Python executables?

[Mark 'Kamikaze' Hughes]

Thu, 26 Jun 2003 12:37:23 +0300, Catalin <ady982 at ploiesti.astral.ro>:
> How can I make executables with python?
> I found some utilities that claim they can do something like that like 
> Installer and py2exe but they actualy pack the code in a huge arhive! 
> This solves the problem of giving python programs to users who don't 
> have python but doesn't solve the problem of the source "secrecy" 
> (copyright).

  You can use python -OO to produce .pyo "optimized" files, and then
just ship those.  .pyo isn't truly optimized or completely binary, but
it's about as secure as Python normally gets.  .pyo classes are tied to
specific versions of Python, but if you're using py2exe, that's not a
problem.

  Anyone with a decompiler will still be able to get at them, and there
are AFAIK no obfuscators for Python, but at least it closes the door,
even if it doesn't lock it.

  Ultimately, the only way to have full secrecy is to keep all your code
on a trusted server (and hope nobody ever breaks in), and only give the
users a minimal dumb client.

-- 
 <a href="http://kuoi.asui.uidaho.edu/~kamikaze/"> Mark Hughes </a>
"We remain convinced that this is the best defensive posture to adopt in
order to minimize casualties when the Great Old Ones return from beyond
the stars to eat our brains." -Charlie Stross, _The Concrete Jungle_