NUITKA(1)

📦
version 1.3.5 · 2 versions
, in ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute

💖 NAME 💖

okay so bestie, this is the nuitka(1) page from the User Commands manual, and it's literally the Python compiler 💅. No cap. The name is nuitka — the Python compiler.

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

nuitka [--module] [--run] [options] main_module.py

✨ OPTIONS ✨

  • --help — show this help message and exit. Simple as that.
  • --version — Show version information and important details for bug reports, then exit. Defaults to off.
  • --module — Create an extension module executable instead of a program. Defaults to off.
  • --standalone — Enable standalone mode for output. This allows you to transfer the created binary to other machines without it using an existing Python installation. This also means it will become big. It implies these option: "-- follow-imports" and "--python-flag=no_site". Defaults to off.
  • --onefile — On top of standalone mode, enable onefile mode. This means not a folder, but a compressed executable is created and used. Defaults to off.
  • --python-debug — Use debug version or not. Default uses what you are using to run Nuitka, most likely a non-debug version.
  • --python-flag=FLAG — Python flags to use. Default is what you are using to run Nuitka, this enforces a specific mode. These are options that also exist to standard Python executable. Currently supported: "-S" (alias "no_site"), "static_hashes" (do not use hash randomization), "no_warnings" (do not give Python run time warnings), "-O" (alias "no_asserts"), "no_docstrings" (do not use doc strings), "-u" (alias "unbuffered") and "-m". Default empty.
  • --python-for-scons=PATH — If using Python3.3 or Python3.4, provide the path of a Python binary to use for Scons. Otherwise Nuitka can use what you run Nuitka with or a Python installation from Windows registry. On Windows Python 3.5 or higher is needed. On non-Windows, Python 2.6 or 2.7 will do as well.

🎀 Control the inclusion of modules and packages in result: 🎀

  • --include-package=PACKAGE — Include a whole package. Give as a Python namespace, e.g. "some_package.sub_package" and Nuitka will then find it and include it and all the modules found below that disk location in the binary or extension module it creates, and make it available for import by the code. To avoid unwanted sub packages, e.g. tests you can e.g. do this "--nofollow-import-to=*.tests". Default empty.
  • --include-module=MODULE — Include a single module. Give as a Python namespace, e.g. "some_package.some_module" and Nuitka will then find it and include it in the binary or extension module it creates, and make it available for import by the code. Default empty.
  • --include-plugin-directory=MODULE/PACKAGE — Include also the code found in that directory, considering as if they are each given as a main file. Overrides all other inclusion options. You ought to prefer other inclusion options, that go by names, rather than filenames, those find things through being in "sys.path". This option is for very special use cases only. Can be given multiple times. Default empty.
  • --include-plugin-files=PATTERN — Include into files matching the PATTERN. Overrides all other follow options. Can be given multiple times. Default empty.
  • --prefer-source-code — For already compiled extension modules, where there is both a source file and an extension module, normally the extension module is used, but it should be better to compile the module from available source code for best performance. If not desired, there is --noprefer-source-code to disable warnings about it. Default off.

🫶 Control the following into imported modules: 🫶

  • --follow-imports — Descend into all imported modules. Defaults to on in standalone mode, otherwise off.
  • --follow-import-to=MODULE/PACKAGE — Follow to that module if used, or if a package, to the whole package. Can be given multiple times. Default empty.
  • --nofollow-import-to=MODULE/PACKAGE — Do not follow to that module name even if used, or if a package name, to the whole package in any case, overrides all other options. Can be given multiple times. Default empty.
  • --nofollow-imports — Do not descend into any imported modules at all, overrides all other inclusion options and not usable for standalone mode. Defaults to off.
  • --follow-stdlib — Also descend into imported modules from standard library. This will increase the compilation time by a lot and is also not well tested at this time and sometimes won't work. Defaults to off.

🧚 Onefile options: 🧚

  • --onefile-tempdir-spec=ONEFILE_TEMPDIR_SPEC — Use this as a folder to unpack to in onefile mode. Defaults to '%TEMP%/onefile_%PID%_%TIME%', i.e. user temporary directory and being non-static it's removed. Use e.g. a string like '%CACHE_DIR%/%COMPANY%/%PRODUCT%/%VERSION%' which is a good static cache path, this will then not be removed.

