I'm a Python guy building a Linux-based web service for a client who wants me to interface with a small C++ library that they're currently using with a bunch of Windows based VB applications.

They have assured me that the library is fairly simple (as far as they go I guess), and that they just need to know how best to compile and deliver it to me so that I can use it in Python under Linux.

I've read a bit about the `ctypes` library and other options (SWIG, etc), but for some reason I haven't really been able to wrap my head around the concept and still don't know how to tell them what I need.

I'm pretty sure having them re-write it with `Python.h`, etc is out, so I'm hoping there's a way I can simply have them compile it on Linux as a .so and just import it into Python. Is such a thing possible? How does one accomplish this?