# pvpython and pvbatch executables are not created in the standalone build of CMB
**URL:** https://discourse.kitware.com/t/pvpython-and-pvbatch-executables-are-not-created-in-the-standalone-build-of-cmb/1646
**Category:** Computational Model Builder (CMB)
**Created:** [November 14, 2025, 10:41am UTC](https://discourse.kitware.com/t/pvpython-and-pvbatch-executables-are-not-created-in-the-standalone-build-of-cmb/1646 "2025-11-14T10:41:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CsatiZoltan](https://discourse.kitware.com/u/CsatiZoltan)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2025, 10:41am UTC](https://discourse.kitware.com/t/pvpython-and-pvbatch-executables-are-not-created-in-the-standalone-build-of-cmb/1646/1 "2025-11-14T10:41:35Z")
I built the standalone version of CMB, relying on the superbuild of SMTK. My bin directory only contains _modelbuilder.conf_ and the _modelbuilder_ executable.
On the other hand, if I build CMB as part of the superbuild, the _pvpython_ and _pvbatch_ executables are there.
Is there a CMake option to build _pvpython_ in the standalone CMB build too?
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### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.kitware.com/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2025, 4:22am UTC](https://discourse.kitware.com/t/pvpython-and-pvbatch-executables-are-not-created-in-the-standalone-build-of-cmb/1646/2 "2025-11-16T04:22:07Z")
`pvpython` and `pvbatch` come from ParaView; they should already be present in the ParaView that CMB is building with.
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### Author:  [@CsatiZoltan](https://discourse.kitware.com/u/CsatiZoltan)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2025, 8:56am UTC](https://discourse.kitware.com/t/pvpython-and-pvbatch-executables-are-not-created-in-the-standalone-build-of-cmb/1646/3 "2025-11-17T08:56:00Z")
Indeed, they are in the ParaView bin dir of the CMB superbuild (_superbuild/paraview/build/bin/_).
What is the reasoning behind the choice that when CMB is built as part of the superbuild `pvpython` is copied to the CMB bin directory, while `pvpython` is not copied when build as a standalone?
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### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.kitware.com/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2025, 1:55pm UTC](https://discourse.kitware.com/t/pvpython-and-pvbatch-executables-are-not-created-in-the-standalone-build-of-cmb/1646/4 "2025-11-17T13:55:04Z")
The superbuild uses a shared install tree for all projects. ParaView installs it there, then CMB (when built with the superbuild) does so as well. CMB has not logic to do anything with the `pvpython` or `pvbatch` executables itself.
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### Author:  [@CsatiZoltan](https://discourse.kitware.com/u/CsatiZoltan)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2025, 2:00pm UTC](https://discourse.kitware.com/t/pvpython-and-pvbatch-executables-are-not-created-in-the-standalone-build-of-cmb/1646/5 "2025-11-17T14:00:33Z")
> [@ben.boeckel](#):
>
> CMB has not logic to do anything with the `pvpython` or `pvbatch` executables itself.
Then how to run SMTK Python code, such as the [_first\_steps.py_](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmb/smtk/-/blob/master/doc/tutorials/python_first_steps/first_steps.py) tutorial, without running them in the Python Shell of CMB?
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### Author:  [@dcthomp](https://discourse.kitware.com/u/dcthomp)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://discourse.kitware.com/t/pvpython-and-pvbatch-executables-are-not-created-in-the-standalone-build-of-cmb/1646/6 "2025-11-18T16:43:47Z")
I typically set the `CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` of builds I do outside of the superbuild to match the `install` directory of the superbuild. This way, I can install CMB to the same directory where all of its dependencies live. Note that CMake provides an `install_manifest.txt` file inside the build directory that you can use to remove it should you wish to avoid polluting the superbuild install directory with external software.