[Python-Dev] Minimal (single-file) Python?

[gvwilson@nevex.com]

Hi.  Has anyone ever built, or thought about building, a single-file
Python, in which all the "basic" capabilities are included in a single
executable (where "basic" means "can do as much as the Bourne shell")?
Some of the entries in the Software Carpentry competition would like to be
able to bootstrap from as small a starting point as possible.

Thanks,
Greg

p.s. I don't think this is the same problem as moving built-in features of
Python into optionally-loaded libraries, as some of the things in the
'sys', 'string', and 'os' modules would have to move in the other
direction to ensure Bourne shell equivalence.