Switch Windows packaging from Nuitka to PyInstaller

.github/workflows/build.yml

@@ -13,12 +13,6 @@ jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: windows-latest
 
-    env:
-      # Nuitka stores the downloaded MinGW toolchain and its ccache results
-      # here; caching this dir is the single biggest CI speedup. Forward
-      # slashes are fine on Windows for Nuitka.
-      NUITKA_CACHE_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/nuitka-cache
-
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
@@ -33,11 +27,10 @@ jobs:
         run: uv python install 3.12
 
       - name: Install dependencies
+        # Installs the dev group too (PyInstaller), which build.py imports.
         run: uv sync --all-extras
 
       # Caches the native CMake build trees so unchanged C isn't recompiled.
-      # Marginal next to Nuitka; drop this step if it ever causes a stale
-      # "compiler changed" CMake error (just bump/clear the key).
       - name: Cache native build trees
         uses: actions/cache@v4
         with:
@@ -57,33 +50,20 @@ jobs:
           MSBUILDDISABLENODEREUSE: "1"
         run: ./build_native.ps1
 
-      # ccache + the downloaded MinGW toolchain live under NUITKA_CACHE_DIR.
-      # The SHA in the key makes every run save a fresh cache; restore-keys
-      # fall back to the most recent one so ccache stays warm even when
-      # dependencies change.
-      - name: Cache Nuitka build cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v4
-        with:
-          path: ${{ env.NUITKA_CACHE_DIR }}
-          key: nuitka-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('uv.lock') }}-${{ github.sha }}
-          restore-keys: |
-            nuitka-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('uv.lock') }}-
-            nuitka-${{ runner.os }}-
-
-      - name: Build with Nuitka
+      - name: Build with PyInstaller
         run: uv run python build.py
 
       - name: Upload build artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: PubStreamer-windows
-          path: dist/main.dist/
+          path: dist/PubStreamer/
           if-no-files-found: error
 
       # Create a GitHub Release and attach the build when a version tag is pushed.
       - name: Zip release folder
         if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
-        run: Compress-Archive -Path dist/main.dist/* -DestinationPath dist/PubStreamer-${{ github.ref_name }}-windows.zip
+        run: Compress-Archive -Path dist/PubStreamer/* -DestinationPath dist/PubStreamer-${{ github.ref_name }}-windows.zip
 
       - name: Create release
         if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')

.gitignore

@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ native/**/Makefile
 /test_*.py
 /*.wav
 C*Temptest*.txt
-nuitka-crash-report.xml
 hook_audio.obj
 *.obj
 

README.md

@@ -25,15 +25,19 @@ Releases are built on GitHub Actions. Push a `v*` tag to trigger a build and cre
 git tag v1.0.0 && git push origin v1.0.0
 ```
 
-The workflow uses Nuitka with MinGW on `windows-latest` and produces a standalone `PubStreamer.dist/` folder. MSVC is not used because certain generated C files (pyasn1, requests) exceed its internal heap limit on constrained machines.
+The workflow uses PyInstaller on `windows-latest` and produces a one-dir standalone under `dist/PubStreamer/`, with the launcher at `dist/PubStreamer/PubStreamer.exe`.
 
-To build locally, install MinGW and run:
+To build locally:
 