🍓 Data files: 🍓

  • --include-package-data=PACKAGE — Include data files for the given package name. DLLs and extension modules are not data files and never included like this. Can use patterns the filenames as indicated below. Data files of packages are not included by default, but package configuration can do it. This will only include non-DLL, non-extension modules, i.e. actual data files. After a ":" optionally a filename pattern can be given as well, selecting only matching files. Examples: "--includepackage-data=package_name" (all files), "--includepackage-data=package_name=*.txt" (only certain type), "--include-package-data=package_name=some_filename.dat (concrete file). Default empty.
  • --include-data-files=DESC — Include data files by filenames in the distribution. There are many allowed forms. With '--include-datafiles=/path/to/file/*.txt=folder_name/some.txt' it will copy a single file and complain if it's multiple. With '--include-datafiles=/path/to/files/*.txt=folder_name/' it will put all matching files into that folder. For recursive copy there is a form with 3 values that '--includedata-files=/path/to/scan=folder_name=**/*.txt' that will preserve directory structure. Default empty.
  • --include-data-dir=DIRECTORY — Include data files from complete directory in the distribution. This is recursive. Check '--includedata-files' with patterns if you want non-recursive inclusion. An example would be '--include-datadir=/path/some_dir=data/some_dir' for plain copy, of the whole directory. All files are copied, if you want to exclude files you need to remove them beforehand, or use '--noinclude-data-files' option to remove them. Default empty.
  • --noinclude-data-files=PATTERN — Do not include data files matching the filename pattern given. This is against the target filename, not source paths. So to ignore a file pattern from package data for "package_name" should be matched as "package_name/*.txt". Or for the whole directory simply use "package_name". Default empty.

💀 DLL files: 💀

  • --noinclude-dlls=PATTERN — Do not include DLL files matching the filename pattern given. This is against the target filename, not source paths. So ignore a DLL "someDLL" contained in the package "package_name" it should be matched as "package_name/someDLL.*". Default empty.
  • --list-package-dlls=LIST_PACKAGE_DLLS — Output the DLLs found for a given package name. Default not done.

🌈 Control the warnings to be given by Nuitka: 🌈

  • --warn-implicit-exceptions — Enable warnings for implicit exceptions detected at compile time.
  • --warn-unusual-code — Enable warnings for unusual code detected at compile time.
  • --assume-yes-for-downloads — Allow Nuitka to download external code if necessary, e.g. dependency walker, ccache, and even gcc on Windows. To disable, redirect input from nul device, e.g. "</dev/null" or "<NUL:". Default is to prompt.
  • --nowarn-mnemonic=MNEMONIC — Disable warning for a given mnemonic. These are given to make sure you are aware of certain topics, and typically point to the Nuitka website. The mnemonic is the part of the URL at the end, without the HTML suffix. Can be given multiple times and accepts shell pattern. Default empty.

👑 Immediate execution after compilation: 👑

  • --run — Execute immediately the created binary (or import the compiled module). Defaults to off.
  • --debugger — Execute inside a debugger, e.g. "gdb" or "lldb" to automatically get a stack trace. Defaults to off.
  • --execute-with-pythonpath — When immediately executing the created binary or module using '--run', don't reset 'PYTHONPATH' environment. When all modules are successfully included, you ought to not need PYTHONPATH anymore, and definitely not for standalone mode.

