pyappdist 0.1.0

Turn a Python app into a Windows installer(msi)

pyappdist

Turn a Python app into a Windows installer — and it just works.

⚠️ Alpha. pyappdist is under active development. It works end-to-end today, but the config schema, CLI, and output layout may still change without notice.

pyappdist does not freeze your code. Instead of bundling Python and your app into a single executable (and fighting hidden imports, data files, and plugins along the way), it installs your app into a real, dedicated Python runtime — exactly the way pip would — and ships that.

Because the runtime is a normal Python environment, most apps run as-is: no hooks, no --hidden-import, no --add-data, no per-library workarounds. If it runs under uv run, it almost certainly runs after pyappdist build. C extensions, abi3 wheels, Qt plugins, and tkinter-based GUIs work unmodified because the install layout is real.

Quick start

Add a [tool.pyappdist] section to your app's pyproject.toml:

[tool.pyappdist]
name = "My App"
python = "3.12"
target = "windows-x86_64"

[[tool.pyappdist.launchers]]
name = "myapp"              # produces myapp.exe
entry = "myapp:main"        # module:callable

[tool.pyappdist.wix]
manufacturer = "Example Inc."

Then add pyappdist and build:

uv add --dev pyappdist
uv run pyappdist build .    # wheels -> runtime -> image -> launcher -> wix -> MSI

The result lands under appdist/dist/: a portable .zip and an .msi installer.

Documentation

Full documentation lives in the docs/ directory (Sphinx / Read the Docs):

• Installation & requirements
• Quick start
• How it works
• Configuration reference
• CLI reference
• Dependency resolution
• Code signing
• Samples

Status

Alpha — the pipeline works end-to-end, but expect breaking changes to the config schema, CLI, and output layout as it matures.

Windows x64 is the current target. macOS/Linux packaging, auto-update, and code-signing certificates are out of scope for now. Distributed apps are not obfuscated, and unsigned installers will trigger a SmartScreen warning.