 ```
 uv run python build.py
 ```
 
-Set `GITHUB_ACTIONS=true` in the environment or edit `build.py` to pass `--mingw64` explicitly.
+Build the native components first (see below) so the audio hook DLLs and `injector32.exe` get bundled. For a build with a console attached (so tracebacks are visible while debugging), pass `--console`:
+
+```
+uv run python build.py --console
+```
 
 ## Audio sources
 

build.py

@@ -1,90 +1,69 @@
-"""Build Pub-Streamer into a standalone Windows executable using Nuitka.
+"""Build Pub-Streamer into a standalone Windows app using PyInstaller.
 
 Usage (from project root):
-    uv run python build.py
+    uv run python build.py              # windowed release build (no console)
+    uv run python build.py --console    # debug build with a console for tracebacks
 
-On CI the GITHUB_ACTIONS env var is set automatically, which switches the
-compiler to MinGW (GCC) — it handles the large generated C files that cause
-MSVC to run out of heap on constrained machines.
+Produces a one-dir standalone under dist/PubStreamer/ with the launcher at
+dist/PubStreamer/PubStreamer.exe.
+
+Note: build the native components first (see build_native.ps1) so the audio
+hook DLLs and injector32.exe get bundled — LegacyCapture needs them.
 """
 
 import os
-import subprocess
-import sys
 import pathlib
+import sys
+
+import PyInstaller.__main__
 
 ROOT   = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent
 DIST   = ROOT / "dist"
-LOCALE = ROOT / "locale"
-SOUNDS = ROOT / "sounds"
+WORK   = ROOT / "build"
 
-ON_CI = os.environ.get("GITHUB_ACTIONS") == "true"
-
-# Data directories to bundle as-is
-data_dirs = []
-if LOCALE.exists():
-    data_dirs.append(f"--include-data-dir={LOCALE}=locale")
-if SOUNDS.exists():
-    data_dirs.append(f"--include-data-dir={SOUNDS}=sounds")
-native_dir = ROOT / "native"
-if native_dir.exists():
-    data_dirs.append(f"--include-data-dir={native_dir}=native")
-plugins_dir = ROOT / "plugins"
-if plugins_dir.exists():
-    data_dirs.append(f"--include-data-dir={plugins_dir}=plugins")
+CONSOLE = "--console" in sys.argv
 
 icon = ROOT / "pubstreamer" / "ui" / "icon.ico"
 
-cmd = [
-    sys.executable, "-m", "nuitka",
-    "--standalone",
-    "--windows-console-mode=disable",
-    "--assume-yes-for-downloads",
-
-    # MinGW on CI — avoids MSVC heap exhaustion on large generated C files.
-    # Remove this line to force MSVC locally if you have enough RAM.
-    "--mingw64" if ON_CI else "",
-
-    f"--windows-icon-from-ico={icon}" if icon.exists() else "",
-
-    # Compile everything — no frozen-bytecode shortcuts.
-    "--follow-import-to=pubstreamer",
-    "--include-package=wx",
-    "--include-package=numpy",
-    "--include-package=pedalboard",
-    "--include-package=win32com",
-    "--include-package=win32api",
-    "--include-package=win32con",
-    "--include-package=pywintypes",
-    "--include-package=comtypes",
-    "--include-package=httpx",
-    "--include-package=httpcore",
-    "--include-package=certifi",
-    "--include-package=pyaudiowpatch",
-    "--include-package=edge_tts",
-    "--include-package=gtts",
-    "--include-package=google",
-    "--include-package=grpc",
-    "--include-package=pyasn1",
-    "--include-package=pyasn1_modules",
-    "--include-package=piper",
-    "--include-package=onnxruntime",
-    "--include-package=cffi",
-    "--include-package=aiohttp",
-
-    f"--output-dir={DIST}",
-    "--output-filename=PubStreamer",
-
-    *data_dirs,
-
+args = [
     "main.py",
+    "--name=PubStreamer",
+    "--noconfirm",
+    "--onedir",
+    "--console" if CONSOLE else "--windowed",
+    f"--distpath={DIST}",
+    f"--workpath={WORK}",
+    f"--specpath={WORK}",
 ]
 
-cmd = [c for c in cmd if c]
-
-print("Running Nuitka...")
-print(" ".join(cmd))
+if icon.exists():
+    args.append(f"--icon={icon}")
+
+# Data directories bundled as-is (src<pathsep>dest).
+for d in ("locale", "sounds", "plugins"):
+    p = ROOT / d
+    if p.exists():
+        args.append(f"--add-data={p}{os.pathsep}{d}")
+
+# Native binaries — land at native/dist/ where capture_legacy.py looks for them.
+# PyInstaller's --add-data copies these .dll/.exe files as-is.
+native_dist = ROOT / "native" / "dist"
+for binary in ("audio_hook32.dll", "audio_hook64.dll", "injector32.exe"):
+    src = native_dist / binary
+    if src.exists():
+        args.append(f"--add-data={src}{os.pathsep}native/dist")
+
+# Packages that ship data/binaries/submodules PyInstaller's hooks won't
+# fully discover on their own.
+for pkg in ("onnxruntime", "grpc", "piper", "pedalboard", "edge_tts", "gtts",
+            "google", "comtypes", "pyaudiowpatch", "aiohttp", "certifi",
+            "pyasn1", "pyasn1_modules", "httpx", "httpcore"):
+    args.append(f"--collect-all={pkg}")
+
+for m in ("win32com", "win32api", "win32con", "pywintypes"):
+    args.append(f"--hidden-import={m}")
+
+print("Running PyInstaller...")
+print("\n".join(args))
 print()
-
-result = subprocess.run(cmd, cwd=ROOT)
-sys.exit(result.returncode)
+PyInstaller.__main__.run(args)

pyproject.toml

@@ -23,5 +23,5 @@ package = false
 
 [dependency-groups]
 dev = [
-    "nuitka>=4.1.1",
+    "pyinstaller>=6.10",
 ]