Today, Railgun Labs proudly announces Minipy – a minifier and obfuscator for Python source code.

Try it now in your browser!

Minification

Minification is the process of removing unnecessary characters from source code without affecting its functionality. The goal is to reduce the file size, making the code more efficient to store, transmit, and execute. In Python this is tricky because the language uses white space to define the block structure of code, so not all of it can be removed.

Minipy intelligently removes white space where possible and preserves it where necessary. It can also be configured to remove comments and type annotations.

Obfuscation

Obfuscating source code deliberately makes it difficult to understand while maintaining its functionality. The goal is to protect intellectual property, prevent reverse engineering, or deter malicious actors from easily understanding or manipulating the code.

One way to obfuscate Python source code is to compile it into bytecode. These bytecodes are low-level instructions executed by the Python virtual machine and lack context of the original source code. However, Python bytecode is tied to specific versions of the Python runtime, which means you’re locking yourself into one particular Python version.

Minipy implements obfuscation by renaming identifiers to shorter names to save space. It also removes type hints and other identifiers that could reveal information about the code’s inner workings. Unlike bytecode, this approach does not limit your code to a specific Python version.

Limitations

Currently, Minipy does not guarantee the obfuscation of every symbol. This is because Minipy is designed to operate without assuming the presence of type annotations, making it difficult to determine whether obfuscation is appropriate in all cases. If obfuscating a symbol would create ambiguity, Minipy errs on the side of caution and leaves it unobfuscated.

Closing Thoughts

Minipy is a closed-source project that minifies and obfuscates its own source code as part of its wheel distribution. You can access the unminified, unobfuscated source code by purchasing access here.