<p>The default Python install on OS X 10.5 is 2.5.1 with a FAT 32 bit (Intel and PPC) client. I want to setup apache and mysql to run django. In the past, I have run Apache and MySQL to match this install in 32 bit mode (even stripping out the 64 bit stuff from Apache to make it work).</p>

<p>I want to upgrade Python to 64 bit. I am completely comfortable with compiling it from source with one caveat. How do I match the way that the default install is laid out? Especially, with regards to site-packages being in <code>/Library/Python/2.5/</code> and not the one in buried at the top of the framework once I compile it. </p>

Not sure I entirely understand your question, but can't you simply build and install a 64 bit version and then create symbolic links so that /Library/Python/2.5 and below point to your freshly built version of python?