A Bazel rule set to bundle executable targets and their runfiles into a single, distributable archive.

rules_bundle solves the problem of distributing Bazel-built binaries. By default, Bazel binaries rely on a complex tree of runfiles (shared libraries, data dependencies, helper scripts) that are difficult to ship to another machine. This rule packs everything into a single file, either a standard .tar.gz or a self-extracting executable script, ensuring your application runs anywhere.

• Hermetic Packing: Bundles the binary and its entire runfiles tree.
• Reproducible: The generated bundles are reproducible.
• Multiple Formats:
  • tar: Standard tarball (e.g., app.tar.gz).
  • binary: Self-extracting Bash script. Runs the binary immediately upon execution.
• Minimal Dependencies: Uses standard dependencies available in most environments.

Add the following to your MODULE.bazel:

bazel_dep(name = "rules_bundle", version = "1.0.0")

Load the rule in your BUILD.bazel file and wrap your existing binary target.

load("@rules_bundle//:defs.bzl", "bundle_binary", "bundle_tar")

cc_binary(
    name = "server",
    srcs = ["main.cc"],
    data = ["config.json"],
)

# Creates 'server_bundle', a self-extracting executable.
bundle_binary(
    name = "server_bundle",
    executable = ":server",
)

# Creates 'server_bundle.tar.gz', a compressed archive containing the executable and all its runfiles.
bundle_tar(
    name = "server_bundle_tar_gz",
    compression = "gz",
    executables = {
        "/server": ":server",
    },
    output = "server_bundle.tar.gz",
)

Here are a few other good alternatives:

• rules_appimage: If you are looking to distribute your application specifically as an AppImage, check out rules_appimage. It creates AppImage binaries (ELF + SquashFS) which typically rely on FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) to mount the application at runtime.
• par_binary: A formerly popular set of rules for creating self-contained .par (Python ARchive) executables.
• rules_python: The native py_binary rule can produce a zip file (often enabled via the --build_python_zip flag or the python_zip_file output group).

Pull requests are welcome! For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

Build & Test

bazel test //...