Packaged windows app includes unnecessary support artefacts

[freakboy3742]

Describe the bug

When deployed, a Briefcase Windows app unpacks the Python support package; this includes a copy of python.exe and pythonw.exe. These files are unnecessary, increase the size of the packaged app, and potentially represent a security issue. They should be stripped before packaging.

Steps to reproduce

1. Generate a windows app
2. See python.exe and pythonw.exe in the packaged app.

Expected behavior

The Python binaries should be stripped as part of the build process.

Screenshots

No response

Environment

• Operating System: Windows
• Python version: All
• Software versions:
  • Briefcase: 0.3.12

Logs

n/a

Additional context

The briefcase.toml file on a template can contain a cleanup_paths definition; this allows a template to specify files that should be deleted after the template is rolled out. See the beeware/briefcase-macOS-app-template for an example of usage.

[Jzhenli]

@freakboy3742 Hi, there are some Stub-3.x.exe files, how these file to be created? Where to find the source code of the stub.exe?

[freakboy3742]

@Jzhenli They are generated using the stub project in this repository; that project uses briefcase-windows-visualstudio-template to generate the source code for a windows app. The stubs are generated by a CI task when a substantive change is made to the VisualStudio template.