[ZuLuuuuuu]

I thought that it is the case only when you bundle into "one file"? If you don't pass the --onefile parameter, all files are in one folder without any archiving, am I wrong?

[pansa2]

That’s right - but if you don’t use `-—onefile` you don’t really have a “stand-alone executable” at all.

[mherrmann]

Of course you have a stand-alone executable. At least if by "stand-alone" you mean a copy you can ship to users. Which is at least the only thing I care about. And tell me which popular (say) Windows software actually comes as a single .exe. They're all many files in multiple folders. And there's no problem with that. You have one installer, which users download, which then extracts the files. Your criticism points out a non-issue.

[scarygliders]

Correct. I don't use --onefile at all. I go the old-skool way, and package my python Windows app(s) into an installer using Inno Setup.