[Python-Dev] Single-file Python executables (was: Computed Goto dispatch for Python 2)

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Thu, May 28, 2015 at 05:38:49PM +0100, Paul Moore wrote:

> I suspect "single file executables" just aren't viewed as a desirable
> solution on Unix. 

More of an anti-pattern than a pattern. A single file executable means 
that when you have a security update, instead of patching one library, 
you have to patch all fifty applications that include that library.


> Although Donald referred to a 4K binary, which
> probably means just a stub exe that depends on system-installed .so
> files, likely including Python (I'm just guessing here). 

The machine I'm currently on has a 5.6K Python executable:

[steve at ando ~]$ ls -lh /usr/bin/python*
-rwxr-xr-x 2 root root 5.6K Jan  9  2013 /usr/bin/python
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root    6 Jan 22  2013 /usr/bin/python2 -> python
-rwxr-xr-x 2 root root 5.6K Jan  9  2013 /usr/bin/python2.4

but that doesn't include libpython:

[steve at ando ~]$ ls -lh /usr/lib/libpython2.4.so*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   19 Jan 22  2013 /usr/lib/libpython2.4.so -> libpython2.4.so.1.0
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 1.1M Jan  9  2013 /usr/lib/libpython2.4.so.1.0

or the standard library.


-- 
Steve