PyInstaller exe returning error on a Tkinter script

Question

I'm trying to package a simple applet built using the standard python library with a Tkinter GUI through Pyinstaller for distribution. PyInstaller compiles (correct term?) it fine, but when I open the exe, I get the following:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "site-packages/PyInstaller/loader/rthooks/pyi_rth__tkinter.py", line 28, in <module>
FileNotFoundError: Tcl data directory "/var/folders/sj/r0yyz8393ld2xrd_wf65bwxr0000gn/T/_MEIDeFnFy/tcl" not found.
[67821] Failed to execute script pyi_rth__tkinter
logout
Saving session...
...copying shared history...
...saving history...truncating history files...
...completed.

[Process completed]

I've tried tweaking my compile settings such as adding --hidden-import tkinter to no avail.

Here's the script:

import math
import tkinter as tk
from tkinter import simpledialog as sd

grades = []

def convert(grades):
    #long function here

def get_num_classes():
    while True:
        try:
            global num_classes
            num_classes =  sd.askinteger("number of classes", "Number of classes: ")
            return num_classes
        except ValueError:
            print('Try again')

def get_current():
    global current_gpa
    current_gpa = sd.askfloat("current gpa", "Current GPA: ")
    return current_gpa

def grade_append():
    y = 0
    while y < num_classes:
        grade = sd.askstring("grade", "Letter Grade: ")
        grade = grade.upper()
        grades.append(grade)
        y = y+1

def calculate(grade_points, current_gpa, classes):
    global cum_gpa
    gpa = grade_points / classes
    cum_gpa = (gpa + current_gpa) / 2
    return cum_gpa

root = tk.Tk()
root.title("GPA Calculator")
root.geometry("225x50")

get_num_classes()

get_current()

grade_append()

total_points = convert(grades)

calculate(total_points, current_gpa, num_classes)
cum_gpa = round(cum_gpa, 2)

print(cum_gpa)
print(grades)

w = tk.Label(root, text="Your new cumulative GPA is %s" % (cum_gpa))
w.pack()

tk.mainloop()

What is the version of pyinstaller? what command are you using to do the packaging? and where do you run the exe ? — David Sidarous
@DavidSidarous 1. 3.4 2. pyinstaller --onefile --hidden-import tkinter I said that above. 3. In the default dist folder it packages to in the project master folder. — John Allison
@DavidSidarous Should be, I installed it within the past two weeks. — John Allison
Just one more check, are you packaging in the same OS as target environment? which seems to be OS X ? — David Sidarous

David Sidarous David Sidarous · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-08T04:01:12

This seems to be a known problem for using --onefile on OS X

Try this from the directory where you have the python script

pyinstaller --onefile --add-binary='/System/Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Tk':'tk' --add-binary='/System/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Tcl':'tcl' your_script.py

This solution was suggested in the open issue here

PyInstaller exe returning error on a Tkinter script

2 Answers