Changed to catch compile/link failures and raise CompileError, LibError,
or LinkError (exception classes defined in ccompiler.py).
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/ccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/ccompiler.py
index 4222176..33caf86 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/ccompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/ccompiler.py
@@ -15,6 +15,22 @@
 from distutils.util import move_file, mkpath, newer_pairwise, newer_group
 
 
+# Exception classes used by the CCompiler implementation classes
+class CCompilerError (Exception):
+    """Failure doing some compile/link operation."""
+
+class CompileError (CCompilerError):
+    """Failure to compile one or more C/C++ source files."""
+
+class LibError (CCompilerError):
+    """Failure to create a static library from one or more C/C++ object
+    files."""
+
+class LinkError (CCompilerError):
+    """Failure to link one or more C/C++ object files into an executable
+    or shared library file."""
+
+
 class CCompiler:
     """Abstract base class to define the interface that must be implemented
        by real compiler abstraction classes.  Might have some use as a
@@ -456,7 +472,9 @@
            command line.  On other platforms, consult the implementation
            class documentation.  In any event, they are intended as an
            escape hatch for those occasions when the abstract compiler
-           framework doesn't cut the mustard."""
+           framework doesn't cut the mustard.
+
+           Raises CompileError on failure."""
            
         pass
 
@@ -481,7 +499,9 @@
            'debug' is a boolean; if true, debugging information will be
            included in the library (note that on most platforms, it is the
            compile step where this matters: the 'debug' flag is included
-           here just for consistency)."""
+           here just for consistency).
+
+           Raises LibError on failure."""
 
         pass
     
@@ -531,7 +551,9 @@
 
            'extra_preargs' and 'extra_postargs' are as for 'compile()'
            (except of course that they supply command-line arguments
-           for the particular linker being used)."""           
+           for the particular linker being used).
+
+           Raises LinkError on failure."""
 
         pass
     
@@ -552,7 +574,9 @@
            is explicitly supplied as 'output_filename'.  If 'output_dir' is
            supplied, 'output_filename' is relative to it
            (i.e. 'output_filename' can provide directory components if
-           needed)."""
+           needed).
+
+           Raises LinkError on failure."""
         pass
 
 
@@ -570,7 +594,9 @@
            file.  The "bunch of stuff" is as for 'link_shared_lib()'.
            'output_progname' should be the base name of the executable
            program--e.g. on Unix the same as the output filename, but
-           on DOS/Windows ".exe" will be appended."""
+           on DOS/Windows ".exe" will be appended.
+
+           Raises LinkError on failure."""
         pass
 
 
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/msvccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/msvccompiler.py
index b6ff432..06b415e 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/msvccompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/msvccompiler.py
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
 from types import *
 from distutils.errors import *
 from distutils.ccompiler import \
-     CCompiler, gen_preprocess_options, gen_lib_options
+     CCompiler, gen_preprocess_options, gen_lib_options, \
+     CompileError, LibError, LinkError
 
 
 _can_read_reg = 0
@@ -261,9 +262,12 @@
                 output_opt = "/Fo" + obj
 
                 self.mkpath (os.path.dirname (obj))
-                self.spawn ([self.cc] + compile_opts + pp_opts +
-                            [input_opt, output_opt] +
-                            extra_postargs)
+                try:
+                    self.spawn ([self.cc] + compile_opts + pp_opts +
+                                [input_opt, output_opt] +
+                                extra_postargs)
+                except DistutilsExecError, msg:
+                    raise CompileError, msg
 
         return objects
 
@@ -290,7 +294,11 @@
                 lib_args[:0] = extra_preargs
             if extra_postargs:
                 lib_args.extend (extra_postargs)
-            self.spawn ([self.link] + ld_args)
+            try:
+                self.spawn ([self.link] + ld_args)
+            except DistutilsExecError, msg:
+                raise LibError, msg
+                
         else:
             self.announce ("skipping %s (up-to-date)" % output_filename)
 
@@ -370,7 +378,10 @@
             print "  output_filename =", output_filename
             print "  mkpath'ing:", os.path.dirname (output_filename)
             self.mkpath (os.path.dirname (output_filename))
-            self.spawn ([self.link] + ld_args)
+            try:
+                self.spawn ([self.link] + ld_args)
+            except DistutilsExecError, msg:
+                raise LinkError, msg
 
         else:
             self.announce ("skipping %s (up-to-date)" % output_filename)
@@ -420,7 +431,10 @@
                 ld_args.extend (extra_postargs)
 
             self.mkpath (os.path.dirname (output_filename))
-            self.spawn ([self.link] + ld_args)
+            try:
+                self.spawn ([self.link] + ld_args)
+            except DistutilsExecError, msg:
+                raise LinkError, msg
         else:
             self.announce ("skipping %s (up-to-date)" % output_filename)   
     
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py
index 40f564a..c2f841f 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@
 from types import *
 from copy import copy
 from distutils import sysconfig
-from distutils.ccompiler import CCompiler, gen_preprocess_options, gen_lib_options
+from distutils.ccompiler import \
+     CCompiler, gen_preprocess_options, gen_lib_options, \
+     CompileError, LibError, LinkError
+from distutils.errors import DistutilsExecError
 
 # XXX Things not currently handled:
 #   * optimization/debug/warning flags; we just use whatever's in Python's
@@ -132,7 +135,12 @@
                 self.announce ("skipping %s (%s up-to-date)" % (src, obj))
             else:
                 self.mkpath (os.path.dirname (obj))
-                self.spawn ([self.cc] + cc_args + [src, '-o', obj] + extra_postargs)
+                try:
+                    self.spawn ([self.cc] + cc_args +
+                                [src, '-o', obj] +
+                                extra_postargs)
+                except DistutilsExecError, msg:
+                    raise CompileError, msg
 
         # Return *all* object filenames, not just the ones we just built.
         return objects
@@ -164,7 +172,10 @@
             # needed -- or maybe Python's configure script took care of
             # it for us, hence the check for leading colon.
             if self.ranlib[0] != ':':
-                self.spawn ([self.ranlib, output_filename])
+                try:
+                    self.spawn ([self.ranlib, output_filename])
+                except DistutilsExecError, msg:
+                    raise LibError, msg
         else:
             self.announce ("skipping %s (up-to-date)" % output_filename)
 
@@ -229,7 +240,10 @@
             if extra_postargs:
                 ld_args.extend (extra_postargs)
             self.mkpath (os.path.dirname (output_filename))
-            self.spawn ([self.ld_shared] + ld_args)
+            try:
+                self.spawn ([self.ld_shared] + ld_args)
+            except DistutilsExecError, msg:
+                raise LinkError, msg
         else:
             self.announce ("skipping %s (up-to-date)" % output_filename)
 
@@ -267,7 +281,10 @@
             if extra_postargs:
                 ld_args.extend (extra_postargs)
             self.mkpath (os.path.dirname (output_filename))
-            self.spawn ([self.ld_exec] + ld_args)
+            try:
+                self.spawn ([self.ld_exec] + ld_args)
+            except DistutilsExecError, msg:
+                raise LinkError, msg
         else:
             self.announce ("skipping %s (up-to-date)" % output_filename)