need help with "python" command

[Alex Martelli]

"eric_brake" <brakedon at hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7b515e0f.0105280435.7dce2777 at posting.google.com...
> I trying to create my own windows executables, but I'm struggling when
> I try to run the "python" command in the interpreter. The FAQ on
> python.org says it should look like this
>
> >>> python setup.py bdist_wininst

This looks like you're giving this command at the
interactive interpreter prompt (due to the >>>
prompt string).  I can't find the recommendation
you quote in any of the FAQ's (assuming you mean
http://www.python.org/doc/FAQ.html), as it must
be a bug in the FAQ if it does mention the '>>>'
and I'd like to correct it (if there).  The python
command quoted is to be run at the *COMMAND*
prompt (aka "DOS Prompt") -- and of course there
must be a proper setup.py in the current directory.

The executable you will create with bdist_wininst
is an INSTALLER executable to add your package to
an EXISTING Python installation -- you do know
that, right?  Anyway, just in case you didn't: if
you need to create an executable that will include
ALL that is needed for installation (no previous
Python installation needed), you need to install
the py2exe extension to distutils, see URL
http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/py2exe/,
then run "python setup.py py2exe" (at the COMMAND
prompt, aka DOS prompt, *NOT* within an interactive
Python interpreter session -- just like any other
use of the distutils).


Alex