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WINDOWS_BUILD.md

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Building FastFlix on Windows

This guide explains how to build FastFlix executables on Windows.

Prerequisites

  1. Python 3.13 or higher

    • Download from python.org
    • Make sure to check "Add Python to PATH" during installation

  2. Git (to clone/update the repository)

Build Steps

1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell

Navigate to where you want to clone/have the FastFlix repository:

cd C:\path\to\your\projects
git clone https://github.com/cdgriffith/FastFlix.git
cd FastFlix

Or if you already have it:

cd C:\path\to\FastFlix

2. Create and Activate Virtual Environment

python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

You should see (venv) in your command prompt.

3. Install Dependencies

pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -e ".[dev]"

This installs FastFlix in editable mode with all development dependencies including PyInstaller.

4. Build the Executable

You have two options:

Option A: Single Executable (Recommended for distribution)

pyinstaller FastFlix_Windows_OneFile.spec

The executable will be in: dist\FastFlix.exe

Option B: Directory with Multiple Files (Faster startup)

pyinstaller FastFlix_Windows_Installer.spec

The executable will be in: dist\FastFlix\FastFlix.exe

5. Test the Build

cd dist
FastFlix.exe

Or for the installer version:

cd dist\FastFlix
FastFlix.exe

Running Without Building (For Testing)

If you just want to test changes without building an executable:

python -m fastflix

Troubleshooting

Missing Dependencies

If you get import errors, try reinstalling:

pip install --upgrade --force-reinstall -e ".[dev]"

Build Errors

  1. Make sure you're in the FastFlix root directory
  2. Ensure the virtual environment is activated (you see (venv))
  3. Try deleting build and dist folders and rebuilding:
rmdir /s /q build dist
pyinstaller FastFlix_Windows_OneFile.spec

FFmpeg Not Found

The FastFlix executable doesn't include FFmpeg. You need to:

  1. Download FFmpeg from ffmpeg.org
  2. Extract it somewhere
  3. Add the bin folder to your PATH, or configure it in FastFlix settings

Known Limitations

PGS to SRT OCR (PyInstaller builds)

Due to an upstream issue in pgsrip v0.1.12, PGS to SRT OCR conversion does not work in PyInstaller-built executables. The feature works perfectly when running from source (python -m fastflix).

If you need PGS OCR functionality, please run FastFlix from source instead of using the compiled executable.

Notes

  • The build process creates a portable.py file temporarily (it's removed after)
  • The .spec files automatically collect all dependencies from pyproject.toml
  • The icon is located at fastflix\data\icon.ico