🦋 Compilation choices: 🦋

  • --user-package-configuration-file=YAML_FILENAME — User provided Yaml file with package configuration. You can include DLLs, remove bloat, add hidden dependencies. Check User Manual for a complete description of the format to use. Can be given multiple times. Defaults to empty.
  • --full-compat — Enforce absolute compatibility with CPython. Do not even allow minor deviations from CPython behavior, e.g. not having better tracebacks or exception messages which are not really incompatible, but only different or worse. This is intended for tests only and should not be used.
  • --file-reference-choice=MODE — Select what value "__file__" is going to be. With "runtime" (default for standalone binary mode and module mode), the created binaries and modules, use the location of themselves to deduct the value of "__file__". Included packages pretend to be in directories below that location. This allows you to include data files in deployments. If you merely seek acceleration, it's better for you to use the "original" value, where the source files location will be used. With "frozen" a notation "<frozen module_name>" is used. For compatibility reasons, the "__file__" value will always have ".py" suffix independent of what it really is.
  • --module-name-choice=MODE — okay so this one picks what "__name__" and "__package__" actually become. With "runtime" (which is the default when you're in module mode), the module that gets created peeks at the parent package to figure out "__package__", so it stays fully compatible 💅. The value "original" (default for every other mode) lets more static optimization happen, but heads up bestie — it's incompatible for modules that normally can be loaded into any package. Choose wisely 🫶

✨ Output choices ✨

  • --output-filename=FILENAME — tell Nuitka what your executable should be called. For extension modules there is no choice (nope, none), and also not for standalone mode — using it there will be an error 😭. This may include path information that needs to exist though. Defaults to <program_name> on this platform, .bin
  • --output-dir=DIRECTORY — where should all the intermediate and final output files go? The DIRECTORY gets populated with the build folder, dist folder, binaries, etc. Defaults to the current directory 🍓
  • --remove-output — deletes the build directory after the module or exe file has been produced. Defaults to off.
  • --no-pyi-file — do not create a .pyi file for extension modules made by Nuitka. That file is what's used to detect implicit imports. Defaults to off.

💀 Debug features 💀

  • --debug — runs all the self checks possible to hunt down errors in Nuitka. Do not use this for production, fr fr. Defaults to off.
  • --unstripped — keeps the debug info in the resulting object file so your debugger can actually talk to you. Defaults to off.
  • --profile — enables vmprof based profiling of time spent. Not working currently 😭. Defaults to off.
  • --internal-graph — creates a graph of the optimization process internals. Do not use it for whole programs, only for small test cases, bestie. Defaults to off.
  • --trace-execution — traced execution output, prints the line of code before it gets executed. Defaults to off.
  • --recompile-c-only — this is not incremental compilation, it's for Nuitka development only 👑. It takes existing files and just compiles them as C again. Lets you compile edited C files so you can quickly debug changes to the generated source — like, to see if code is passed by, values output, etc. Defaults to off. Depends on compiling Python source to figure out which files it should look at.
  • --xml=XML_FILENAME — writes the internal program structure, aka the result of optimization, in XML form to the given filename.
  • --generate-c-only — generates only C source code and doesn't compile it to a binary or module. This is for debugging and code coverage analysis that doesn't waste CPU. Defaults to off. Do not think you can use this directly 🙈.
  • --experimental=FLAG — uses features declared as 'experimental'. May have no effect if no experimental features are present in the code. Uses secret tags (check the source 👀) per experimented feature.
  • --low-memory — tries to use less memory by forking fewer C compilation jobs and using options that use less memory. For use on embedded machines 🧚. Use this in case of out of memory problems. Defaults to off.

🔥 Backend C compiler choice 🔥

  • --clang — enforces the use of clang. On Windows this requires a working Visual Studio version to piggy back on. Defaults to off.
  • --mingw64 — enforces the use of MinGW64 on Windows. Defaults to off unless MSYS2 with MinGW Python is used.
  • --msvc=MSVC_VERSION — enforces the use of a specific MSVC version on Windows. Allowed values are e.g. "14.3" (MSVC 2022) and other MSVC version numbers, or specify "list" for a list of installed compilers, or use "latest". Defaults to the latest MSVC being used if installed, otherwise MinGW64 is used.
  • --jobs=N — the allowed number of parallel C compiler jobs. Defaults to the system CPU count ✨
  • --lto=choice — use link time optimizations (MSVC, gcc, clang). Allowed values are "yes", "no", and "auto" (when it's known to work). Defaults to "auto".
  • --static-libpython=choice — use the static link library of Python. Allowed values are "yes", "no", and "auto" (when it's known to work). Defaults to "auto".

