# Distributing Your Python 2 Program
If you're not concerned with your user's level of technical skill, you can just zip your whole folder & give it to them, & tell them to get python 2.7 (and pygame or wxPython or Panda3D end-user runtime--if any apply to your program). Otherwise, you can make your program easier to install using the instructions below.
To Make installers so that end users only need a single file to install
your program, you may want to try Zero-Install (opens new window)
from 0install.net and use it to not only prepackage the whole folder
that contains your program & source files, but also prepackage python
and pygame (or python and wxPython, or Panda3D end-user runtime)
installers into one installer file for them. Don't forget to tell
Zero-Install to make an icon for your pyw, and to instruct the user
(in a readme file or something that you can tell Zero-Install to show)
to choose C:\Python27\pythonw.exe if Windows asks which program to
use for pyw files (C:\Python27\python.exe for py files). Change
Python27 to the directory where you installed Python 2 if it differs.
If you didn't tell Zero-Install to install python & pygame (or python & wxPython, or python & Panda3D end-user runtime) automatically, you'll also have to instruct the user to install them from the folder where they installed your program as long as you put the two installers in the same folder as your program before creating the installer (otherwise you'll have to give the user the bulleted steps above, except wxGlade--and they won't need wxPython if you didn't use that in your program, and they won't need pygame if you didn't use that in your program).
Don't forget to include a license with your program! If you are using python, your program is already open source (unless you made it into an executable with py2exe (opens new window) from py2exe.org & did not include the py nor pyw files with your installer), so unless your lawyer writes a license for your program, you may want to do a web search for "open source licenses" and pick one that suits your needs such as GPL (or perhaps "shared source" if you want to retain sole distribution rights to your code).
Remember to include a readme file with your program and/or code comments in each python source code file that state with credits! Make sure you include your name, names of any creators of content (images, sounds, music, etc), and website and/or contact info if desired. You never know how far your program will go. I once made a CD for one person, of someone else's program, merely adding an autorun icon and programming a simple autorun menu, and that disc got copied across the PSU campus from just that one friend! It spread at least that far for sure, and this was even in the days of dial-up when dsl was barely out. I have no idea how far copies of my disc menu & icon went after that. Adding a friendly installer can ensure that whoever tries to use your program can use it and and that will increase your chances that they will recommend your program to others.