  { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_try) 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); }; }; then
+  ac_cv_lib_readline_readline=yes
+else
+  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+ac_cv_lib_readline_readline=no
+fi
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+      conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_lib_readline_readline" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_lib_readline_readline" >&6
+if test $ac_cv_lib_readline_readline = yes; then
+  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define HAVE_LIBREADLINE 1
+_ACEOF
+
+  LIBS="-lreadline $LIBS"
+
+fi
+
+if test "$ac_cv_have_readline_readline" = no
+then
+
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for readline in -ltermcap" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for readline in -ltermcap... $ECHO_C" >&6
+if test "${ac_cv_lib_termcap_readline+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-ltermcap  $LIBS"
+cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any gcc2 internal prototype to avoid an error.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+/* We use char because int might match the return type of a gcc2
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+char readline ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+readline ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+rm -f conftest.$ac_objext conftest$ac_exeext
+if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_link\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_link) 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } &&
+	 { ac_try='test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag"
+			 || test ! -s conftest.err'
+  { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_try) 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); }; } &&
+	 { ac_try='test -s conftest$ac_exeext'
+  { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_try) 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); }; }; then
+  ac_cv_lib_termcap_readline=yes
+else
+  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+ac_cv_lib_termcap_readline=no
+fi
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+      conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_lib_termcap_readline" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_lib_termcap_readline" >&6
+if test $ac_cv_lib_termcap_readline = yes; then
+  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define HAVE_LIBTERMCAP 1
+_ACEOF
+
+  LIBS="-ltermcap $LIBS"
+
+fi
+
+fi
+
 # check for readline 2.1
 echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for rl_callback_handler_install in -lreadline" >&5
 echo $ECHO_N "checking for rl_callback_handler_install in -lreadline... $ECHO_C" >&6
@@ -19701,7 +19854,7 @@ if test "${ac_cv_lib_readline_rl_callback_handler_install+set}" = set; then
   echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
 else
   ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-LIBS="-lreadline -ltermcap $LIBS"
+LIBS="-lreadline  $LIBS"
 cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
 /* confdefs.h.  */
 _ACEOF
@@ -19833,7 +19986,7 @@ if test "${ac_cv_lib_readline_rl_pre_input_hook+set}" = set; then
   echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
 else
   ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-LIBS="-lreadline -ltermcap $LIBS"
+LIBS="-lreadline  $LIBS"
 cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
 /* confdefs.h.  */
 _ACEOF
@@ -19907,7 +20060,7 @@ if test "${ac_cv_lib_readline_rl_completion_matches+set}" = set; then
   echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
 else
   ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-LIBS="-lreadline -ltermcap $LIBS"
+LIBS="-lreadline  $LIBS"
 cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
 /* confdefs.h.  */
 _ACEOF

configure.in

@@ -2871,10 +2871,17 @@ then
   [Define this if you have flockfile(), getc_unlocked(), and funlockfile()])
 fi
 
+# check where readline lives
+AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, readline)
+if test "$ac_cv_have_readline_readline" = no
+then
+  AC_CHECK_LIB(termcap, readline)
+fi
+
 # check for readline 2.1
 AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, rl_callback_handler_install,
 	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_RL_CALLBACK, 1,
-        [Define if you have readline 2.1]), , -ltermcap)
+        [Define if you have readline 2.1]), , )
 
 # check for readline 2.2
 AC_TRY_CPP([#include <readline/readline.h>],
@@ -2890,12 +2897,12 @@ fi
 # check for readline 4.0
 AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, rl_pre_input_hook,
 	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_RL_PRE_INPUT_HOOK, 1,
-        [Define if you have readline 4.0]), , -ltermcap)
+        [Define if you have readline 4.0]), , )
 
 # check for readline 4.2
 AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, rl_completion_matches,
 	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_RL_COMPLETION_MATCHES, 1,
-        [Define if you have readline 4.2]), , -ltermcap)
+        [Define if you have readline 4.2]), , )
 
 # also in readline 4.2
 AC_TRY_CPP([#include <readline/readline.h>],

pyconfig.h.in

@@ -275,9 +275,15 @@
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <libintl.h> header file. */
 #undef HAVE_LIBINTL_H
 
+/* Define to 1 if you have the `readline' library (-lreadline). */
+#undef HAVE_LIBREADLINE
+
 /* Define to 1 if you have the `resolv' library (-lresolv). */
 #undef HAVE_LIBRESOLV
 
+/* Define to 1 if you have the `termcap' library (-ltermcap). */
+#undef HAVE_LIBTERMCAP
+
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <libutil.h> header file. */
 #undef HAVE_LIBUTIL_H