I have a lovely Macbook now, and I’m enjoying coding on the move. I’m also enjoying coding in Python. However, I’d like to distribute the end result to friends using Windows, as an executable.
I know that Py2Exe does this, but I don’t know how portable Python is across operating systems. Can anyone offer any advice? I’m using PyGame too.
Many thanks
Personally I experienced huge difficult with all the Exe builder, py2exe , cx_freeze etc. Bugs and errors all the time , keep displaying an issue with atexit module.
I find just by including the python distro way more convinient. There is one more advantage beside ease of use.
Each time you build an EXE for a python app, what you essential do is include the core of the python installation but only with the modules your app is using. But even in that case your app may increase from a mere few Kbs that the a python module is to more than 15 mbs because of the inclusion of python installation.
Of course installing the whole python will take more space but each time you send your python apps they will be only few kbs long. Plus you want have to go to the hussle of bundling the exe each time you change even a coma to your python app. Or I think you do , I dont know if just replacing the py module can help you avoid this.
In any case installing python and pygame is as easy as installing any other application in windows. In linux via synaptic is also extremly easy.
MACOS is abit tricky though. MACOS already come with python pre installed, Snow leopard has 2.6.1 python installed. However if you app is using a python later than that and include the install of python with your app, you will have to instruct the user to set via “GET INFO -> open with” the python launcher app which is responsible for launcing python apps to use your version of python and not the onboard default 2.6.1 version, Its not difficult and it only takes a few seconds, even a clueless user can do this.
Python is extremely portable, python pygame apps cannot only run unchanged to the three major platform , Windows , MACOS ,Linux . They can even run on mobile and portable devices as well. If you need to build app that runs across platform , python is dead easy and highly recomended.