Question about packaging with PyInstaller

[limafresh]

Did you pack it on Windows 11? If so, do users run it on Windows 7 and 8? If it runs, then great, I will be sure that if I pack my application, it will also run. I know that in Linux with Pyinstaller it's a complete disaster. As for Windows, I think it’s better, but I have my doubts.

[Akascape]

I converted the python file to exe using pyinstaller on windows 11. And also tried on windows 10 and it works fine.

But I don't know about windows 7, might not work. However the user base is very low, so no need to worry, just specify the minimum requirements.

Secondly, if you want to make an executable for linux, you need to make the executable inside a linux system, using pyinstaller, but there are lots of permission issues with the packed executable. The same goes with MacOS.

Here is a guide you can follow: TomSchimansky/CustomTkinter#939

[limafresh]

Got it, thanks for the info. But I don't understand, Tom Shimansky said that you can't pack in --onefile, because it not copy .otf and .json, and you say that you can. How so?

[Akascape]

@limafresh Yes, we can pack it in onefile, CTkDesigner is itself packed as onefile exe.
I think Tom Scimansky missed that part, that's why I created the new discussion title "improved wiki'

You can also watch this video : https://youtu.be/6WApXONjGFA?si=bMP5bYv4J0wCPvgH

[limafresh]

@limafresh Yes, we can pack it in onefile, CTkDesigner is itself packed as onefile exe. I think Tom Scimansky missed that part, that's why I created the new discussion title "improved wiki'

You can also watch this video : https://youtu.be/6WApXONjGFA?si=bMP5bYv4J0wCPvgH

from os import path

PATH = path.dirname(path.realpath(__file__))
self.iconbitmap(path.join(PATH, "icons/icon.ico"))

Does this method for image paths and other files work for --onefile? I was packing the traditional way in --onedir, the packed application opened correctly. I saw it in your CTkColorPicker project.

Well, if you import customtkinter and create a class of course

[Akascape]

@limafresh

Packaging with one-file:

With this mode, you will get a single executable file. When you run that executable, a temp folder (named as _MEIPASS...), will be created in a OS defined temp location where it will extract all the necessary files that we used to get with the one-dir mode. This unpacking is done every time when you open that executable which affects the startup time. This is how the one-file mode works.

Packing external files with one-file mode:

Generally, if you are using any external assets like images, sub-folders or any other files, then you will need to keep that asset outside the one-exe file.

But if you want to pack those assets/folders inside that one-exe file, then you will have to do a little tweak in your program.
To do this, you have to first add those assets/folders under the additional files option of pyinstaller.

Then you will have to change the search method for all assets in your program:

# Just add this search function:
import sys, os
def resource(relative_path):
    base_path = getattr(
        sys,
        '_MEIPASS',
        os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
    return os.path.join(base_path, relative_path)

# Then use this function to find the asset, eg: resource("my_file")

If you are importing an asset like this:

image = "CustomTkinter_logo.png"

Then change it to this:

image = resource("CustomTkinter_logo.png")

I recommend you to follow this guide: TomSchimansky/CustomTkinter#939