1 .. _built-dist: 2 3 **************************** 4 Creating Built Distributions 5 **************************** 6 7 A "built distribution" is what you're probably used to thinking of either as a 8 "binary package" or an "installer" (depending on your background). It's not 9 necessarily binary, though, because it might contain only Python source code 10 and/or byte-code; and we don't call it a package, because that word is already 11 spoken for in Python. (And "installer" is a term specific to the world of 12 mainstream desktop systems.) 13 14 A built distribution is how you make life as easy as possible for installers of 15 your module distribution: for users of RPM-based Linux systems, it's a binary 16 RPM; for Windows users, it's an executable installer; for Debian-based Linux 17 users, it's a Debian package; and so forth. Obviously, no one person will be 18 able to create built distributions for every platform under the sun, so the 19 Distutils are designed to enable module developers to concentrate on their 20 specialty---writing code and creating source distributions---while an 21 intermediary species called *packagers* springs up to turn source distributions 22 into built distributions for as many platforms as there are packagers. 23 24 Of course, the module developer could be their own packager; or the packager could 25 be a volunteer "out there" somewhere who has access to a platform which the 26 original developer does not; or it could be software periodically grabbing new 27 source distributions and turning them into built distributions for as many 28 platforms as the software has access to. Regardless of who they are, a packager 29 uses the setup script and the :command:`bdist` command family to generate built 30 distributions. 31 32 As a simple example, if I run the following command in the Distutils source 33 tree:: 34 35 python setup.py bdist 36 37 then the Distutils builds my module distribution (the Distutils itself in this 38 case), does a "fake" installation (also in the :file:`build` directory), and 39 creates the default type of built distribution for my platform. The default 40 format for built distributions is a "dumb" tar file on Unix, and a simple 41 executable installer on Windows. (That tar file is considered "dumb" because it 42 has to be unpacked in a specific location to work.) 43 44 Thus, the above command on a Unix system creates 45 :file:`Distutils-1.0.{plat}.tar.gz`; unpacking this tarball from the right place 46 installs the Distutils just as though you had downloaded the source distribution 47 and run ``python setup.py install``. (The "right place" is either the root of 48 the filesystem or Python's :file:`{prefix}` directory, depending on the options 49 given to the :command:`bdist_dumb` command; the default is to make dumb 50 distributions relative to :file:`{prefix}`.) 51 52 Obviously, for pure Python distributions, this isn't any simpler than just 53 running ``python setup.py install``\ ---but for non-pure distributions, which 54 include extensions that would need to be compiled, it can mean the difference 55 between someone being able to use your extensions or not. And creating "smart" 56 built distributions, such as an RPM package or an executable installer for 57 Windows, is far more convenient for users even if your distribution doesn't 58 include any extensions. 59 60 The :command:`bdist` command has a :option:`!--formats` option, similar to the 61 :command:`sdist` command, which you can use to select the types of built 62 distribution to generate: for example, :: 63 64 python setup.py bdist --format=zip 65 66 would, when run on a Unix system, create 67 :file:`Distutils-1.0.{plat}.zip`\ ---again, this archive would be unpacked 68 from the root directory to install the Distutils. 69 70 The available formats for built distributions are: 71 72 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 73 | Format | Description | Notes | 74 +=============+==============================+=========+ 75 | ``gztar`` | gzipped tar file | \(1) | 76 | | (:file:`.tar.gz`) | | 77 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 78 | ``bztar`` | bzipped tar file | | 79 | | (:file:`.tar.bz2`) | | 80 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 81 | ``xztar`` | xzipped tar file | | 82 | | (:file:`.tar.xz`) | | 83 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 84 | ``ztar`` | compressed tar file | \(3) | 85 | | (:file:`.tar.Z`) | | 86 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 87 | ``tar`` | tar file (:file:`.tar`) | | 88 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 89 | ``zip`` | zip file (:file:`.zip`) | (2),(4) | 90 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 91 | ``rpm`` | RPM | \(5) | 92 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 93 | ``pkgtool`` | Solaris :program:`pkgtool` | | 94 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 95 | ``sdux`` | HP-UX :program:`swinstall` | | 96 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 97 | ``wininst`` | self-extracting ZIP file for | \(4) | 98 | | Windows | | 99 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 100 | ``msi`` | Microsoft Installer. | | 101 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+ 102 103 .. versionchanged:: 3.5 104 Added support for the ``xztar`` format. 105 106 107 Notes: 108 109 (1) 110 default on Unix 111 112 (2) 113 default on Windows 114 115 (3) 116 requires external :program:`compress` utility. 