BIND 9.12.4 python error building on MacOS

[Larry Stone]

I’m trying to build the just released BIND 9.12.4 on a Macintosh running Mojave (10.14.3). Same results on one running High Sierra (10.13.6).

Running configure, I get an error checking for python:
checking for python... /usr/bin/python
checking if /usr/bin/python is python2 version >= 2.7 or python3 version >= 3.2... yes
checking Python module 'argparse'... yes
checking Python module 'ply'... no
checking for python3... no
checking for python3.7... no
checking for python3.6... no
checking for python3.5... no
checking for python3.4... no
checking for python3.3... no
checking for python3.2... no
checking for python2... no
checking for python2.7... /usr/bin/python2.7
checking if /usr/bin/python2.7 is python2 version >= 2.7 or python3 version >= 3.2... yes
checking Python module 'argparse'... yes
checking Python module 'ply'... no
checking for Python support... no
configure: error: Python required for dnssec-keymgr

If I try the same thing with 9.12.3-P4, it configures OK. The relevant output is:
checking for python... /usr/bin/python
checking python2 version >= 2.7 or python3 version >= 3.2... found
checking python module 'argparse'... found
checking python module 'ply'... not found
checking for python3... no
checking for python3.5... no
checking for python3.4... no
checking for python3.3... no
checking for python3.2... no
checking for python2... no
checking for python2.7... /usr/bin/python2.7
checking python2 version >= 2.7 or python3 version >= 3.2... found
checking python module 'argparse'... found
checking python module 'ply'... not found
checking for python support... disabled

/usr/bin/python -V returns Python 2.7.10. I don’t know why even for 9.12.3-P4 which configures OK it says python support … disabled.

I’m not seeing anything in the Release Notes about a change in Python requirements. Python is the version distributed with MacOS by Apple.
 
-- 
Larry Stone
lstone19 at stonejongleux.com