Prepare Build Script¶

The prepare_build.py script automates all preparatory steps needed before building the Pytonium wheel. It syncs C++ sources, copies CEF binaries, and places the subprocess executable into the correct directory structure.

Overview¶

The script performs these steps in order:

Clean -- Removes old build artifacts (dist/, _skbuild/, Pytonium.egg-info/, bin_win/ or bin_linux/)
Sync C++ sources -- Copies library and subprocess source files into the pyframework directory
Copy CEF binaries -- Copies headers, cmake modules, libcef_dll wrapper, and libcef
Copy CEF resources -- Copies runtime resources and shared libraries to the bin folder
Copy subprocess -- Places the pytonium_subprocess executable in the bin folder
Strip symbols (Linux only) -- Strips debug symbols from .so files (e.g., libcef.so 1.5 GB -> ~250 MB)

Prerequisites¶

Before running the script

Python 3.10+ virtual environment activated
CEF binaries downloaded in cef-binaries-windows/ or cef-binaries-linux/
C++ library source in src/pytonium_library/
Subprocess source in src/pytonium_subprocess/
Subprocess executable built (see Subprocess Build)

Basic Usage¶

Full Preparation (All Platforms)¶

cd building_pythonium_core
python prepare_build.py

This prepares both Windows and Linux binaries.

Windows Only¶

python prepare_build.py --platform windows

Linux Only¶

python prepare_build.py --platform linux

CLI Options¶

Option	Description	Default
`--platform {windows,linux,all}`	Which platform to prepare	`all`
`--build-dir PATH`	CMake build directory to locate `pytonium_subprocess`	(auto-detect)
`--dry-run`	Show what would be done without making changes	off
`-v, --verbose`	Enable verbose output	off
`--skip-clean`	Skip the cleanup step	off
`--skip-sync`	Skip C++ source sync step	off
`--skip-cef`	Skip CEF binary copy step	off

Examples¶

Dry Run¶

Preview what the script will do without making any changes:

python prepare_build.py --dry-run

Use dry run first

When running the script for the first time or after changing your build setup, a dry run lets you verify the paths and steps before any files are modified.

Verbose Output¶

See detailed progress during execution:

python prepare_build.py -v

Windows Preparation with Custom Build Directory¶

python prepare_build.py --platform windows --build-dir ../cmake-build-release -v

Skip Specific Steps¶

If you have already completed certain steps, you can skip them:

# Skip cleanup if files already removed
python prepare_build.py --skip-clean

# Only copy CEF binaries (skip cleanup and sync)
python prepare_build.py --skip-clean --skip-sync

# Only sync sources (skip cleanup and CEF copy)
python prepare_build.py --skip-clean --skip-cef

Complete Build Workflow¶

Step 1: Prepare the Build¶

WindowsLinux

cd building_pythonium_core
python prepare_build.py --platform windows --build-dir ../cmake-build-release -v

cd building_pythonium_core
python3 prepare_build.py --platform linux --build-dir ../build_linux -v

Step 2: Build the Wheel¶

WindowsLinux

cd ../src/pytonium_python_framework
python -m build --wheel

cd ../src/pytonium_python_framework
python3 -m build --wheel

Step 3: Install the Wheel¶

pip install dist/pytonium-*.whl --force-reinstall

Troubleshooting¶

"Source library not found"¶

Fix

Ensure src/pytonium_library/ exists in the project root. This directory contains the C++ source files that are synced into the pyframework directory.

"CEF binaries not found"¶

Fix

Ensure cef-binaries-windows/ or cef-binaries-linux/ exists in the project root. These directories contain the CEF binary distribution.

"pytonium_subprocess not found"¶

The subprocess executable must be built separately before running this script.

Fix

Build the subprocess first (see Subprocess Build), then use --build-dir to point at your CMake build directory:

python prepare_build.py --platform windows --build-dir ../cmake-build-release

The script searches for the executable in these locations:

The --build-dir path (if provided)
src/pytonium_library_test/release/bin/pytonium_subprocess.exe (Windows)
src/pytonium_library_test/release/pytonium_subprocess (Linux)

Script Location¶

pytonium/
    building_pythonium_core/
        prepare_build.py

Run it from the building_pythonium_core directory or adjust paths accordingly.

Quick Reference¶

cd building_pythonium_core
python prepare_build.py                             # Full prepare (all platforms)
python prepare_build.py --platform windows          # Windows only
python prepare_build.py --platform linux            # Linux only
python prepare_build.py --dry-run                   # Show what would be done
python prepare_build.py -v                          # Verbose output
python prepare_build.py --skip-clean                # Skip cleanup
python prepare_build.py --build-dir ../my-build     # Custom build directory