🎀 Cache Control 🎀

  • --disable-cache=DISABLED_CACHES — disables selected caches, specify "all" for all cached. Currently allowed values are: "all","ccache","bytecode". Can be given multiple times or with comma separated values. Default none.
  • --clean-cache=CLEAN_CACHES — cleans the given caches before executing, specify "all" for all cached. Currently allowed values are: "all","ccache","bytecode". Can be given multiple times or with comma separated values. Default none.
  • --disable-bytecode-cache — do not reuse dependency analysis results for modules, esp. from the standard library, that are included as bytecode. Same as --disable-cache=bytecode.
  • --disable-ccache — do not attempt to use ccache (gcc, clang, etc.) or clcache (MSVC, clangcl). Same as --disablecache=ccache.

🌈 PGO compilation choices 🌈

  • --pgo — enables C level profile guided optimization (PGO) by executing a dedicated build first for a profiling run, and then using the result to feedback into the C compilation. Note: this is experimental and not working with standalone modes of Nuitka yet 😭. Defaults to off.
  • --pgo-args=PGO_ARGS — arguments to be passed in case of profile guided optimization. These get passed to the special built executable during the PGO profiling run. Default empty.
  • --pgo-executable=PGO_EXECUTABLE — the command to execute when collecting profile information. Use this only if you need to launch it through a script that prepares it to run. Default use created program.

👑 Tracing features 👑

  • --report=REPORT_FILENAME — reports module, data files, compilation, plugin, etc. details in an XML output file. This is also super useful for issue reporting 🫶. Default is off.
  • --quiet — disables all information outputs, but still shows warnings. Defaults to off.
  • --show-scons — runs the C building backend Scons with verbose information, showing the executed commands and detected compilers. Defaults to off.
  • --no-progressbar — disables progress bars. Defaults to off.
  • --show-progress — Obsolete: provides progress information and statistics. Disables the normal progress bar. Defaults to off.
  • --show-memory — provides memory information and statistics. Defaults to off.
  • --show-modules — provides information for included modules and DLLs. Obsolete: you should use the '--report' file instead. Defaults to off.
  • --show-modules-output=PATH — where to output '--show-modules', should be a filename. Default is standard output.
  • --verbose — outputs details of actions taken, esp. in optimizations. Can become a lot 💀. Defaults to off.
  • --verbose-output=PATH — where to output from '--verbose', should be a filename. Default is standard output.

🌸 General OS controls 🌸

  • --disable-console — when compiling for Windows or macOS, disables the console window and creates a GUI application. Defaults to off.
  • --enable-console — when compiling for Windows or macOS, enables the console window and creates a console application. This disables hints from certain modules, e.g. "PySide", that suggest disabling it. Defaults to true.
  • --force-stdout-spec=FORCE_STDOUT_SPEC — forces standard output of the program to go to this location. Useful for programs with a disabled console and programs using the Windows Services Plugin of Nuitka commercial. Defaults to not active, use e.g. '%PROGRAM%.out.txt', i.e. a file near your program.
  • --force-stderr-spec=FORCE_STDERR_SPEC — forces standard error of the program to go to this location. Useful for programs with a disabled console and programs using the Windows Services Plugin of Nuitka commercial. Defaults to not active, use e.g. '%PROGRAM%.err.txt', i.e. a file near your program.

🦋 Windows specific controls 🦋

  • --windows-icon-from-ico=ICON_PATH — adds an executable icon. Can be given multiple times for different resolutions or files with multiple icons inside. In the latter case, you may also suffix with #<n> where n is an integer index starting from 1, specifying a specific icon to be included and all others to be ignored.
  • --windows-icon-from-exe=ICON_EXE_PATH — copies executable icons from this existing executable (Windows only).
  • --onefile-windows-splash-screen-image=SPLASH_SCREEN_IMAGE — when compiling for Windows and onefile, shows this while loading the application. Defaults to off.
  • --windows-uac-admin — requests Windows User Control, to grant admin rights on execution. (Windows only). Defaults to off.
  • --windows-uac-uiaccess — requests Windows User Control, to enforce running from a few folders only, remote desktop access. (Windows only). Defaults to off.