117 118 (4) 119 requires either external :program:`zip` utility or :mod:`zipfile` module (part 120 of the standard Python library since Python 1.6) 121 122 (5) 123 requires external :program:`rpm` utility, version 3.0.4 or better (use ``rpm 124 --version`` to find out which version you have) 125 126 You don't have to use the :command:`bdist` command with the :option:`!--formats` 127 option; you can also use the command that directly implements the format you're 128 interested in. Some of these :command:`bdist` "sub-commands" actually generate 129 several similar formats; for instance, the :command:`bdist_dumb` command 130 generates all the "dumb" archive formats (``tar``, ``gztar``, ``bztar``, 131 ``xztar``, ``ztar``, and ``zip``), and :command:`bdist_rpm` generates both 132 binary and source RPMs. The :command:`bdist` sub-commands, and the formats 133 generated by each, are: 134 135 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+ 136 | Command | Formats | 137 +==========================+=====================================+ 138 | :command:`bdist_dumb` | tar, gztar, bztar, xztar, ztar, zip | 139 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+ 140 | :command:`bdist_rpm` | rpm, srpm | 141 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+ 142 | :command:`bdist_wininst` | wininst | 143 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+ 144 | :command:`bdist_msi` | msi | 145 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+ 146 147 The following sections give details on the individual :command:`bdist_\*` 148 commands. 149 150 151 .. .. _creating-dumb: 152 153 .. Creating dumb built distributions 154 .. ================================= 155 156 .. XXX Need to document absolute vs. prefix-relative packages here, but first 157 I have to implement it! 158 159 160 .. _creating-rpms: 161 162 Creating RPM packages 163 ===================== 164 165 The RPM format is used by many popular Linux distributions, including Red Hat, 166 SuSE, and Mandrake. If one of these (or any of the other RPM-based Linux 167 distributions) is your usual environment, creating RPM packages for other users 168 of that same distribution is trivial. Depending on the complexity of your module 169 distribution and differences between Linux distributions, you may also be able 170 to create RPMs that work on different RPM-based distributions. 171 172 The usual way to create an RPM of your module distribution is to run the 173 :command:`bdist_rpm` command:: 174 175 python setup.py bdist_rpm 176 177 or the :command:`bdist` command with the :option:`!--format` option:: 178 179 python setup.py bdist --formats=rpm 180 181 The former allows you to specify RPM-specific options; the latter allows you to 182 easily specify multiple formats in one run. If you need to do both, you can 183 explicitly specify multiple :command:`bdist_\*` commands and their options:: 184 185 python setup.py bdist_rpm --packager="John Doe <jdoe (a] example.org>" \ 186 bdist_wininst --target-version="2.0" 187 188 Creating RPM packages is driven by a :file:`.spec` file, much as using the 189 Distutils is driven by the setup script. To make your life easier, the 190 :command:`bdist_rpm` command normally creates a :file:`.spec` file based on the 191 information you supply in the setup script, on the command line, and in any 192 Distutils configuration files. Various options and sections in the 193 :file:`.spec` file are derived from options in the setup script as follows: 194 195 +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ 196 | RPM :file:`.spec` file option or section | Distutils setup script option | 197 +==========================================+==============================================+ 198 | Name | ``name`` | 199 +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ 200 | Summary (in preamble) | ``description`` | 201 +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ 202 | Version | ``version`` | 203 +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ 204 | Vendor | ``author`` and ``author_email``, | 205 | | or --- & ``maintainer`` and | 206 | | ``maintainer_email`` | 207 +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ 208 | Copyright | ``license`` | 209 +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ 210 | Url | ``url`` | 211 +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ 212 | %description (section) | ``long_description`` | 213 +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ 214 215 Additionally, there are many options in :file:`.spec` files that don't have 216 corresponding options in the setup script. Most of these are handled through 217 options to the :command:`bdist_rpm` command as follows: 218 219 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 220 | RPM :file:`.spec` file option | :command:`bdist_rpm` option | default value | 221 | or section | | | 222 +===============================+=============================+=========================+ 223 | Release | ``release`` | "1" | 224 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 225 | Group | ``group`` | "Development/Libraries" | 226 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 227 | Vendor | ``vendor`` | (see above) | 228 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 229 | Packager | ``packager`` | (none) | 230 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 231 | Provides | ``provides`` | (none) | 232 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 233 | Requires | ``requires`` | (none) | 234 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 235 | Conflicts | ``conflicts`` | (none) | 236 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 237 | Obsoletes | ``obsoletes`` | (none) | 238 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 239 | Distribution | ``distribution_name`` | (none) | 240 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 241 | BuildRequires | ``build_requires`` | (none) | 242 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 243 | Icon | ``icon`` | (none) | 244 +-------------------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------------+ 245 246 Obviously, supplying even a few of these options on the command-line would be 247 tedious and error-prone, so it's usually best to put them in the setup 248 configuration file, :file:`setup.cfg`\ ---see section :ref:`setup-config`. If 249 you distribute or package many Python module distributions, you might want to 250 put options that apply to all of them in your personal Distutils configuration 251 file (:file:`~/.pydistutils.cfg`). If you want to temporarily disable 252 this file, you can pass the :option:`!--no-user-cfg` option to :file:`setup.py`. 253 254 There are three steps to building a binary RPM package, all of which are 255 handled automatically by the Distutils: 256 257 #. create a :file:`.spec` file, which describes the package (analogous to the 258 Distutils setup script; in fact, much of the information in the setup script 259 winds up in the :file:`.spec` file) 260 261 #. create the source RPM 262 263 #. create the "binary" RPM (which may or may not contain binary code, depending 264 on whether your module distribution contains Python extensions) 265 266 Normally, RPM bundles the last two steps together; when you use the Distutils, 267 all three steps are typically bundled together. 268 269 If you wish, you can separate these three steps. You can use the 270 :option:`!--spec-only` option to make :command:`bdist_rpm` just create the 271 :file:`.spec` file and exit; in this case, the :file:`.spec` file will be 272 written to the "distribution directory"---normally :file:`dist/`, but 273 customizable with the :option:`!--dist-dir` option. (Normally, the :file:`.spec` 274 file winds up deep in the "build tree," in a temporary directory created by 275 :command:`bdist_rpm`.) 276 277 .. % \XXX{this isn't implemented yet---is it needed?!} 278 .. % You can also specify a custom \file{.spec} file with the 279 .. % \longprogramopt{spec-file} option; used in conjunction with 280 .. % \longprogramopt{spec-only}, this gives you an opportunity to customize 281 .. % the \file{.spec} file manually: 282 .. % 283 .. % \ begin{verbatim} 284 .. % > python setup.py bdist_rpm --spec-only 285 .. % # ...edit dist/FooBar-1.0.spec 286 .. % > python setup.py bdist_rpm --spec-file=dist/FooBar-1.0.spec 287 .. % \ end{verbatim} 288 .. % 289 .. % (Although a better way to do this is probably to override the standard 290 .. % \command{bdist\_rpm} command with one that writes whatever else you want 291 .. % to the \file{.spec} file.) 292 293 294 .. _creating-wininst: 295 296 Creating Windows Installers 297 =========================== 298 299 Executable installers are the natural format for binary distributions on 300 Windows. They display a nice graphical user interface, display some information 301 about the module distribution to be installed taken from the metadata in the 302 setup script, let the user select a few options, and start or cancel the 303 installation. 304 305 Since the metadata is taken from the setup script, creating Windows installers 306 is usually as easy as running:: 307 308 python setup.py bdist_wininst 309 310 or the :command:`bdist` command with the :option:`!--formats` option:: 311 312 python setup.py bdist --formats=wininst 313 314 If you have a pure module distribution (only containing pure Python modules and 315 packages), the resulting installer will be version independent and have a name 316 like :file:`foo-1.0.win32.exe`. These installers can even be created on Unix 317 platforms or Mac OS X. 318 319 If you have a non-pure distribution, the extensions can only be created on a 320 Windows platform, and will be Python version dependent. The installer filename 321 will reflect this and now has the form :file:`foo-1.0.win32-py2.0.exe`. You 322 have to create a separate installer for every Python version you want to 323 support. 324 325 The installer will try to compile pure modules into :term:`bytecode` after installation 326 on the target system in normal and optimizing mode. If you don't want this to 327 happen for some reason, you can run the :command:`bdist_wininst` command with 328 the :option:`!--no-target-compile` and/or the :option:`!--no-target-optimize` 329 option. 330 331 By default the installer will display the cool "Python Powered" logo when it is 332 run, but you can also supply your own 152x261 bitmap which must be a Windows 333 :file:`.bmp` file with the :option:`!--bitmap` option. 334 335 The installer will also display a large title on the desktop background window 336 when it is run, which is constructed from the name of your distribution and the 337 version number. This can be changed to another text by using the 338 :option:`!--title` option. 