Compiling Python Code (Pyinstaller)

PyInstaller Guide: Opening this issue to document possible options to use with pyinstaller until we get this nailed down.

Bottom-line up front

pyinstaller --onefile --noconsole --icon=stormcloud.ico --hidden-import pkg_resources --hidden-import infi.systray stormcloud.py

Explanation of arguments

Standard pyinstaller arguments for GUI application

--onefile --noconsole --icon=stormcloud.ico

Change name as it appears in task manager? (Untested)

--win-private-assemblies --name "Stormcloud Backup Engine"

Hidden imports from infi.systray library

--hidden-import pkg_resources --hidden-import infi.systray

Manifest file to require administrative permissions

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
  <assemblyIdentity version="1.0.0.0" name="Stormcloud.app"/>
  <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">
    <security>
      <requestedPrivileges xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
        <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" />
      </requestedPrivileges>
    </security>
  </trustInfo>
</assembly>

Save as app.manifest and include the switch: --manifest app.manifest

Compiling pyinstaller from source

We are still popping on 4 AVs that VirusTotal scans with (Cynet, McAfee-GW-Edition, DeepInstinct, and SecureAge). These are all pretty fringe/sucky AVs so we might just be able to ignore these unless we find a customer who is actually using one of them.

Here's what I managed to do on my system to get it to work:

1. Nuke all Visual Studio related stuff (run visual studio installer, go to more -> uninstall, and remove everything)
2. Re-download only the 2022 Visual Studio Build Tools (https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/ -> go to "Tools for Visual Studio" section -> "Build Tools for Visual Studio 2022"
3. git clone the pyinstaller source to C:\PyInstaller
4. cd C:\Pyinstaller\pyinstaller\bootloader
5. python.exe ./waf distclean all
6. I have no idea why, but running with distclean appears to find the cl.exe file associated with MSVC, if you run it without distclean, it will not find it.
7. cd C:\Pyinstaller\pyinstaller
8. pip install .
9. If that works, it should add the pyinstaller EXE to your path
10. Once signed, you can upload to VT. Do not upload builds that are actually intended for production to VirusTotal. It may increase the chance that it gets flagged on some budget AV products.