Packaging a python program

From Freehackers

The goal is to take an existing python program and distribute it as a self-contained executable, that does not require python are any python module to be installed.

Contents 1 Py2exe 2 PyInstaller 3 cx_Freeze 4 bbfreeze 5 py2app 6 And the winner is

[edit] Py2exe

• windows only
• support for com servers, nt services and all the other windows stuff.
• reasonably well documented, works well.
• manage binary dependancies

[edit] PyInstaller

• windows and unix
• no support for zipfile import (introduced in python 2.3), so even works with

python 1.5.

• can package data files inside your executable.
• manage binary dependancies on linux

[edit] cx_Freeze

• windows and linux
• zipfile import support
• no binary dependancies handling on linux

[edit] bbfreeze

• windows and linux
• zipfile import support
• manage binary dependancies on linux

bbfreeze is the only one, which handles eggs and zipfile imports transparently (and therefore also provides a mechanism for including data files using setuptools pkg_resources module).

[edit] py2app

• MacOs X only

[edit] And the winner is

PyInstaller !

It seems to have the best documentation, and to support all the features I need at the moment. I don't need zipfile import or egg import.

To make a windows standard installer, you can use InnoSetup (super simple) or NSIS (super configurable).