---
id: freeze-core
version: "0.7.1"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# freeze-core — Core dependency for cx_Freeze

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 106.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

freeze-core is the foundational library that cx_Freeze depends on to convert Python applications into standalone executables. It provides low-level utilities for file handling, archive manipulation, and text processing essential to the freezing process. The package is written partly in C and distributed as precompiled wheels for Python 3.11 through 3.15 across Windows, macOS, and Linux (including ARM and PowerPC variants), reducing installation friction on supported platforms.

As a core dependency rather than a user-facing tool, freeze-core is typically installed automatically when you install cx_Freeze. It requires three runtime dependencies—filelock, cabarchive, and striprtf—all pulled in automatically. The package is actively maintained with no known security vulnerabilities.

Use it for:

- Installed automatically as a dependency when setting up cx_Freeze to package Python applications into standalone executables.
- Provides runtime utilities needed by cx_Freeze to handle file locking during the build process on multi-threaded systems.
- Enables cx_Freeze to process cabinet archives and extract metadata from rich text files during application freezing.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

freeze-core provides core runtime support for cx_Freeze, handling file locking, cabinet archive operations, and rich text format processing needed during application freezing.

Yes, if you are using cx_Freeze to create standalone Python executables. Install it directly only if you have a specific need for its utilities; otherwise, it will be installed automatically as a cx_Freeze dependency. The package is actively maintained, carries no known vulnerabilities, and supports current Python versions with prebuilt wheels that minimize compilation overhead.

## Install

pip install freeze-core
uv add freeze-core
poetry add freeze-core

## Installing freeze-core

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled C extensions across multiple platforms. Actively maintained with a release 2 days old; supports Python 3.11–3.15 with prebuilt wheels for common platforms.

License in practice: MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution in both open-source and commercial projects with minimal obligations.

Quickstart:

pip install freeze-core

import filelock
import cabarchive
import striprtf

Requires Python 3.11 or later; prebuilt wheels available for Windows, macOS, and Linux (x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, arm64, musllinux).

Verify before relying:

- Whether freeze-core can be used standalone or only as a cx_Freeze dependency
- Specific functionality provided by filelock, cabarchive, and striprtf in the freezing workflow
- Performance characteristics or limitations when freezing large applications

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 106.6K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

cx_Freeze core dependency, Python application freezing, standalone executable packaging, freeze-core utilities, Python to binary compilation, cx-freeze-ecosystem, executable-packaging

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