Make an executable Python Program

Use PyInstaller to make an executable Python program.

1

Get a copy of PyInstaller

pyinstaller.org

download and unpack it somewhere, you don't install PyInstaller, it becomes your project folder from where you create the exe. Weird I know

sourceforge.net/projects/pyinstaller/files/2....
2

Fetch a copy of the Python Program

Get a copy of the Python program you want to install either with

git clone

or

just downloading and unzipping it somewhere on your harddrive.

Install all of the dependencies in a virtualenv. However matplotlib and numpy are best installed globally, they don't seem to install nicely into a virtualenv.
3

Run this command from the command line to generate the exe
The command should be run from the PyInstaller directory you unzipped earlier:
```
/path/to/virtualenv/python pyinstaller.py --onefile /path/to/your/program/main.py --icon=/path/to/your/icon.ico
```
This will create the exe in the folder:

pyinstaller-2.0/name-of-program/dist/name-of-program.exe
4

Zip up the exe along with any required files
Files to consider including in the zip are:

- README.txt
- Config files
- version.txt

Here is how I create my version.txt
```
git log -n 1 > version.txt
```
from the git repository folder, and copy that version.txt into the zip alongside the exe file.