diff --git a/generate_a_winpython_distro.bat b/generate_a_winpython_distro.bat
index cf498951..4d804b0f 100644
--- a/generate_a_winpython_distro.bat
+++ b/generate_a_winpython_distro.bat
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 rem  generate_a_winpython_distro.bat: to be launched from a winpython directory, where 'make.py' is
 @echo on
 
-REM Initialize variables
-if "%my_release_level%"=="" set my_release_level=
+REM Initialize variables -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!
+if "%my_release_level%"=="" set my_release_level=b1
 if "%my_create_installer%"=="" set my_create_installer=True
 
 rem Set archive directory and log file
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ set out=WinPython%my_flavor%-%my_arch%bit-%WINPYVER2%_History.md
 copy/y %my_basedir%\bu%my_flavor%\%out% %~dp0changelogs\%out%
 
 rem compress
-set stem=WinPython%my_arch%-%WINPYVER2%%my_flavor%
+set stem=WinPython%my_arch%-%WINPYVER2%%my_flavor%%my_release_level
 %target_python_exe% -c "from wppm import utils;utils.command_installer_7zip(r'%my_WINPYDIRBASE%', r'%my_WINPYDIRBASE%\..',r'%stem%', r'%my_create_installer%')" 
 
 echo -------------------------------------- >>%my_archive_log%
diff --git a/wppm/__init__.py b/wppm/__init__.py
index 3ed7567b..5bb4a702 100644
--- a/wppm/__init__.py
+++ b/wppm/__init__.py
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@
 OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 """
 
-__version__ = '17.1.20250714b1'
+__version__ = '17.1.20250715b1'
 __license__ = __doc__
 __project_url__ = 'http://winpython.github.io/'
diff --git a/wppm/piptree.py b/wppm/piptree.py
index 1dfd8560..d6569b4d 100644
--- a/wppm/piptree.py
+++ b/wppm/piptree.py
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ def _get_dependency_tree(self, package_name: str, extra: str = "", version_req:
                                     Marker(dependency["req_marker"]).evaluate(environment=environment | {"extra": up_req})):
                                     # IA risk error: # dask[array] go upwards as dask[dataframe], so {"extra": up_req} , not {"extra": extra}
                                     #tag downward limiting dependancies
-                                    wall = " " if dependency["req_version"][:1] = "~" or dependency["req_version"].startswith("==") or "<" in dependency["req_version"] else ""
+                                    wall = " " if dependency["req_version"][:1] == "~" or dependency["req_version"].startswith("==") or "<" in dependency["req_version"] else ""
                                     ret += self._get_dependency_tree(
                                         dependency["req_key"],
                                         up_req,