Can PDM be made standalone?

[MeowSky49887]

I managed to wrap PDM into a standalone executable using PyInstaller. The executable runs simple commands like --help and --version without requiring Python to be installed on the target system.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

Created a wrapper script: (script.py)

from pdm.core import main
import sys

if __name__ == "__main__":
    sys.exit(main())

Created a hook script: (hook-pdm.py)

from PyInstaller.utils.hooks import collect_all

datas , binaries, hiddenimports = collect_all("pdm")

Packaged the script using PyInstaller:

pyinstaller --onefile --additional-hooks-dir=. = script.py

I haven’t yet tested more complex commands like pdm install or pdm add.

[jingfelix]

I tried using nutika to build a standalone elf and failed to run in Docker (ubuntu:22.04)

It do work well on the build machine, however.

python3 -m nuitka --follow-imports src/pdm/__main__.py

[noirbizarre]

I am curious:

• What are the use cases for this? (benefit/differences from using pipx)
• How does it handle extensions? Do they need to be prepackaged with it into the binary ?

[jingfelix]

I’m also confused TBH 😶

[MeowSky49887]

1. Use cases/Benefits (vs. pipx):

A standalone PDM allows you to manage Python dependencies without needing a separate Python installation, reducing one extra step. Unlike pipx, which still requires a pre-installed Python, standalone PDM bundles Python and PDM together for easier use in environments where Python isn't installed.

2. Handling Extensions:

Extensions (like PDM plugins) are bundled into the standalone binary using tools like PyInstaller, meaning no separate installation is needed. Standalone PDM includes its own Python, so dependencies are managed within that isolated environment.