cx_Freeze build error?

Question

I am trying to create a binary from a python,flask and boto3 app. I am having trouble running the pip install cx_Freeze command too work. I am getting the following error :

It seems to be not fetching the right system libraries. Also, can anyone suggest any tools to package python apps into binaries?

  Failed building wheel for cx-Freeze
  Running setup.py clean for cx-Freeze
Failed to build cx-Freeze
Installing collected packages: cx-Freeze
  Running setup.py install for cx-Freeze ... error
    Complete output from command /home/shaswat.g/.virtualenvs/flask_app/bin/python -u -c "import setuptools,     tokenize;__file__='/tmp/pip-build-yLvkz9/cx-Freeze/setup.py';f=getattr(tokenize, 'open',     open)(__file__);code=f.read().replace('\r\n', '\n');f.close();exec(compile(code, __file__, 'exec'))" install     --record /tmp/pip-kKRaSM-record/install-record.txt --single-version-externally-managed --compile     --install-headers /home/shaswat.g/.virtualenvs/flask_app/include/site/python2.7/cx-Freeze:
    running install
    running build
    running build_py
    creating build
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/dist.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/main.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/common.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/__init__.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/macdist.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/finder.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/setupwriter.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/windist.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/hooks.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    copying cx_Freeze/freezer.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/initscripts
    copying cx_Freeze/initscripts/SharedLibSource.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/initscripts
    copying cx_Freeze/initscripts/__startup__.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/initscripts
    copying cx_Freeze/initscripts/SharedLib.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/initscripts
    copying cx_Freeze/initscripts/ConsoleSetLibPath.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/initscripts
    copying cx_Freeze/initscripts/Console.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/initscripts
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/relimport
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/relimport/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/relimport
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/relimport/relimport.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/relimport
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/service
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/service/Config.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/service
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/service/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/service
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/service/ServiceHandler.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/service
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/openpyxl
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/openpyxl/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/openpyxl
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/openpyxl/test_openpyxl.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/openpyxl
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/simple
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/simple/hello.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/simple
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/simple/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/simple
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/matplotlib
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/matplotlib/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/matplotlib
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/matplotlib/matplotlib_eg.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/    matplotlib
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/PyQt4
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/PyQt4/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/PyQt4
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/PyQt4/PyQt4app.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/PyQt4
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/advanced
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/advanced/advanced_1.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/advanced
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/advanced/advanced_2.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/advanced
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/advanced/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/advanced
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/asmodule
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/asmodule/asmodule.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/asmodule
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/asmodule/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/asmodule
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/zope
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/zope/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/zope
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/zope/qotd.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/zope
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/Tkinter
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/Tkinter/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/Tkinter
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/Tkinter/SimpleTkApp.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/Tkinter
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/wx
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/wx/setup.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/wx
    copying cx_Freeze/samples/wx/wxapp.py -> build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/samples/wx
    running build_ext
    building 'cx_Freeze.util' extension
    creating build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7
    creating build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/source
    x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc -pthread -DNDEBUG -g -fwrapv -O2 -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -fno-strict-aliasing     -Wdate-time -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -g -fdebug-prefix-map=/build/python2.7-HVkOs2/python2.7-2.7.13=.     -fstack-protector-strong -Wformat -Werror=format-security -fPIC -I/usr/include/python2.7 -c source/util.c -o     build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/source/util.o
    x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc -pthread -shared -Wl,-O1 -Wl,-Bsymbolic-functions -Wl,-z,relro -fno-strict-aliasing     -DNDEBUG -g -fwrapv -O2 -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wdate-time -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -g -fdebug-prefix-map=/build/    python2.7-HVkOs2/python2.7-2.7.13=. -fstack-protector-strong -Wformat -Werror=format-security -Wl,-z,relro     -Wdate-time -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -g -fdebug-prefix-map=/build/python2.7-HVkOs2/python2.7-2.7.13=.     -fstack-protector-strong -Wformat -Werror=format-security build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/source/util.o -o build/    lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/util.so
    creating build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/source/bases
    x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc -pthread -DNDEBUG -g -fwrapv -O2 -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -fno-strict-aliasing     -Wdate-time -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -g -fdebug-prefix-map=/build/python2.7-HVkOs2/python2.7-2.7.13=.     -fstack-protector-strong -Wformat -Werror=format-security -fPIC -I/usr/include/python2.7 -c source/bases/    Console.c -o build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/source/bases/Console.o
    creating build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/bases
    x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc -pthread build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/source/bases/Console.o -L/usr/lib/python2.7/    config-x86_64-linux-gnu -lpython2.7 -o build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/cx_Freeze/bases/Console -Xlinker     -export-dynamic -Wl,-O1 -Wl,-Bsymbolic-functions -lpthread -ldl -lutil -lm -L/usr/lib -lz -s
    /usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lz
    collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
    error: command 'x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc' failed with exit status 1

    ----------------------------------------
Command "/home/shaswat.g/.virtualenvs/flask_app/bin/python -u -c "import setuptools, tokenize;__file__='/tmp/pip-build-yLvkz9/cx-Freeze/setup.py';f=getattr(tokenize, 'open', open)(__file__);code=f.read().replace('\r\n', '\n');f.close();exec(compile(code, __file__, 'exec'))" install --record /tmp/pip-kKRaSM-record/install-record.txt --single-version-externally-managed --compile --install-headers /home/shaswat.g/.virtualenvs/flask_app/include/site/python2.7/cx-Freeze" failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip-build-yLvkz9/cx-Freeze/

Answer 1

Just do

sudo apt install zlib1g-dev

I was trying to install cx-freeze to convert some python code to an exe but the problem was /usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lz just like you. The file being fetched is compressed (cx_Freeze-5.1.1.tar.gz) so you need zlib. Of course use pip3 for python3.

Answer 2

pip never installs system libraries, it only concerns itself with Python libs.

It seems you need to install zlib before installing cx_Freeze.

Another tool to generate binaries is PyInstaller.