Issue installing any Python version 3.8+ since macOS Monterey update - python-3.x

Question

Prior to the Monterey update, I had a fairly stable method of running x86 versions of Python (3.8, and 3.10) on my M1 Mac by adapting these instructions (basically, arch -x86_64 brew to install x86 versions of Python dependencies and using arch -x86_64 pyenv to install Python).
Since Monterey, whenever I try to install a different version of Python 3.8+ (e.g. 3.9.11), I get this error:
BUILD FAILED (OS X 12.3 using python-build 20180424)
Inspect or clean up the working tree at /var/folders/q6/w2pgnv455zx_swdp919_zsww0000gn/T/python-build.20220324065050.66757
Results logged to /var/folders/q6/w2pgnv455zx_swdp919_zsww0000gn/T/python-build.20220324065050.66757.log
Last 10 log lines:
"_libintl_textdomain", referenced from:
_PyIntl_textdomain in libpython3.9.a(_localemodule.o)
_PyIntl_textdomain in libpython3.9.a(_localemodule.o)
ld: symbol(s) not found for architecture x86_64
ld: symbol(s) not found for architecture x86_64
clang: clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)
error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)
make: *** [Programs/_testembed] Error 1
make: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
make: *** [python.exe] Error 1
I am struggling to find anything significant in the corresponding config.log (top lines included):
This file contains any messages produced by compilers while
running configure, to aid debugging if configure makes a mistake.
It was created by python configure 3.9, which was
generated by GNU Autoconf 2.69. Invocation command line was
$ ./configure --prefix=/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86 --libdir=/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/lib --with-openssl=/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl#1.1
## --------- ##
## Platform. ##
## --------- ##
hostname = Macbook-Pro-2.local
uname -m = x86_64
uname -r = 21.4.0
uname -s = Darwin
uname -v = Darwin Kernel Version 21.4.0: Mon Feb 21 20:35:58 PST 2022; root:xnu-8020.101.4~2/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000
/usr/bin/uname -p = i386
/bin/uname -X = unknown
/bin/arch = unknown
/usr/bin/arch -k = unknown
/usr/convex/getsysinfo = unknown
/usr/bin/hostinfo = Mach kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 21.4.0: Mon Feb 21 20:35:58 PST 2022; root:xnu-8020.101.4~2/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000
Kernel configured for up to 10 processors.
10 processors are physically available.
10 processors are logically available.
Processor type: i486 (Intel 80486)
Processors active: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Primary memory available: 16.00 gigabytes
Default processor set: 515 tasks, 2684 threads, 10 processors
Load average: 2.49, Mach factor: 7.50
/bin/machine = unknown
/usr/bin/oslevel = unknown
/bin/universe = unknown
PATH: /opt/homebrew/Cellar/pyenv/2.2.5/libexec
PATH: /opt/homebrew/Cellar/pyenv/2.2.5/plugins/python-build/bin
PATH: /Users/joshualee/.pyenv/shims
PATH: /opt/homebrew/bin
PATH: /opt/homebrew/sbin
PATH: /usr/local/bin
PATH: /usr/bin
PATH: /bin
PATH: /usr/sbin
PATH: /sbin
PATH: /Users/joshualee/.local/bin
## ----------- ##
## Core tests. ##
## ----------- ##
configure:2860: checking build system type
configure:2874: result: x86_64-apple-darwin21.4.0
configure:2894: checking host system type
configure:2907: result: x86_64-apple-darwin21.4.0
configure:2937: checking for python3.9
configure:2967: result: no
configure:2937: checking for python3
configure:2953: found /Users/joshualee/.pyenv/shims/python3
configure:2964: result: python3
configure:3058: checking for --enable-universalsdk
configure:3105: result: no
configure:3129: checking for --with-universal-archs
configure:3144: result: no
configure:3300: checking MACHDEP
configure:3351: result: "darwin"
configure:3645: checking for gcc
configure:3672: result: clang
configure:3901: checking for C compiler version
configure:3910: clang --version >&5
Apple clang version 13.1.6 (clang-1316.0.21.2)
Target: x86_64-apple-darwin21.4.0
Thread model: posix
InstalledDir: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin
configure:3921: $? = 0
configure:3910: clang -v >&5
Apple clang version 13.1.6 (clang-1316.0.21.2)
Target: x86_64-apple-darwin21.4.0
Thread model: posix
InstalledDir: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin
configure:3921: $? = 0
configure:3910: clang -V >&5
clang: error: argument to '-V' is missing (expected 1 value)
clang: error: no input files
configure:3921: $? = 1
configure:3910: clang -qversion >&5
clang: error: unknown argument '-qversion'; did you mean '--version'?
clang: error: no input files
configure:3921: $? = 1
configure:3941: checking whether the C compiler works
configure:3963: clang -I/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/include -I/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/include -I/usr/local/opt/xz/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include -L/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/lib -L/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/lib -L/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/lib -L/usr/local/opt/xz/lib -L/opt/homebrew/lib -L/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/lib conftest.c >&5
ld: warning: directory not found for option '-L/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/lib'
configure:3967: $? = 0
configure:4015: result: yes
configure:4018: checking for C compiler default output file name
configure:4020: result: a.out
configure:4026: checking for suffix of executables
configure:4033: clang -o conftest -I/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/include -I/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/include -I/usr/local/opt/xz/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include -L/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/lib -L/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/lib -L/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/lib -L/usr/local/opt/xz/lib -L/opt/homebrew/lib -L/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/lib conftest.c >&5
