building Python 2.5.1 on PowerPc with Debian Etch PPC

I have a new install of Etch PPC and I downloaded the Unix source.

I decompress and untar the source.
I cd into Python-2.5.1 and type "./configure "
. . .
I get an error about how "c compiler cannot create executables"
So I do some searching and find out that I need to install the build-essentials package
"apt-get install build-essentials" as root and try again. . .
cd into Python-2.5.1 and type "./configure "
looks good so far. . .
type "make"
as I type make is grinding away on my dual 450 mhz processors (probably only using one of them). . .
seems to have worked.
"make install" as root. . .
more grinding. . .
done
type "python" at the prompt and get:

Python 2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 21 2007, 08:31:56)
[GCC 4.1.2 20061115 (prerelease) (Debian 4.1.1-21)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

Great! And I was skeptical.