portable-python

Two small, transparent Python launchers for Windows 11 x86-64 (AMD64). No preinstalled Python or uv. No administrator installation. No global PATH or registry changes. Initial setup requires Internet access.

Download, unpack, run

1. Download one ZIP from Releases (not GitHub's automatic “Source code” archive).
2. Unpack into a new folder on a local fixed drive.
3. Double-click START.bat.

First start downloads and verifies uv and CPython, installs packages into a local .venv, then runs the example or opens JupyterLab in your browser. Keep the console open while the program/server is running. First preparation can take several minutes; unchanged later starts skip package setup.

ZIP	Purpose	Put your code here
portable-python-one-launcher-0.1.0-windows-x86_64.zip	Ordinary Python application	application/; entry point __main__.py
portable-python-jupyterlab-0.1.0-windows-x86_64.zip	Interactive notebooks	notebooks/; create or copy .ipynb files

Both are usable immediately. The application example uses only the standard library. The notebook example checks its actual interpreter and directory. The ZIPs contain readable text source, not an opaque installer or executable.

Only these two general tools are maintained. Customize application/notebook content and pyproject.toml, not a project-specific copy of the bootstrap. START.bat is the sole normal user entry point for both first preparation and subsequent sessions; there is no separate required SETUP step.

Python and libraries

Default pins: CPython 3.13.16, uv 0.13.1; the notebook edition adds JupyterLab 4.6.4 and ipykernel 7.4.0. The user-library list is empty. These are deliberately selected/tested pins, not an auto-update mechanism.

Before first start, edit the supplied pyproject.toml, retaining its metadata:

[project]
name = "portable-python-one-launcher"
version = "0.1.0"
description = "General Windows portable Python application"
requires-python = "==3.13.16"
dependencies = ["openpyxl", "xlrd", "polars"]

"pandas" selects a compatible version during setup; "pandas==3.0.5" pins one; "openpyxl>=3.1,<4" bounds a range. Standard-library imports need no entry. Only ordinary PyPI requirements with compatible wheels are supported.

For JupyterLab, keep its supplied project name/description and do not replace the infrastructure group with your libraries:

[dependency-groups]
jupyter = ["jupyterlab==4.6.4", "ipykernel==7.4.0"]

Own libraries always go in [project].dependencies. Preserve the remaining tool/index tables. See the README inside each ZIP for version notation and technical commands. Unavailable Python builds or wheels fail explicitly.

Two lifecycles

• Application: first START prepares, then runs python -m application. Later starts only validate/run. For changed Python/library/launcher settings, use a fresh extraction; source code may change independently.
• JupyterLab: START prepares if needed, then serves on 127.0.0.1 with token authentication. To change libraries, stop server/kernels, edit TOML, then START again. Notebooks are retained. Closing the browser does not stop the server; use File > Shut Down or Ctrl+C in the console.

Both distinguish setup failure (overall code 10) from app/server failure (20), with 0 success and 30 launcher failure. Local JSONL journals record infrastructure progress/status; notebook contents and application output are not deliberately copied into those journals.

Scope and safety

• Windows 11 AMD64 with 64-bit Windows PowerShell 5.1 is the tested target. Linux, macOS, ARM64, 32-bit Windows and offline first setup are not supported.
• Run from a local folder, never directly from a network share or ZIP preview. Spaces/Unicode names are tested; ordinary Windows path limits still apply.
• Downloads use official Astral and PyPI sources, TLS verification and pinned bootstrap checksums. Source builds, custom indexes and direct URL requirements are not supported. See download details.
• A target-generated uv.lock freezes the chosen dependency graph; a fresh setup on another date can resolve different transitive versions. A hash verifies bytes, not whether a package is trustworthy. Review package names, publishers, licenses and notebooks before using them.
• Jupyter exposes only its project Python kernel. Its extension installer is read-only; automatic news/update requests are disabled. Library changes use TOML/uv, not a second installer inside notebooks.
• The notebook file-browser root and venv are not security sandboxes. Python/notebooks run with your Windows permissions. Do not run untrusted code.
• No telemetry is implemented by these launchers. Setup contacts download/ package services; third-party applications have their own behavior.
• START uses process-scoped PowerShell ExecutionPolicy Bypass to run the reviewed local launcher. It does not change persistent policy, request admin, disable TLS, or override organization-controlled execution restrictions.
• No guarantee of zero vulnerabilities or compatibility with every endpoint security/proxy policy is made. See security policy.

Source layout and development

python/       application ZIP source
jupyterlab/   notebook ZIP source
scripts/      offline release builder
tests/        Windows acceptance tests
docs/         download and security review details

Build machine: Python 3.11+ and PowerShell parser (pwsh or powershell.exe):

python scripts/build.py

This deterministic, network-free build checks the explicit source allowlist, TOML, Python/notebook syntax and PowerShell syntax, then creates only two ZIPs under dist/. Each includes LICENSE and THIRD_PARTY.md. CI additionally runs fresh Windows setup/application/kernel acceptance, using only upstream Internet downloads. See testing.

License

Original project code: MIT. Downloaded components keep their own licenses; see third-party review. There are no bundled third- party binaries in the source repository or these release ZIPs.