Obfuscating Python code
Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn
PointedEars at web.de
Tue Mar 15 14:59:33 EDT 2016
Ben Finney wrote:
> Swanand Pashankar <swanand.pashankar at gmail.com> writes:
>> Embedding a Python file in C code works, but it exposes your Python
>> script. Didn't find any free fool-proof way to obfuscate Python code
>> either.
>
> What exactly is it you want to prevent? Why do you think obfuscating the
> code will achieve that?
On a more constructive note, python(1) (CPython) creates a binary (byte-
code) “.pyc” file from “.py” files when it runs them. ISTM that you can
then run the “.pyc” file as if it were the “.py” file (if the “.pyc” file is
given the executable flag, you can even execute it as a standalone command,
but that might only work on my system). So apparently you do not have to
distribute the source code of a program written in Python if you do not want
to.
If you want to distribute the “.pyc” file (perhaps under another name), then
the “-O” and “-OO” optimization switches for python(1) could come in handy
(see “python --help”). [It is then perhaps not a coincidence that “-O” is
documented to change the filename suffix from “.pyc” to “.pyo”; cf. “.so”]
(The Python manual should have more on this, I have not checked.)
That said, not distributing the source code of a program as well (or at
least making it available to users in some way) strikes me as unpythonic
since Python is at least Open Source software, and Python 2.0.1, 2.1.1 and
newer are GPL-compatible Free Software.
<https://docs.python.org/3.5/license.html>
<http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#Python>
--
PointedEars
Twitter: @PointedEars2
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