= Building Python Statically =

This page describes the steps required to build Python statically, derived from [[http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/eba7c323a0221b97?hl=en#3314cbe8234de6c5|this thread]].  It presently covers Linux, but many of the same steps apply to other OSs.  The goal is to get `ldd` to say:

{{{
$ ldd /path/to/python
not a dynamic executable
}}}

Building the python binary is fairly straightforward:

{{{
$ ./configure LDFLAGS="-static" --disable-shared
$ make LDFLAGS="-static" LINKFORSHARED=" "
}}}

`LINKFORSHARED=" "` prevents passing `-export-dynamic` to the linker, which will cause the binary to be built as a dynamically linked executable. You may need additional flags to build successfully.

This will build a static python binary, without any of the libraries normally provided by dynamically loaded modules.
To add these modules, edit Modules/Setup.local, and add

{{{
*static*
}}}

followed by any of the modules that you want to build into your python binary.
Any line in Modules/Setup.local with an "=" will be interpreted as a Makefile variable definition rather than a module.
For instance, if you wanted to build in the math library, add

{{{
math mathmodule.c _math.c # -lm # math library functions, e.g. sin()
}}}

Note that the line is not commented (unlike the corresponding line in Modules/Setup).
See Modules/Setup for guides on enabling other libraries, further examples and documentation.

== See also ==

 *http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1150373/compile-the-python-interpreter-statically
 *http://mdqinc.com/blog/2011/08/statically-linking-python-with-cython-generated-modules-and-packages/