I am developing a paid application in Python. I do not want the users to see the source code or decompile it. How can I accomplish this task of hiding the source code from the user, but running the code perfectly with the same performance?
You may distribute the compiled .pyc files which is a byte code that the Python interpreter compiles your .py files to.
More info on this found here on stackoverflow.
How to compile all your project files.
This will somewhat hide your actual code into bytecode, but it can be disassembled. To prevent from disassembling you need to use obfuscation. Pyarmor might be something you're looking for.
You will definitely see the code if you're running it as a Python file. Maybe try using pyinstaller to make a executable binary for the respective Operating System that you're building for.
The best way would be to turn your python code into an executable file.
When u take a look here, there is a nice Tutorial on how to do it:
Install pyinstall via pip3 install pyinstaller
Pack your excecutable with pyinstaller main.py
There is a lot of options to tweak the output of your application, the docs can be found under https://pyinstaller.org/en/stable/
I know that python is interpreter language and that it means it converts script to machine code when you run it, but can someone clarify to me why can't it be pre converted to machine code (compiled).
I'm asking this because I have been making these simple programs with GUI using tkinter and I am using pyInstaller to create executable file. The problem is that sometimes I get this simple program (only a few lines of code) as big as 10s of MBs.
As I understand, PyInstaller packs all libraries and interpreter with script in exe which results in these sizes, but is there a way I can get this to somewhat rational size? Because I know same programs made in C++ much smaller (less than MB).
I don't know any of C or C++ so that isn't an option as I don't have time to learn it. Size really isn't that big to be much of a problem, but still, it's nice to have smaller file.
Check if the virtual environment that you are using does not have site-packages that you don't need. Usually it's these packages that are large. Create a new venv and only install the libraries you need and try.
I have a program I've written in Python 2.7 on Windows, and I've been using py2exe with total success to make it into an exe (and associated files). However, a reasonable number of people who I want to use it are on Linux/OSX, and while some have been able to make the Windows version work with Wine, others have not been so successful. I've looked thoroughly into py2installer, py2app, freeze and others, but if I understand correctly (I am new to Python and very new to compiling) you need to run them on the system you want to compile them for, i.e. you can only compile for Linux on Linux and OSX on OSX. I don't want to distribute just the raw files because I want the source code to be obfuscated as it is inside a .exe, amd obviously not everyone has Python.
So, my question is: is there any way to compile for OSX or Linux, in Python, while on a Windows machine? And if not, what do you think the best alternative solution might be?
Code obfuscation is really not 'pythonic'. Even when packed into an .exe file, it's basically just the python interpreter and you source code (well, the .pyc files) zipped into one file. It is not as much as cross-compiling as it is about using a python package which does the thing you want (e.g, pack you code in a specific way) on linux.
Freeze will do this for you.
Most linux dists come with python built-in.
Get your linux box running! It's fun, useful, and you can always say 'On My Machine It Works!'. You can compile your code there / test your exe on Wine.
If for some reason you still can't get it to run, post a question!
Get Virtualbox, install Ubuntu in it, and build it "natively" in for Linux. These things work really well, and cross compilation is just asking for trouble. You're going to eventually need Linux to answer the support questions you'll get from these customers anyway! :(
I want to create a GUI application which should work on Windows and Mac. For this I've chosen Python.
The problem is on Mac OS X.
There are 2 tools to generate an ".app" for Mac: py2app and pyinstaller.
py2app is pretty good, but it adds the source code in the package. I
don't want to share the code with the final users.
Pyinstaller generates UNIX executable, so how to run it on Mac? I
created a bundles with this executable, but the resulted ".app" is
not working.
The questions are:
How to configure py2app to include the source code in the
executable, so the final users will not have access to my program?
How to convert UNIX executable to Mac ".app" ?
Is there a way to compile Python code with GCC ?
In Windows it's easy, I created an "exe" file from Python code and
it works. Is it possible to create a single file "app" for Mac ?
P.S. I use two computers (Windows and for Mac), Python 2.7, wxPython, py2exe, py2app and pyinstaller.
Also, I have checked out these sites:
http://svn.pythonmac.org/py2app/py2app/trunk/doc/index.html
http://www.pyinstaller.org/export/develop/project/doc/Manual.html?format=raw
http://www.pyinstaller.org/wiki/Features/MacOsCompatibility
http://www.stackoverflow.com/questions/2933/an-executable-python-app
How to configure py2app to include the source code in the executable,
so the final users will not have access to my program?
Unless you very seriously hack the python interpreter (and include the mangled version) there is no really good way to hide the source from a moderately skilled and determined user. I strongly believe this is true on Windows also. Basically, whether you include true source or bytecode, a pretty clean version of the source can be recovered. More importantly, in my opinion, unless you include the actual source code (as opposed to bytecode, you will introduce a possible dependency on the interpreter version).
How to convert UNIX executable to Mac ".app" ?
What do you mean by a UNIX executable? A Darwin (OS X) binary [which isn't actually UNIX]? That can be done using the kinds of tools you already mentioned, but it must be done carefully to avoid library dependencies.
If all you want it a simple wrapper to put a command-line binary into a window, it's pretty easy to accomplish and the free XCode suite has several examples that would serve (depending on what output
you wan to deliver, if any).