💜 macOS specific controls 💜

  • --macos-target-arch=MACOS_TARGET_ARCH — what architectures is this supposed to run on. Default and limit is what the running Python allows for. Default is "native", which is the architecture the Python is run with.
  • --macos-create-app-bundle — when compiling for macOS, creates a bundle rather than a plain binary application. Currently experimental and incomplete. Currently this is the only way to unlock disabling of console. Defaults to off.
  • --macos-app-icon=ICON_PATH — adds an icon for the application bundle to use. Can be given only one time. Defaults to Python icon if available.
  • --macos-signed-app-name=MACOS_SIGNED_APP_NAME — name of the application to use for macOS signing. Follow "com.YourCompany.AppName" naming for best results, as these have to be globally unique, and will potentially grant protected API accesses.
  • --macos-app-name=MACOS_APP_NAME — name of the product to use in macOS bundle information. Defaults to the base filename of the binary.
  • --macos-app-mode=MODE — okay bestie, this sets the mode of application for the application bundle. When launching a Window, and appearing in Docker is desired, the default value "gui" is a good fit. Without a Window ever, the application is a "background" application. For UI elements that get to display later, "ui-element" is in-between. The application will not appear in dock, but get full access to desktop when it does open a Window later. 💅
  • --macos-sign-identity=MACOS_APP_VERSION — when signing on macOS, by default an ad-hoc identify will be used, but with this option your get to specify another identity to use. The signing of code is now mandatory on macOS and cannot be disabled. Default "ad-hoc" if not given. 🔥
  • --macos-sign-notarization — when signing for notarization, using a proper TeamID identity from Apple, use the required runtime signing option, such that it can be accepted. 👑
  • --macos-app-version=MACOS_APP_VERSION — product version to use in macOS bundle information. Defaults to "1.0" if not given. 🌸
  • --macos-app-protected-resource=RESOURCE_DESC — request an entitlement for access to a macOS protected resources, e.g. "NSMicrophoneUsageDescription:Microphone access for recording audio." requests access to the microphone and provides an informative text for the user, why that is needed. Before the colon, is an OS identifier for an access right, then the informative text. Legal values can be found on https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/information_property_list/protected_resources and the option can be specified multiple times. Default empty. 🫶

🐧 Linux specific controls 🐧

  • --linux-icon=ICON_PATH — add executable icon for onefile binary to use. Can be given only one time. Defaults to Python icon if available. 🍓

📦 Binary Version Information 📦

  • --company-name=COMPANY_NAME — name of the company to use in version information. Defaults to unused. 💼
  • --product-name=PRODUCT_NAME — name of the product to use in version information. Defaults to base filename of the binary. 🏷️
  • --file-version=FILE_VERSION — file version to use in version information. Must be a sequence of up to 4 numbers, e.g. 1.0 or 1.0.0.0, no more digits are allowed, no strings are allowed. Defaults to unused. 🔢
  • --product-version=PRODUCT_VERSION — product version to use in version information. Same rules as for file version. Defaults to unused. 🧊
  • --file-description=FILE_DESCRIPTION — description of the file used in version information. Windows only at this time. Defaults to binary filename. 🪟
  • --copyright=COPYRIGHT_TEXT — copyright used in version information. Windows only at this time. Defaults to not present. ©️
  • --trademarks=TRADEMARK_TEXT — copyright used in version information. Windows only at this time. Defaults to not present. ™️

🧩 Plugin control 🧩

  • --enable-plugin=PLUGIN_NAME — enabled plugins. Must be plug-in names. Use --pluginlist to query the full list and exit. Default empty. ✨
  • --disable-plugin=PLUGIN_NAME — disabled plugins. Must be plug-in names. Use -- plugin-list to query the full list and exit. Most standard plugins are not a good idea to disable. Default empty. 🙈
  • --plugin-no-detection — plugins can detect if they might be used, and the you can disable the warning via "--disable-plugin=pluginthat-warned", or you can use this option to disable the mechanism entirely, which also speeds up compilation slightly of course as this detection code is run in vain once you are certain of which plugins to use. Defaults to off. 🚫
  • --plugin-list — show list of all available plugins and exit. Defaults to off. 📜
  • --user-plugin=PATH — the file name of user plugin. Can be given multiple times. Default empty. 🧚
  • --show-source-changes — show source changes to original Python file content before compilation. Mostly intended for developing plugins. Default False. 👀

