A single PowerShell script to easily and quickly
create a standalone Python local environment for Windows by downloading the requested embed.zip
distributed file. No prior Python installation is required.
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jtmoon79/PythonEmbed4Win/main/PythonEmbed4Win.ps1" -OutFile "PythonEmbed4Win.ps1"
.\PythonEmbed4Win.ps1If you get the error
PythonEmbed4Win.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system
then run:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope ProcessInstalling the Python for Windows embedded zip file requires some tedious tweaks. See this gist. This script will handle the tedious tweaks and updates so the new Python installation will run correctly in an isolated manner.
This is similar to a Python Virtual Environment but technically is not.
It does not require an activate script to set environment variable VIRTUAL_ENV
or modify the PATH. It will run isolated without environment modifications.
One disadvantage is that a Windows embed Python cannot create a functioning
virtual environment. They will be created but virtualenv and venv
selectively copy files from the source and do not copy necessary library files
unique to an Windows embed Python.
Derived from this StackOverflow answer.
PS> Get-Help ./PythonEmbed4Win.ps1 -full
NAME
./PythonEmbed4Win.ps1
SYNOPSIS
Quickly setup a portable python environment for Windows using an embed.zip.
SYNTAX
./PythonEmbed4Win.ps1 [-Path <String>] [-Version <String>] [-Arch <String>] [-SkipExec] [-trace] [<CommonParameters>]
./PythonEmbed4Win.ps1 -ZipFile <String> [-Path <String>] [-SkipExec] [-trace] [<CommonParameters>]
./PythonEmbed4Win.ps1 -UriCheck [[-Path] <String>] [-Version <String>] [-Arch <String>] [-trace] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
Quickly setup a portable self-referential python environment for Windows. No
prior python installation is needed. The python code is downloaded
from the web (https://www.python.org/ftp/python/).
If no -Version is passed then the latest Python version is chosen.
If only Version major.minor passed then chooses latest major.minor.micro version.
e.g. passing "-Version 3.8" will choose Python 3.8.12.
The installation uses the Windows "Embedded" distribution zip file,
e.g. python-3.8.12-embed-amd64.zip
That zip file distribution requires tedious and non-obvious steps.
This script adjusts the installation to be runnable and isolated (removes
references to python paths outside it's own directory).
This script also installs latest pip.
Python 3.6 and later is supported.
-ZipFile allows installing a local .zip file.
The .zip file must have an embedded version string within the basename.
-UriCheck is merely a self-test to see which URIs for embed.zip files
are valid.
The installed Python distribution is like a Python Virtual Environment but
technically is not. It does not set environment variable VIRTUAL_ENV nor
modify the PATH.
Users of this installation must call the `python.exe` executable. Do not
call other modules by their script entrypoint,
e.g. for using pip, do not
C:/path/to/embed/Scripts/pip.exe install ...
do
C:/path/to/embed/Scripts/python.exe -m pip install ...
Inspired by this stackoverflow.com question:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/68958635/python-windows-embeddable-package-fails-to-run-no-module-named-pip-the-system/68958636
BUG: Some embed.zip for a few releases are hardcoded to look for other
Windows Python installations.
For example, if you install Python-3.8.6.msi and then run this script to
install python-3.8.4-embed-amd64.zip, the embed Python 3.8.4 sys.path
will be the confusing paths:
C:\python-embed-3.8.4\python38.zip
C:\python-msi-install-3.8.6\Lib
C:\python-msi-install-3.8.6\DLLs
C:\python-embed-3.8.4
C:\python-msi-install-3.8.6
C:\python-msi-install-3.8.6\lib\site-packages
The python._pth and sitecustomize.py seem to have no affect.
As of November 2023, the latest version of supported Pythons,
3.6 to 3.12, appear to behave correctly. It only affects a few
intermediate releases.
PARAMETERS
-ZipFile <String>
Install this local .zip file. Does not download. The .zip file must have a version string
embedded in the basename.
Required? true
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
-UriCheck [<SwitchParameter>]
Only check pre-filled URIs (script self-test). Does not install Python.
Required? true
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Path <String>
Install to this path. Defaults to a descriptive name.
Default pipeline value and default argument value.
Required? false
Position? 1
Default value
Accept pipeline input? true (ByValue)
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Version <String>
Version of Python to install. Leave blank to fetch the latest Python.
Can pass major.minor.micro or just major.minor, e.g. "3.8.2" or "3.8".
If passed only major.minor then the latest major.minor.micro will be chosen.
Python 3.6 and later is supported.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Arch <String>
Architecture: win32 or amd64 or arm64. Defaults to the current architecture.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
-SkipExec [<SwitchParameter>]
Do not execute python.exe after installation.
This skips the python.exe self-test and the run of `get-pip.py`.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
-trace [<SwitchParameter>]
Turn on debug tracing.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
<CommonParameters>
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see
about_CommonParameters (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
NOTES
Author: James Thomas Moon
RELATED LINKS
https://github.com/jtmoon79/PythonEmbed4Win