How can I use Ruby to create an "EXE" like DropBox used Python?

Question

I have a project which is similar to DropBox. I need to automatically push certain folders up to S3 from both Windows and Mac machines. DropBox won't do exactly what I need so I can't really use it. Plus, I would like for this to be a neat learning experience in the joys of file synchronization. :-)

Anyway, after digging through the package contents of DropBox on my Mac, I noticed it appears that the DropBox client uses Python and not XCode? This is wonderful news if true because I would much prefer to use Python (or Ruby) over Objective-C. But I'm curious as to how they were able to bundle up Python it what appears to be a stand-alone "EXE" for the Mac? I don't see the actual .py files so I'm assuming it's some sort of compiled Python program?

If I wanted to do something similar, what steps would I need to take? In creating a stand-alone package that contains everything I need.

Can this also be done using Ruby?

Answer 1

For Python, the most popular solution is Py2App.

With Ruby, there is MacRuby and Platypus. MacRuby is a Mac-specific Ruby implementation, so it would be better suited for projects that use MacOS features, written from scratch. Platypus would likely be better for packaging up existing scripts as an app.