Man page - briefcase(1)

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Manual

BRIEFCASE

NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
USAGE
ENVIRONMENT SETUP
1. Install Python
2. Create a Virtual Environment
COMMANDS
PLATFORMS
OPTIONS
EXAMPLES
briefcase new
briefcase create
briefcase build
briefcase run
briefcase package
SEE ALSO
AUTHOR

NAME

briefcase - Tool for converting Python projects into standalone native
applications for distribution.

SYNOPSIS

briefcase [ command ] [ platform ] [ format ] [ options ]

DESCRIPTION

briefcase is a tool that allows you to convert a Python project into a
standalone native application, ready for distribution. It supports multiple
platforms and formats, making it easy to create, build, and publish applications.

USAGE

briefcase [ -h ] < command > [< platform >] [< format >] [...]

ENVIRONMENT SETUP

Before using Briefcase, you need to prepare your environment. This involves
ensuring Python is installed and setting up a virtual environment.

1. Install Python

Briefcase requires Python to be installed on your system. You can use the
system’s default Python or manage multiple Python versions using pyenv .

Option 1: Use the system Python
Most Linux distributions and macOS come with Python pre-installed. To check
if Python is installed, run: python3 --version

If Python is not installed, you can install it using your system’s package
manager. For example:
- On Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install python3
- On macOS (using Homebrew): brew install python

Option 2: Use pyenv to manage Python versions
If you need to use a specific version of Python or manage multiple versions,
you can use pyenv . To install pyenv, follow the instructions at:
https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv

After installing pyenv, you can install a specific Python version,
for example:
pyenv install 3.9.7
And set it as the global version:
pyenv global 3.9.7

2. Create a Virtual Environment

It is recommended to use a virtual environment to isolate your project’s
dependencies. To create and activate a virtual environment, follow these steps:

1. Create a virtual environment:
python3 -m venv venv

2. Activate the virtual environment:
- On Linux/macOS: source venv/bin/activate
- On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

Once activated, your terminal prompt will change to indicate the virtual
environment is active. You can now install Briefcase and other dependencies
within this environment.

COMMANDS

new Create a new Briefcase project.

dev Run a Briefcase project in the dev environment.

convert Set up an existing project for Briefcase.

create Create a new app for a target platform.

open Open an app in the build tool for the target platform.

build Build an app for a target platform.

update Update the source, dependencies, and resources for an app.

run Run an app.

package Package an app for distribution.

publish Publish an app to a distribution channel.

upgrade Upgrade Briefcase-managed tools.

PLATFORMS

android, iOS, linux, macOS, web, windows

OPTIONS

-h, --help
Show this help message and exit.

-V, --version
Show the program’s version number and exit.

EXAMPLES

briefcase new

The ‘briefcase new‘ command requests basic information to create a
new application. The following details are required:

Formal Name : Full name of the application (default: "Hello World").
App Name : Technical name of the application, without spaces (default: "helloworld").
Bundle : Unique app identifier. If you own a domain, enter it in reverse
order (e.g., com.example ). Otherwise, use the default ( com.example ).
Project Name : Name of the project directory (default: "Hello World").
Description : Brief description of the application (accept the default or customize).
Author : Your name as the author of the project.
Author’s Email : Your email, used for settings and publishing.
URL : Application home page (use your own domain or the default https://example.com/helloworld ).
License : Choose the project license (default: BSD).
GUI Framework : Choose the GUI framework (default: Toga, BeeWare’s GUI toolkit).

├── venv-venv/
│ └── ...
└── helloworld/
├── CHANGELOG
├── LICENSE
├── pyproject.toml
├── README.rst
├── src/
│ └── helloworld/
│ ├── app.py
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── __main__.py
│ └── resources/
│ └── README
└── tests/
├── helloworld.py
├── __init__.py
└── test_app.py

briefcase create

This command installs the dependencies specified in the pyproject.toml
file, creating the project structure for the native operating system
and configuring the necessary files for packaging and distributing the application:

(venv-venv)$ briefcase create
[helloworld] Finalizing application configuration...
Targeting ubuntu:jammy (Vendor base debian)
Determining glibc version... done
Targeting glibc 2.35
Targeting Python3.10
[helloworld] Generating application template...
Using app template: https://github.com/beeware/briefcase-linux-AppImage-template.git, branch v0.3.18
...

‘briefcase create android‘ This command configures the project structure for
packaging on the Android system.

briefcase build

The command compiles and prepares a Briefcase project for
distribution on the specified platform. It generates the binaries, packages and
configurations required to run the application

(venv-venv)$ briefcase build
[helloworld] Finalizing application configuration...
Targeting ubuntu:jammy (Vendor base debian)
Determining glibc version... done
Targeting glibc 2.35
Targeting Python3.10
[helloworld] Building application...
Build bootstrap binary...
make: Entering directory ’/home/brutus/beeware-tutorial/helloworld/build/linux/ubuntu/jammy/bootstrap’
...
make: Leaving directory ’/home/brutus/beeware-tutorial/helloworld/build/linux/ubuntu/jammy/bootstrap’
Building bootstrap binary... done
Installing license... done
Installing changelog... done
Installing man page... done
Updating file permissions... done
Stripping binary... done

briefcase run

This command executes the generated application within the
environment prepared by Briefcase, ensuring that all dependencies and configurations
are correctly applied:

(venv-venv)$ briefcase run
[helloworld] Finalizing application configuration...
Targeting ubuntu:jammy (Vendor base debian)
Determining glibc version... done
Targeting glibc 2.35
Targeting Python3.10

[helloworld] Starting app...
===========================================================================
Install path: /home/brutus/beeware-tutorial/helloworld/build/helloworld/linux/ubuntu/jammy/helloworld-0.0.1/usr
Pre-initializing Python runtime...
PYTHONPATH:
/usr/lib/python3.10
/usr/lib/python3.10/lib-dynload
/home/brutus/beeware-tutorial/helloworld/build/helloworld/linux/ubuntu/jammy/helloworld-0.0.1/usr/lib/helloworld/app
/home/brutus/beeware-tutorial/helloworld/build/helloworld/linux/ubuntu/jammy/helloworld-0.0.1/usr/lib/helloworld/app_packages
Configure argc/argv...
Initializing Python runtime...
Running app module: helloworld

briefcase package

This command generates the final files needed to distribute the application,
such as target platform-specific installers and packages.

(venv-venv)$ briefcase packahe
[helloworld] Finalizing application configuration...
Targeting ubuntu:jammy (Vendor base debian)
Determining glibc version... done
Targeting glibc 2.35
Targeting Python3.10
[helloworld] Building .deb package...
Write Debian package control file... done
dpkg-deb: building package ’helloworld’ in ’helloworld-0.0.1.deb’.
Building Debian package... done
[helloworld] Packaged dist/helloworld_0.0.1-1˜ubuntu-jammy_amd64.deb

SEE ALSO

Check the official documentation at https://briefcase.readthedocs.io/ for more details.

AUTHOR

Briefcase Project https://github.com/ beeware /briefcase/ or https://briefcase.readthedocs.io/en/stable/

Josenilson Ferreira da Silva <nilsonfsilva@hotmail.com> authored this manual.