how to use python macros together

[Andy Falanga (afalanga)]

Hi,

My project uses Boost.python to export C++ code to python.  Thus, as one would 
expect, I have a dependency on python.  It just so happens that, on CentOS 6, 
the install of python is broken because one cannot do pkg-config --cflags 
python.  It just doesn't work.  So, to work around this, I did the following in 
configure.ac:

AM_PATH_PYTHON([2.6])

if test -d /usr/lib/python2.6 ; then
#   AC_PREFIX_DEFAULT([/usr/lib/python2.6])
   PYTHON_CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/include/python2.6
   PYTHON_LIB=-lpython2.6
fi

if test -d /usr/lib/python2.7 ; then
#   AC_PREFIX_DEFAULT([/usr/lib/python2.7])
   PYTHON_CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/include/python2.7
   PYTHON_LIB=-lpython2.7
fi

AC_SUBST([PYTHON_CPPFLAGS])
AC_SUBST([PYTHON_LIB])

I've found another macro, AX_PYTHON_DEVEL, which sets the very variables I was 
setting.  I'd like to use this because
I think it will save me some grief.  However, when I did this

AM_PATH_PYTHON([2.6])
AX_PYTHON_DEVEL([2.6])

I run into issues.  Can the two be used together?  Am I worrying over nothing?  
Will AM_PATH_PYTHON set these variables too?  This reference to AM_PATH_PYTHON 
doesn't specifically say so that's why I did my own hack.  
http://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/html_node/Python.html

How should I handle this properly?

Andy