How to package a command line Python script

Question

I've created a python script that's intended to be used from the command line. How do I go about packaging it? This is my first python package and I've read a bit about setuptools, but I'm still not sure the best way to do this.

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Solution

I ended up using setup.py with the key configurations noted below:

setup(
....
    entry_points="""
[console_scripts]
mycommand = mypackage.mymodule:main
""",
....
)

Here's a good example in context.

Answer 1

What do you mean by packaging? If it is a single script to be run on a box that already has python installed, you just need to put a shebang into the first line of the file and that's it.

If you want it to be executed under Windows or on a box without python, though, you will need something external, like pyinstaller.

If your question is about where to put configuration/data files, you'll need to work platform-dependently (like writing into the registry or the home folder), as far as I know.

Answer 2

@Zach, given your clarification in your comment to @soulmerge's answer, it looks like what you need is to write a setup.py as per the instructions regarding the distutils -- here in particular is how you register on pypi, and here on how to upload to pypi once you are registrered -- and possibly (if you need some extra functionality wrt what the distutils supply on their own) add setuptools, of which easy_install is part, via the instructions here.