ld: warning: directory not found for option '-L/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/lib'
configure:4037: $? = 0
configure:4059: result:
configure:4081: checking whether we are cross compiling
configure:4089: clang -o conftest -I/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/include -I/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/include -I/usr/local/opt/xz/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include -L/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/lib -L/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/lib -L/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/lib -L/usr/local/opt/xz/lib -L/opt/homebrew/lib -L/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/lib conftest.c >&5
ld: warning: directory not found for option '-L/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/lib'
configure:4093: $? = 0
configure:4100: ./conftest
configure:4104: $? = 0
configure:4119: result: no
configure:4124: checking for suffix of object files
configure:4146: clang -c -I/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/include -I/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/include -I/usr/local/opt/xz/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include conftest.c >&5
configure:4150: $? = 0
configure:4171: result: o
configure:4175: checking whether we are using the GNU C compiler
configure:4194: clang -c -I/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/include -I/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/include -I/usr/local/opt/xz/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include conftest.c >&5
configure:4194: $? = 0
configure:4203: result: yes
configure:4212: checking whether clang accepts -g
configure:4232: clang -c -g -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include conftest.c >&5
configure:4232: $? = 0
configure:4273: result: yes
configure:4290: checking for clang option to accept ISO C89
configure:4353: clang -c -I/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/include -I/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/include -I/usr/local/opt/xz/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include conftest.c >&5
configure:4353: $? = 0
configure:4366: result: none needed
configure:4391: checking how to run the C preprocessor
configure:4422: clang -E -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include conftest.c
configure:4422: $? = 0
configure:4436: clang -E -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include conftest.c
conftest.c:8:10: fatal error: 'ac_nonexistent.h' file not found
#include <ac_nonexistent.h>
^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 error generated.
configure:4436: $? = 1
configure: failed program was:
| /* confdefs.h */
| #define _GNU_SOURCE 1
| #define _NETBSD_SOURCE 1
| #define __BSD_VISIBLE 1
| #define _DARWIN_C_SOURCE 1
| #define _PYTHONFRAMEWORK ""
| /* end confdefs.h. */
| #include <ac_nonexistent.h>
configure:4461: result: clang -E
configure:4481: clang -E -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include conftest.c
configure:4481: $? = 0
configure:4495: clang -E -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include conftest.c
conftest.c:8:10: fatal error: 'ac_nonexistent.h' file not found
#include <ac_nonexistent.h>
^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 error generated.
configure:4495: $? = 1
configure: failed program was:
| /* confdefs.h */
| #define _GNU_SOURCE 1
| #define _NETBSD_SOURCE 1
| #define __BSD_VISIBLE 1
| #define _DARWIN_C_SOURCE 1
| #define _PYTHONFRAMEWORK ""
| /* end confdefs.h. */
| #include <ac_nonexistent.h>
configure:4523: checking for grep that handles long lines and -e
configure:4581: result: /usr/bin/grep
configure:4586: checking for a sed that does not truncate output
configure:4650: result: /usr/bin/sed
configure:4658: checking for --with-cxx-main=<compiler>
configure:4684: result: no
configure:4933: checking for clang++
configure:4966: result: no
configure:5202:
By default, distutils will build C++ extension modules with "clang++".
If this is not intended, then set CXX on the configure command line.
configure:5211: checking for the platform triplet based on compiler characteristics
configure:5361: result: darwin
configure:5369: checking for multiarch
configure:5381: result:
configure:5398: checking for -Wl,--no-as-needed
configure:5414: clang -o conftest -I/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/include -I/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/include -I/usr/local/opt/xz/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include -I/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/include -I/opt/homebrew/include -L/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/lib -L/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/lib -L/usr/local/opt/openssl#3/lib -L/usr/local/opt/xz/lib -L/opt/homebrew/lib -L/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/usr/lib -Wl,--no-as-needed conftest.c >&5
ld: warning: directory not found for option '-L/Users/joshualee/.pyenv/versions/3.9.11_x86/lib'
ld: unknown option: --no-as-needed
clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)
configure:5414: $? = 1
configure: failed program was:
| /* confdefs.h */
| #define _GNU_SOURCE 1
| #define _NETBSD_SOURCE 1
| #define __BSD_VISIBLE 1
| #define _DARWIN_C_SOURCE 1
| #define _PYTHONFRAMEWORK ""
| /* end confdefs.h. */
Things I have tried:
re-installing xcode command line tools
re-installing with brew (and arch brew -x86_64) pyenv pre-requisites: openssl, readling, sqlite3 etc.
different CFLAGS and LDFLAGS (I can't remember which but largely, pointing to x86 folders for openssl, zlib, readline, etc.)
I am still fairly new to using M1 Macs so any guidance would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

The solution was to
install gettext library with arch -x86_64 /usr/local/bin/brew install gettext
add path to gettext to pyenv CFLAGS and LDFLAGS in your .zshrc file. (Usually it's at ~/.zshrc)
export LDFLAGS="-L/usr/local/opt/gettext/lib"
export CPPFLAGS="-I/usr/local/opt/gettext/include"
restart terminal