ANN: PyInstaller 1.0 - build single-file distributions for your Python programs

[Giovanni Bajo]

Hello,

PyInstaller 1.0 is out:
http://pyinstaller.hpcf.upr.edu/pyinstaller

Despite its version number, this is a very stable relase, as we are working
off the well-known McMillan's Installer, which was discontinued some years
ago.

Feature highlights:
* Packaging of Python programs into standard executables, that work on
computers without Python installed.
 * Multiplatform: works under Windows, Linux and Irix.
 * Multiversion: works under any version of Python since 1.5.
 * Dual packaging mode:
   * Single directory: build a directory containing an executable plus all
the external binary modules (.dll, .pyd, .so) used by the program.
   * Single file: build a single executable file, totally self-contained,
which runs without any external dependency.
 * Support for automatic binary packing through the well-known UPX
compressor.
 * Optional console mode (see standard output and standard error at
runtime).
 * Selectable executable icon (Windows only).
 * Fully configurable version resource section in executable (Windows only).
 * Support for building COM servers (Windows only).


ChangeLog (with respect to the latest official release of McMillan's
Installer):
(+ user visible changes, * internal stuff)
 + Add support for Python 2.3 (fix packaging of codecs).
 + Add support for Python 2.4 (under Windows, needed to recompiled the
bootloader with a different compiler version).
 + Fix support for Python 1.5.2, should be fully functional now (required to
rewrite some parts of the string module for the bootloader).
 + Fix a rare bug in extracting the dependencies of a DLL (bug in PE header
parser).
 + Fix packaging of PyQt programs (needed an import hook for a hidden
import).
 + Fix imports calculation for modules using the "from __init__ import"
syntax.
 + Fix a packaging bug when a module was being import both through binary
dependency and direct import.
 * Restyle documentation (now using docutils and reStructuredText).
 * New Windows build system for automatic compilations of bootloader in all
the required flavours (using Scons)


Documentation:
http://pyinstaller.hpcf.upr.edu/trac_common/docs/Manual_v1.0.html

Mailing list:
http://lists.hpcf.upr.edu/mailman/listinfo/pyinstaller

Future plans:
* Make executables built with Python 2.4 not depend on MSVCR71.DLL (under
Windows)
* Add a very simple frontend to simplify the usage
* Make PyInstaller a normal distutil package.

Happy packaging!
-- 
Giovanni Bajo