Determining application path in a Python EXE generated by pyInstaller

I have an application that resides in a single .py file. I’ve been able to get pyInstaller to bundle it successfully into an EXE for Windows. The problem is, the application requires a .cfg file that always sits directly beside the application in the same directory.

Normally, I build the path using the following code:

import os
config_name = 'myapp.cfg'
config_path = os.path.join(sys.path[0], config_name)

However, it seems the sys.path is blank when its called from an EXE generated by pyInstaller. This same behaviour occurs when you run the python interactive command line and try to fetch sys.path[0].

Is there a more concrete way of getting the path of the currently running application so that I can find files that are relative to it?

Answers:

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Method 1

I found a solution. You need to check if the application is running as a script or as a frozen exe:

import os
import sys

config_name = 'myapp.cfg'

# determine if application is a script file or frozen exe
if getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
    application_path = os.path.dirname(sys.executable)
elif __file__:
    application_path = os.path.dirname(__file__)

config_path = os.path.join(application_path, config_name)

Method 2

According to the documentation of PyInstaller, the suggested method of recovering application path is as follows:

#!/usr/bin/python3
import sys, os
if getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
    # If the application is run as a bundle, the PyInstaller bootloader
    # extends the sys module by a flag frozen=True and sets the app 
    # path into variable _MEIPASS'.
    application_path = sys._MEIPASS
else:
    application_path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))

Tested for PyInstaller v3.2, but this certainly has been working for earlier versions as well.

Soviut’s solution does not work, at least not in general for recent versions of pyInstaller (note that the OP is many years old). For instance, on MacOS, when bundling an application into a one-file-bundle, sys.executable points only to the location of the embedded archive, which is not the location where the application actually runs after the pyInstaller bootloader has created a temporary application environment. Only sys._MEIPASS correctly points to that location. Refer to this doc-page for further information on how PyInstaller works.

Method 3

I shortened the code a bit.

import os, sys

if getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
    application_path = os.path.dirname(sys.executable)
    os.chdir(application_path)

logging.debug('CWD: ' + os.getcwd())

But, sys._MEIPASS pointed to a wrong directory. I think it also needs sys._MEIPASS + app_name

Method 4

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned that getattr() has a built-in default argument which will be returned if the attribute doesn’t exist. This can also be made a bit more readable with pathlib. This code works whether or not the code is bundled with PyInstaller.

from pathlib import Path
bundle_dir = Path(getattr(sys, '_MEIPASS', Path.cwd()))
config_path = bundle_dir / 'myapp.cfg'

Method 5

os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0])

That works for me.

Method 6

__file__ works from command line with python executable. It also gives the script file name without actual path in frozen mode. However it gives error in interactive mode.

The following will work for all three modes:

import sys,os

config_name = 'myapp.cfg'

if getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
    application_path = os.path.dirname(sys.executable)
    running_mode = 'Frozen/executable'
else:
    try:
        app_full_path = os.path.realpath(__file__)
        application_path = os.path.dirname(app_full_path)
        running_mode = "Non-interactive (e.g. 'python myapp.py')"
    except NameError:
        application_path = os.getcwd()
        running_mode = 'Interactive'

config_full_path = os.path.join(application_path, config_name)

print('Running mode:', running_mode)
print('  Appliction path  :', application_path)
print('  Config full path :', config_full_path)

Output in three different modes:

Running mode: Interactive
  Appliction path  : C:ProjectsMyAppDir
  Config full path : C:ProjectsMyAppDirmyapp.cfg

C:ProjectsMyAppDir>myapp.exe
Running mode: Frozen/executable
  Appliction path  : C:Program Filesmyapp
  Config full path : C:Program Filesmyappmyapp.cfg

C:ProjectsMyAppDir>python myapp.py
Running mode: Non-interactive (e.g. 'python myapp.py')
  Appliction path  : C:ProjectsMyAppDir
  Config full path : C:ProjectsMyAppDirmyapp.cfg

C:ProjectsMyAppDir>

Method 7

Many answers here but I found this solution works in most situations:

import os
import sys
import os.path as op
try:
    this_file = __file__
except NameError:
    this_file = sys.argv[0]
this_file = op.abspath(this_file)
if getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
    application_path = getattr(sys, '_MEIPASS', op.dirname(sys.executable))
else:
    application_path = op.dirname(this_file)

Method 8

My case is using a service that runs an executable .exe build with pyinstaller. I use os.path.dirname(**os.path.realpath(sys.executable)**)

import os
import sys
# determine if application is a script file or frozen exe
if getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
    application_path = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(sys.executable))
elif __file__:
    application_path = os.path.dirname(__file__)

All methods was sourced from stackoverflow.com or stackexchange.com, is licensed under cc by-sa 2.5, cc by-sa 3.0 and cc by-sa 4.0