Compile Python 3.6 script to standalone exe with Nuitka on Windows 10

In your buildscript.py file

use --onefile instead of --standalone

All the files will still be created but you don't need them and you can delete them.

Easier than Nuitka for a single executable is e.g. PyInstaller: pyinstaller --onefile program.py (to disable the console window for GUI applications add the -w option).

To create a single executable with Nuitka, you can create a SFX archive from the generated files. You can run Nuitka with the --standalone option which generates a program_dist directory.

Create then a 7-Zip SFX config file config.txt: ;!@Install@!UTF-8! GUIMode="2" ExecuteFile="%%T/program_dist/program.exe" ;!@InstallEnd@!

Then get the 7-Zip SFX from https://github.com/chrislake/7zsfxmm (from releases – 7zsd_extra_171_3901.7z) and unpack the 7zsd_All_x64.sfx file.

Pack then the program_dist with 7-Zip (so the folder is included in the archive) to program.7z. Then, an SFX can be created with copy /b 7zsd_All_x64.sfx + config.txt + program.7z single_executable.exe.

On Unix, you can also create yourself an SFX if you create a tar archive and append it to a shell script which extract it and unpack it, for details see https://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1005818.