python-build-standalone VS zpy

It also replaces "just" as a task manager for me which is very pleasant.

The fact that the python plugin uses precompiled Python binaries by default instead of building them from source remove common issues I had with the asdf's python plugin at work with missing dependencies.

Just so you know, I encountered two little quirks that needed a fix:

- [Backspace Key Doesn't work in Python REPL](https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone/blob/mai...)

These builds are an alternative: https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone

Those are what Rye and hatch use.

Drawbacks: late availability of patch versions, various quirks from how they are built (missing readline, missing some build info that self-compiled C python modules might need.)

Bundling Python isn't too bad if you find the right tools for it.

I really like https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone and https://github.com/indygreg/PyOxidizer

A bundled, built standalone Python can be 16 to 32MB (including the full standard library, which you can strip down to just the bits you use to save size). Not tiny, but probably not worth switching programming languages over.

I'm trying to build a "portable" Python package based on those available from https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone/releases.

I'm a huge fan of https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone which provides Python builds that CAN be moved around and work independently of any other Python installation.

I used that for my own Python+Electron app, which I wrote about here: https://til.simonwillison.net/electron/python-inside-electro...

I used to build my own Pythons that are the same everywhere, now I use indygreg's Python builds. Rye will automatically download and manage Python builds from there. No compiling, no divergence.

One interesting tidbit is that it completely ignores your system Python installations, and instead uses precompiled installations of Python by indygreg from PyOxidizer. This means you don't have to deal with installing Python. It just auto downloads the right builds.

wget https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone/releases/download/20220630/cpython-3.10.5+20220630-x86_64_v3-unknown-linux-gnu-install_only.tar.gz -O - | tar -xz && mv python PortablePython

The lack of Ruby support instantly rings an alarm for me because CPython (on POSIX) also is not relocatable, but is listed as support. Turns pit Hermit is actually using a third-party build script[1] instead of the official one. While the python-build-standalone project is quite awesome and indeed is useful for a lot of things, it has enough quirks I would recommend against any generic package distributor to advertise as Python for general use. This in turn makes me lose most confidence on Hermit, unfortunately.

Be careful if you’re also interested in Hermit. These kinds of things bit you up way down the road when you least expect them to.

[1] https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone

If you really want to be sure, you can download an install_only standalone Python build from https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone/releases and install the libraries with the included pip. Then just tar it again to archive it, and use the included python to run your project. The downloaded wheel you get with pip wheel may depend on the Python version so you just save the wheels you must make sure the Python point version is exactly the same.

If your interactive shell is zsh, you could give my project zpy a try, particularly the function pipz that it provides, which is a lightweight pipx clone with great completions and good speed.

I can immediately see some things rye is doing differently, like keeping the venvs themselves free of pip and pip-tools. I wonder in your explorations if you've tried rtx for managing python installations, or my own zpy wrapper of pip-tools+venv (which can also replace pipx).

My patterns in this regard aren't exactly mainstream, as I use flit+pip-tools+zpy (the latter being my own Zsh interface for Python dependency and environment operations), but FWIW here's how I go about nested requirements.

For managing venvs and dependencies and apps, I use my own frontend to pip-tools + venv, zpy. And for running tasks which require an activated venv, I use nox.

If anyone's interested in a pipx clone with excellent tab completion, I would appreciate any feedback on pipz, a function of my zsh plugin for python environment and dependency management: zpy

https://github.com/andydecleyre/zpy

For concise and practical interactive usage of those tools, with excellent tab completion, I made the Zsh frontend zpy.

I also use my own Zsh wrapper functions with it, so for example: https://i.imgur.com/YX8bWy8.png

I'm a big fan of (and small contributor to) pip-tools, but both poetry and pipenv offer management of more stuff, which understandably appeals to folks seeking a simple comprehensible workflow.

Pip-tools is also a bit lower level, offering flexibility and compatibility which I relish, but also requiring more attention from the user to set things up as they wish.

If you or anyone else enjoying pip-tools is a Zsh user and interested in trying out my higher level functions to ease interactive use of pip-tools, venvs, and also isolated app installs (like pipx), I would love some feedback on zpy: https://github.com/AndydeCleyre/zpy

I'm very happy to answer any questions about it right here or as GitHub issues.

This is FAR from some big mainstream thing, but I use (and am happy to answer any questions about) my own Zsh frontend to venv+pip-tools+pip, zpy.

FWIW, with my project zpy, extras groups take the form of EXTRANAME-requirements.in, and the function pypc (or as a subcommand zpy pypc) will read those and inject them into your pyproject.toml in the generic, PEP-supported sections.