Supported Platforms¶

Complete matrix of supported operating systems, architectures, Python versions, and packaging formats.

Operating Systems & Architectures¶

Platform ID	OS	Architecture	Status
`win-x64`	Windows 10/11	x86_64	Full support
`linux-x64`	Linux (glibc 2.17+)	x86_64	Full support
`linux-arm64`	Linux (glibc 2.17+)	aarch64	Full support
`mac-x64`	macOS 11+	x86_64 (Intel)	Full support
`mac-arm64`	macOS 11+	Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)	Full support

Linux Distribution Compatibility¶

The native runtime is built against glibc 2.17, which means it runs on:

Distribution	Minimum Version
Ubuntu	18.04 LTS
Debian	10 (Buster)
CentOS / RHEL	7
Fedora	28
Amazon Linux	2
Alpine	Not supported (uses musl, not glibc)

Note: Alpine Linux is not supported because it uses musl instead of glibc. If you need Alpine support, build your application in a glibc-based container.

Windows Compatibility¶

Version	Status
Windows 11	Full support
Windows 10	Full support
Windows Server 2019+	Full support
Windows 8.1 and earlier	Not supported

macOS Compatibility¶

Version	Status
macOS 15 (Sequoia)	Full support
macOS 14 (Sonoma)	Full support
macOS 13 (Ventura)	Full support
macOS 12 (Monterey)	Full support
macOS 11 (Big Sur)	Full support
macOS 10.15 and earlier	Not supported

Python Versions¶

Version	Status	Notes
Python 3.13	Full support	Latest stable
Python 3.12	Full support	Recommended
Python 3.11	Full support
Python 3.10	Full support
Python 3.9	Full support	Minimum supported
Python 3.8 and earlier	Not supported

Important: The --python flag in pylocket protect must match the Python version used to build the artifact. Bytecode is version-specific — a mismatch will cause decryption failures at runtime.

Packaging Formats¶

Format	Tool	Artifact Type	Accepted Extensions
PyInstaller onefile	`pyinstaller --onefile`	Standalone executable	`.exe` (Windows), binary (macOS/Linux)
PyInstaller onedir	`pyinstaller --onedir`	Zipped directory	`.zip`
cx_Freeze	`cxfreeze`	Zipped directory	`.zip`
BeeWare Briefcase (macOS)	`briefcase`	macOS app bundle	`.app`
BeeWare Briefcase (other)	`briefcase`	Zipped directory	`.zip`
Python Wheel	`python -m build`	Wheel package	`.whl`
Python Egg	`setup.py bdist_egg`	Egg package	`.egg`
Generic ZIP	—	Any Python project	`.zip`
Tar archives	—	Compressed archive	`.tar.gz`, `.tgz`, `.tar.bz2`

Recommended for end-user distribution

Use executables (.exe on Windows, .app on macOS) when distributing to end users who may not have Python installed. These produce standalone applications.

Accepted File Extensions (Complete Allow-List)¶

Extension	Description	Auto-Detected Platform	End User Needs Python?
`.exe`	Windows executable	Windows	No
`.app`	macOS app bundle	macOS	No
`.zip`	ZIP archive	Cross-platform	Depends on contents
`.tar.gz` / `.tgz` / `.tar.bz2`	Tar archive	Cross-platform	Depends on contents
`.whl`	Python wheel	Cross-platform	Yes
`.egg`	Python egg	Cross-platform	Yes
`.py`	Python script	Cross-platform	Yes
`.pyz`	Python zipapp	Cross-platform	Yes
`.pyw`	Python windowless script	Windows	Yes

Files with extensions not in this list are rejected on upload with a clear error message.

Raw Python files (.py, .pyz, .pyw)

Raw Python scripts are supported but are a niche use case. Protected .py output is a repacked ZIP archive (not a standalone script) that requires Python on the end user's machine plus a valid license key. See Protecting Raw Python Scripts for the full workflow and limitations.

Format-Specific Notes¶

PyInstaller --onefile: Upload the single executable directly (.exe on Windows, the binary on macOS/Linux). This is the recommended approach for distributing to end users.

PyInstaller --onedir: Compress the output directory into a .zip before uploading.

cx_Freeze: Always produces a directory. Compress to .zip before uploading.

Briefcase (macOS): Upload the .app bundle directly. On other platforms, compress the output directory to .zip.

Wheels: Upload the .whl file directly. The protected wheel can be installed with pip. Requires Python on the end user's machine.

Native Runtime Files¶

The platform-specific native runtime is bundled automatically during protection:

Platform	Runtime File	Format
Windows x64	`_pylocket_rt.pyd`	Windows DLL
Linux x64	`_pylocket_rt.so`	ELF shared object
Linux ARM64	`_pylocket_rt.so`	ELF shared object
macOS x64	`_pylocket_rt.so`	Mach-O shared library
macOS ARM64	`_pylocket_rt.so`	Mach-O shared library

Compatibility Matrix¶

Full cross-reference of platforms, Python versions, and packaging formats:

	PyInstaller	cx_Freeze	Briefcase	Wheel	ZIP
win-x64	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13
linux-x64	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13
linux-arm64	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13
mac-x64	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13
mac-arm64	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13	3.9-3.13

All combinations are fully supported.