Is it possible to make a "pyc only" "distribution"?

Question

Say I have a python code base organized like so:

./mod/:
 ./__init__.py
 ./main/main.py
 ./main/__init__.py
 ./mytest/__init__.py

The file

mod/main/__init__.py

is empty. And

$ cat mod/main/main.py 
 import sys
 import mytest
 def main(argv):
 mytest.test()
 return
 if __name__ == '__main__':
 sys.exit(main(sys.argv[1:]))

And

$ cat mod/mytest/__init__.py 
def test():
 print('test worked!')

As expected, this works (from within the directory "mod"):

$ python3 -m main.main
test worked!

Now, I want to remove all the .py files, and still be able to run the command that I have above - or something very similar. "Very similar" is defined by not having to change my code structure at all - or, if that cannot be done, as little as possible.

How can I achieve this?

• tuxtimo: Why do you want to do that?
• user2357112: If you're hoping to prevent people from reading your code this way, forget it. .pyc files aren't obfuscated and almost can't be. Python even comes with a Python disassembler built in, so people who can run your code don't even need to download any additional tools to start taking it apart.
• TimBeaver: The only reason to do this is to addressing handling questions coming from from edited scripts being run. People edit, forget, run, ask. This way I can create the pyc files, and if there is a question on what I created - I can handle it - else people can figure out that they have edited the code and should address their question themselves.
• Deacon: Wouldn't you also be limiting your user base to people using the same architecture you compiled it on in the first place?

Answer 1

the

compileall

utility with the "-b" option did the thing for me.