Python suprocess not working after cx_freeze - python-3.x

Question

this is my first question on stack-overflow!
I am currently writing a Python script (well, actually a few scripts) to manage book collections, that I would now like to freeze and distribute (this is my first 'big' project).
After looking at many options I decided to try with Cx_Freeze.
(I'm using Python 3.6 and Cx_Freeze 5.1.1).
In this project I often use 'subprocess' to move from a script to another.
In the interpreter it works just fine, if I let Cx_Freeze make the build folder using
python setup.py build
it works as well, but when I try to create a distributable file with
python setup.py bdist_msi
after installation it starts and works up to the first call for a subprocess, then nothing more.
Here is setup.py
from cx_Freeze import setup, Executable
import os.path
PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.__file__))
os.environ['TCL_LIBRARY'] = os.path.join(PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR, 'tcl', 'tcl8.6')
os.environ['TK_LIBRARY'] = os.path.join(PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR, 'tcl', 'tk8.6')
setup(
name = "Libro",
version = "1.0.0",
options = {"build_exe": {
'packages': ["tkinter", "subprocess", ],
'include_files': [os.path.join(PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR, 'DLLs','tk86t.dll'), \
os.path.join(PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR, 'DLLs', 'tcl86t.dll'), \
'logo50x50.gif', 'check_1.txt', 'check_2.txt', 'start.py', \
'createdb.py', *and_a_few_more_files*],
'include_msvcr': True,
}},
executables = [Executable("Libro.py",base="Win32GUI")]
And this is the Libro.py script that becomes the executable.
#This script checks the documents check_1 and check_2 and then launches
# createdb.py or start.py
import subprocess
from tkinter import *
import tkinter.messagebox as box
root= Tk()
root.withdraw()
with open('check_1.txt', 'r') as check_1:
for line in check_1:
line = line.strip()
value_1 = int(line)
with open('check_2.txt', 'r') as check_2:
for line in check_2:
line = line.strip()
value_2 = int(line)
if value_1 == 0 and value_2 == 0:
box.showinfo('Libro 1.0', '''
Welcome to the installation of Libro.
I am now creating the database for your catalogue.
This may take a moment.''')
subprocess.call("createdb.py", shell=True)
else:
subprocess.call("start.py", shell=True)
root.mainloop()
It starts, it looks for check_1 and check_2, shows the tkinter showinfo window and then... that's it.
I would be very grateful for any suggestion!! Thanks :)

Answer 1

You would need to freeze all of your scripts, not just the top level one! (create multiple Executable() entries). And then call subprocess to run the frozen executables. If you don't do that you'll end up requiring Python to be installed on the target machine -- and then why freeze any of it! Of course, it might also be helpful to explain why you need to run your code in a subprocess instead of directly.

Answer 2

In the end it looks like it would be easier and more economic to treat my scripts as modules and then import them when needed.
I tried some simplified operations and they seem to work.
For example:
being main.py
from tkinter import *
from modules import from_file
root = Tk()
root.title('Trial window')
btn_1 = Button(root, text='Read from file', command=from_file)
btn_1.grid(row=1, column=1)
and being modules.py
from tkinter import *
def from_file():
ft = open('text.txt', 'r')
string = ''
for line in ft:
line = line.strip()
string = string+line
ft.close()
root2 = Tk()
result = Label(root2, text=string)
result.grid(row=1, column=1)
root2.mainloop()
the script reads and visualize the content of 'text.txt' in the new windows it opens also after being frozen with cx_freeze.
PS The setup.py I used is
from cx_Freeze import setup, Executable
import os.path
PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.__file__))
os.environ['TCL_LIBRARY'] = os.path.join(PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR, 'tcl', 'tcl8.6')
os.environ['TK_LIBRARY'] = os.path.join(PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR, 'tcl', 'tk8.6')
setup(
name = "Prova",
version = "1.0.0",
options = {"build_exe": {
'packages': ["tkinter"],
'include_files' : [os.path.join(PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR, 'DLLs', 'tk86t.dll'), \
os.path.join(PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR, 'DLLs', 'tcl86t.dll'), 'text.txt'],
'include_msvcr': True,
}},
executables = [Executable("main.py", base="Win32GUI")]
)