Self-contained Python distributions are packaged installers that include a complete Python interpreter and the full standard library, with optional extension modules either bundled or statically linked. The build process minimizes runtime dependencies by limiting the instruction set architecture and the set of required shared libraries, aiming for operation on any system that matches the target architecture. Some releases provide build artifacts and detailed metadata, enabling downstream users to recombine components into custom installations that may exclude optional features such as SQLite or OpenSSL, which is useful for embedding Python in larger binaries. The PyOxidizer project offers a related tool for creating such distributions, while PyOxy extends the interpreter with Rust code and distributes single‑file executables as its official binaries. Documentation available on the project site describes how to run, obtain, extract, and use the distributions, as well as build instructions for Linux, macOS, and Windows, and lists known runtime behaviors and technical notes.