Unknown architecture on Open Indiana 'i86pc'

More output from different operating systems:

platform.machine():
[OS NAME] [Real CPU] [Python Version] [Reported CPU]
Android 4.1.1 ARM_7A Python 2.6: 'armv71'
Arch, x86_64, Python 3.3.0: 'x86_64'
Debian 6.0.6, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i686'
Debian 7.0, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'x86_64'
Fedora 17, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i686'
Fedora 18, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i686'
Fedora 18, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'x86_64'
FreeBSD, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'amd64'
Gentoo 2.2, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'x86_64'
Mandrake 1 x86_32, Python 2.7.1: 'i686'
Open SUSE 12.1, x86_32, Python 2.7.2: 'i686'
Open Indiana 5.11, x86_32, Python 2.6.4: 'i86pc'
OpenBSD, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'amd64'
OpenBSD 5.2, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i386'
PC BSD 9, x86_32, Python 2.7.2: 'i386'
Slackware 14, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'x86_64'
Ubuntu 12.04, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i686'
Ubuntu 12.04, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'x86_64'
Ubuntu 12.10, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i686'
Windows XP, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'x86'

platform.processor():
[OS NAME] [Real CPU] [Python Version] [Reported CPU]
Android 4.1.1 ARM_7A Python 2.6: ''
Arch, x86_64, Python 3.3.0: ''
Debian 6.0.6, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: ''
Debian 7.0, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: ''
Fedora 17, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i686'
Fedora 18, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i686'
Fedora 18, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'x86_64'
FreeBSD, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'amd64'
Gentoo 2.2 x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3960X CPU @ 3.30GHz'
Mandrake 1 x86_32, Python 2.7.1: 'i686'
Open SUSE 12.1, x86_32, Python 2.7.2: 'i686'
Open Indiana 5.11, x86_32, Python 2.6.4: 'i386'
OpenBSD, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'amd64'
OpenBSD 5.2, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i386'
PC BSD 9, x86_32, Python 2.7.2: 'i386'
Slackware 14, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU T7200 @ 2.00GHz'
Ubuntu 12.04, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i686'
Ubuntu 12.04, x86_64, Python 2.7.3: 'x86_64'
Ubuntu 12.10, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: 'i686'
Windows XP, x86_32, Python 2.7.3: ...

It looks like the problem is that:

A) platform.processor() is supposed to return the name of the CPU. But does not work in most cases. Sometimes it returns the CPU type. So it can be misleading.

B) platform.machines() just returns what the OS reports as the CPU type. Not the actual CPU type. So it can say anything from x86, i686, to i86pc

This looks like a design flaw in the Platform module. It won't get fixed for backwards compatibility reasons:

http://hg.python.org/cpython/file/2.7/Lib/platform.py#l1349

Fixed in:
http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~workhorsy/raise/main/revision/100