cross platform distribution

[vpr]

Hi All

After a couple of experiments, searching around and reading Steve
Holden's lament about bundling and ship python code, I thought I'd
direct this to to the group. I'm using Python 2.6 btw.

I've build a commercial application that I'd like to bundle and ship.
I'd like to protect some of my IP and the py2exe and cx_freeze builds
provide good enough protection for me.

I'd like to provide a build for windows and a build for linux. Windows
ironically has been easier to target and py2exe has given me a nice
build that I can ship between XP, Vista & Server on both 32 and 64
bit.

On linux I've build a build using cx_freeze which works well except
it's not really portable betweem distributions.


I've also been thinking about distributing bytcode versions but things
get tricky quickly.

Can anywone give me some pointers?

Cheers

vpr

 

[Philip Semanchuk]

Hi All

After a couple of experiments, searching around and reading Steve
Holden's lament about bundling and ship python code, I thought I'd
direct this to to the group. I'm using Python 2.6 btw.

I've build a commercial application that I'd like to bundle and ship.
I'd like to protect some of my IP and the py2exe and cx_freeze builds
provide good enough protection for me.

I'd like to provide a build for windows and a build for linux. Windows
ironically has been easier to target and py2exe has given me a nice
build that I can ship between XP, Vista & Server on both 32 and 64
bit.

On linux I've build a build using cx_freeze which works well except
it's not really portable betweem distributions.


I've also been thinking about distributing bytcode versions but things
get tricky quickly.

Can anywone give me some pointers?

I don't know how much "critical" code you have, but you might want to
look at Cython which will translate your Python into C with little
change to your Python source. Of course, compiled C code can still be
disassembled, but it's harder than Python bytecode.

HTH
P

 

[vpr]

I don't know how much "critical" code you have, but you might want to  
look at Cython which will translate your Python into C with little  
change to your Python source. Of course, compiled C code can still be  
disassembled, but it's harder than Python bytecode.

HTH
P

Hi Peter

Sounds like a plan, how portable will that be between Linux systems?
Won't I run into some GLIBC problems?
Can you force it to statically link the binary?

Marinus

 

[Philip Semanchuk]

Hi Peter

It's Philip, actually. =)

Sounds like a plan, how portable will that be between Linux systems?

Very portable, but I should have mentioned that it requires you to
distribute a C file that's compiled on the user's machine. That's easy
to do via distutils but it adds a requirement to your app.

Won't I run into some GLIBC problems?
Can you force it to statically link the binary?

I don't know the answer to those questions, but it's just a regular C
file, albeit one that's autogenerated. It comes with all of the pros
and cons of a C file you'd written yourself.

Good luck
Philip

 

[vpr]

It's Philip, actually. =)


Very portable, but I should have mentioned that it requires you to  
distribute a C file that's compiled on the user's machine. That's easy  
to do via distutils but it adds a requirement to your app.


I don't know the answer to those questions, but it's just a regular C  
file, albeit one that's autogenerated. It comes with all of the pros  
and cons of a C file you'd written yourself.

Good luck
Philip

Thank Philip

 

[ianaré]

These are all good suggestions. I just wanted to add that you can
distribute pre-built Linux packages for the most popular distros like
one for RHEL/Centos/Fedora as RPM and one for Debian/Ubuntu as DEB.
Any C code in them would be compiled.