339 340 The installer file will be written to the "distribution directory" --- normally 341 :file:`dist/`, but customizable with the :option:`!--dist-dir` option. 342 343 .. _cross-compile-windows: 344 345 Cross-compiling on Windows 346 ========================== 347 348 Starting with Python 2.6, distutils is capable of cross-compiling between 349 Windows platforms. In practice, this means that with the correct tools 350 installed, you can use a 32bit version of Windows to create 64bit extensions 351 and vice-versa. 352 353 To build for an alternate platform, specify the :option:`!--plat-name` option 354 to the build command. Valid values are currently 'win32', and 'win-amd64'. 355 For example, on a 32bit version of Windows, you could execute:: 356 357 python setup.py build --plat-name=win-amd64 358 359 to build a 64bit version of your extension. The Windows Installers also 360 support this option, so the command:: 361 362 python setup.py build --plat-name=win-amd64 bdist_wininst 363 364 would create a 64bit installation executable on your 32bit version of Windows. 365 366 To cross-compile, you must download the Python source code and cross-compile 367 Python itself for the platform you are targeting - it is not possible from a 368 binary installation of Python (as the .lib etc file for other platforms are 369 not included.) In practice, this means the user of a 32 bit operating 370 system will need to use Visual Studio 2008 to open the 371 :file:`PCbuild/PCbuild.sln` solution in the Python source tree and build the 372 "x64" configuration of the 'pythoncore' project before cross-compiling 373 extensions is possible. 374 375 Note that by default, Visual Studio 2008 does not install 64bit compilers or 376 tools. You may need to reexecute the Visual Studio setup process and select 377 these tools (using Control Panel->[Add/Remove] Programs is a convenient way to 378 check or modify your existing install.) 379 380 .. _postinstallation-script: 381 382 The Postinstallation script 383 --------------------------- 384 385 Starting with Python 2.3, a postinstallation script can be specified with the 386 :option:`!--install-script` option. The basename of the script must be 387 specified, and the script filename must also be listed in the scripts argument 388 to the setup function. 389 390 This script will be run at installation time on the target system after all the 391 files have been copied, with ``argv[1]`` set to :option:`!-install`, and again at 392 uninstallation time before the files are removed with ``argv[1]`` set to 393 :option:`!-remove`. 394 395 The installation script runs embedded in the windows installer, every output 396 (``sys.stdout``, ``sys.stderr``) is redirected into a buffer and will be 397 displayed in the GUI after the script has finished. 398 399 Some functions especially useful in this context are available as additional 400 built-in functions in the installation script. 401 402 403 .. function:: directory_created(path) 404 file_created(path) 405 406 These functions should be called when a directory or file is created by the 407 postinstall script at installation time. It will register *path* with the 408 uninstaller, so that it will be removed when the distribution is uninstalled. 409 To be safe, directories are only removed if they are empty. 410 411 412 .. function:: get_special_folder_path(csidl_string) 413 414 This function can be used to retrieve special folder locations on Windows like 415 the Start Menu or the Desktop. It returns the full path to the folder. 416 *csidl_string* must be one of the following strings:: 417 418 "CSIDL_APPDATA" 419 420 "CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU" 421 "CSIDL_STARTMENU" 422 423 "CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY" 424 "CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY" 425 426 "CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP" 427 "CSIDL_STARTUP" 428 429 "CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS" 430 "CSIDL_PROGRAMS" 431 432 "CSIDL_FONTS" 433 434 If the folder cannot be retrieved, :exc:`OSError` is raised. 435 436 Which folders are available depends on the exact Windows version, and probably 437 also the configuration. For details refer to Microsoft's documentation of the 438 :c:func:`SHGetSpecialFolderPath` function. 439 440 441 .. function:: create_shortcut(target, description, filename[, arguments[, workdir[, iconpath[, iconindex]]]]) 442 443 This function creates a shortcut. *target* is the path to the program to be 444 started by the shortcut. *description* is the description of the shortcut. 445 *filename* is the title of the shortcut that the user will see. *arguments* 446 specifies the command line arguments, if any. *workdir* is the working directory 447 for the program. *iconpath* is the file containing the icon for the shortcut, 448 and *iconindex* is the index of the icon in the file *iconpath*. Again, for 449 details consult the Microsoft documentation for the :class:`IShellLink` 450 interface. 451 452 453 Vista User Access Control (UAC) 454 =============================== 455 456 Starting with Python 2.6, bdist_wininst supports a :option:`!--user-access-control` 457 option. The default is 'none' (meaning no UAC handling is done), and other 458 valid values are 'auto' (meaning prompt for UAC elevation if Python was 459 installed for all users) and 'force' (meaning always prompt for elevation). 460