🦠 Plugin options of 'anti-bloat' 🦠

  • --show-anti-bloat-changes — annotate what changes are by the plugin done. 📝
  • --noinclude-setuptools-mode=NOINCLUDE_SETUPTOOLS_MODE — what to do if a 'setuptools' or import is encountered. This package can be big with dependencies, and should definitely be avoided. Also handles 'setuptools_scm'. 🚫
  • --noinclude-pytest-mode=NOINCLUDE_PYTEST_MODE — what to do if a 'pytest' import is encountered. This package can be big with dependencies, and should definitely be avoided. Also handles 'nose' imports. 🧪
  • --noinclude-unittest-mode=NOINCLUDE_UNITTEST_MODE — what to do if a unittest import is encountered. This package can be big with dependencies, and should definitely be avoided. 🧷
  • --noinclude-IPython-mode=NOINCLUDE_IPYTHON_MODE — what to do if a IPython import is encountered. This package can be big with dependencies, and should definitely be avoided. 🐍
  • --noinclude-dask-mode=NOINCLUDE_DASK_MODE — what to do if a 'dask' import is encountered. This package can be big with dependencies, and should definitely be avoided. 📊
  • --noinclude-numba-mode=NOINCLUDE_NUMBA_MODE — what to do if a 'numba' import is encountered. This package can be big with dependencies, and is currently not working for standalone. This package is big with dependencies, and should definitely be avoided. ⚡
  • --noinclude-default-mode=NOINCLUDE_DEFAULT_MODE — this actually provides the default "warning" value for above options, and can be used to turn all of these on. 🎚️
  • --noinclude-custom-mode=CUSTOM_CHOICES — what to do if a specific import is encountered. Format is module name, which can and should be a top level package and then one choice, "error", "warning", "nofollow", e.g. PyQt5:error. 🎯

Also, for the record, this build says: Commercial: None Python: 3.9.2 (default, Feb 28 2021, 17:03:44) Flavor: Debian Python Executable: /usr/bin/python3 OS: Linux Arch: x86_64 Distribution: Debian 11 Version C compiler: /usr/lib/ccache/gcc (gcc). 🫡

✨ EXAMPLES ✨

Compile a Python file "some_module.py" to a module "some_module.so":

$ nuitka --module some_module.py

Compile a Python program "some_program.py" to an executable "some_program.exe":

$ nuitka some_program.py

Compile a Python program "some_program.py" and the package "some_package" it uses to an executable "some_program.exe":

$ nuitka --follow-import--to=some_package some_program.py

Compile a Python program "some_program.py" and all the modules it uses to an executable "some_program.exe". Then execute it immediately when ready:

$ nuitka --run --follow-imports some_program.py

Compile a Python program "some_program.py" and the modules it uses (even standard library) to an executable "some_program.exe":

$ nuitka --recurse-all --follow-stdlib some_program.py

Compile a Python program "some_program.py" and the modules it uses to an executable "some_program.exe". Keep the debug information, so valgrind, gdb, etc. work nicely.

Note: This will not degrade performance:
$ nuitka --unstripped --follow-imports some_program.py

Compile a Python program "some_program.py" and the modules it uses to an executable "some_program.exe". Perform all kinds of checks about correctness of the generated C and run-time checks.

Note: This will degrade performance and should only be used to debug Nuitka:
$ nuitka --debug --follow-imports some_program.py

Compile a Python program "some_program.py" and the modules it uses to an executable "some_program.exe". Perform all kinds of checks about correctness of the generated C and run-time checks. Also use the debug Python library, which does its own checks.

Note: This will degrade performance and should only be used to debug Nuitka:
$ nuitka --debug --python-debug --follow-imports some_program.py

This page is from nuitka 1.3.5, dated January 2023, and it's for NUITKA(1) 💖✨

📦 where this page comes from