Is there a way to compile Python code with GCC ?
GCC does not compile Python. It's a different language (although there tools in the gcc family rthat support multiple language front-ends, but not Python). There are tools that attempt to translate Python into C, and then you can compile that into a true binary, but this only works for programs that avoid certain types of construct, and the process (and restrictions) need to apply your libraries as well.
One project to allow this is Cython. It works well for some types
of code, mostly numerical code, but it is not trivial to install and
exploit, very especially if you want to produce something that runs on multiple
different computers.
In Windows it's easy, I created an "exe" file from Python code and it
works. Is it possible to create a single file "app" for Mac ?
I would have to say I am skeptical -- very skeptical -- about this. Just like the OS X case, the exe almost certainly has the source code trivially accessible within it.
One fairly easy trick is to encrypt the source code and then decrypt it on the fly, but this
seems to me like more trouble than it's worth.
PyInstaller will automatically create bundles under Mac OSX for windowed executables. When running ypinstaller.py, make sure to pass the option "--windowed".
This feature is documented in the website of pyinstaller
If you're not completely committed to wxPython (and for anyone else looking for a cross platform Python GUI framework), I recommend you check out Kivy. It's cross platform, GPU accelerated, and it will do the app packaging for you. It's easy to jump into, has a well thought-out architecture, and gives you an incredible amount of flexibility in terms of the interface. It's the best way I've found to make a cross platform Python GUI app.
cxFreeze was the choice.
I use it pack my python program to a Mac OS X app. Which works like a charm.
Automator was already mentioned as a quick and simple solution for Pythons scripts that are contained in a single file, but since the Automator UI has so many options, and it is not obvious how to actually do it, I'll provide step-by-step instructions (verified to work on Yosemite):
In Automator select File > New and pick Application as document type.
Next, make sure Actions tab is selected on the left, and then in the search box type run. Among other options you'll see Run Shell Script — doubleclick it, and an editor window will appear in the right panel.
From the Shell dropdown menu select /usr/bin/python.
Paste your Python code into the edit window and then pick File > Save.
By default, the app will be saved under $HOME/Applications and will appear in Spotlight.
If you want to be able to set your own icon and have some fancy features, like task bar icons with a menu, log windows etc, then have a look at Platypus — an open-source app for creating MacOS native bundles.
2: You can't "convert" it, but you can move the executable to App.app/Contents/MacOS/something in a .app file, with CFBundleExecutable set to "something". This would not generally be recommended.
A motivated person could probably reconstruct usable source code from the Python bytecode in your app, so you might reconsider your opposition to py2app. If you don't trust your final users, why are you doing business with them?
Having used py2exe for windows users so they wouldn't have to deal with library versions, I've torn apart the compiled programs, they include the python bytecode files. While you can make it a violation of the license to look inside those, the fact is that if a computer can execute them, I can read them. It is possible to compile python programs with gcc, via a C preprocessor (try looking for 2c.py on google), I don't know if any of them support GCC. Again, you don't gain any security through using them, but you can get a significant speed improvement.
I haven't tried it with big Python projects, but for my own scripts, the easiest way I found was to use Automator
You can interactively create an app project with Run Shell Script action, then paste in your script in its editor, select your shell program (/usr/bin/python), finally save the project. And you have yourself a Mac native app.
Automator can also be driven by AppleScript. So you can pipeline this py-2-app conversion process to your build scripts.
I've never tested a GUI program with it so I don't know if you'll be happy with it. But I'd give it a try since you may wonder how well all the cited 3rd-party python modules/applications are maintained, and how long they are gonna last. Coming bundled with OS X, Automator will likely stay, unless Apple got REALLY tired of it.
cxFreeze is best solution available, first create your program or application using python and than make setup file for your application, and than build the app using build command python setup.py build, according to your requirement you need to make some changes.
The only way is py2app. You have no other way. Sorry.
The research you did seems very solid and you did not miss anything.
How do I let my friends use my Python programs? They don't have python installed, but they can use command line programs. I don't have the skill to write GUI.
Let, say I am writing some calculus calculator, with a lot of custom modules and files. How do I share it?
You could use something like py2exe to convert your Python program into an executable.
another alternative you can try is Portable python.
You have the options presented thus far: Portable Python and Py2Exe. Either can be pretty good.
My suggestion: encourage your friends to install Python! As you know, it's free, and simple to install and download. If they want your application bad enough, installing Python will be a no-brainer.
In 2019 I have been using PyInstaller mostly, works very well for all of my Python scripts I wish to convert to a single runnable exe.
A less general, but lightweight and simple way of putting many Python files into 1 or 2 files (Python programs) is Fredrik Lundh's squeeze program. When you "squeeze" a bunch of Python programs and modules, you can often produce a single Python program. People still need Python to run it (but it's included in most Unix distributions, including Mac OS X), but you can easily distribute it, as your program and modules are all bunched up in a single file.
http://hackerboss.com/how-to-distribute-commercial-python-applications/ mentions using preinstalled, bundled, and frozen interpreters, but i suggest for speed and security, to compile using Shed Skin, Iron Python, Cython, or PyPy. The psyco module also helps with speed if your code is old.