Deploying .NET CF 2.0 with applications

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dermite - 28 Apr 2006 16:11 GMT

Folks,

I have an application which is dependent on version 2 of the CF, and I'd
like my installer to deploy the CF along with the application. I have a
general idea of what is required, but the only documentation from Microsoft
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetcomp/html/
netcfdepl.asp)
isn't really helpful because it refers to earlier versions of Visual Studio
and the CF, and includes code that isn't at usable any more. I'd really
appreciate a brief summary, from someone who has done this recently with VS
2005, of how to go about this.

Thanks very much,

Matthew Fleming
DermVision

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<ctacke/> - 28 Apr 2006 17:36 GMT

This is 2005 specific:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetcomp/html/
deploy_cf2_apps_cab_msi.asp

-Chris

> Folks,
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Matthew Fleming
> DermVision

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dermite - 28 Apr 2006 18:07 GMT

Thanks. I've read this, but its not clear how the procedure it describes
addresses the CF 2.0 dependency. In fact I followed this procedure to create
a cab file, which I moved to the Windows Mobile 2005 Pocket PC emulator. I
clicked on the cab file, which installed the application, but when I tried to
run the app it failed because of no CF 2.0 on the emulator. I didn't get to
the second half of the described procedure, creating an msi so that the cab
can be installed via
ActiveSync. Does this somehow automatically handle the CF dependency? I
don't see how-?

Matthew Fleming

> This is 2005 specific:
>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> > Matthew Fleming
> > DermVision

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Ilya Tumanov [MS] - 28 Apr 2006 19:20 GMT

No, it does not. You need to add CABs for all dependencies into your MSI,
add INI files for each dependency and repeat deployment process N+1 times
for N dependencies you have plus your application.

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Ilya

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> Thanks. I've read this, but its not clear how the procedure it describes
> addresses the CF 2.0 dependency. In fact I followed this procedure to
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>> > Matthew Fleming
>> > DermVision

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dermite - 28 Apr 2006 19:32 GMT

Thanks. Where do I get a CAB redistributable for the CF 2.0? Will one CAB
work on all devices?

Matthew Fleming

> No, it does not. You need to add CABs for all dependencies into your MSI,
> add INI files for each dependency and repeat deployment process N+1 times
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
> >> > Matthew Fleming
> >> > DermVision

Reply to this Message

Ilya Tumanov [MS] - 28 Apr 2006 19:48 GMT

No, one CAB won't work on all devices. CF 2.0 CABs are described here:
http://blogs.msdn.com/netcfteam/archive/2005/10/11/479793.aspx

By default VS would put them under "%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio
8\SmartDevices\SDK\CompactFramework\2.0\v2.0\WindowsCE\<version>\<cpu>

Signature

> Thanks. Where do I get a CAB redistributable for the CF 2.0? Will one CAB
> work on all devices?
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>> >> > Matthew Fleming
>> >> > DermVision

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dermite - 28 Apr 2006 20:04 GMT

So is there any way of adding the CF CABs to the installer in such a way that
the correct one will be chosen for the installation target?

Matthew

> No, one CAB won't work on all devices. CF 2.0 CABs are described here:
> http://blogs.msdn.com/netcfteam/archive/2005/10/11/479793.aspx
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> >> >> > Matthew Fleming
> >> >> > DermVision

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<ctacke/> - 28 Apr 2006 20:13 GMT

Yes, the CF redistributable MSI will do that for you.

-Chris

> So is there any way of adding the CF CABs to the installer in such a way
> that
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>> >> >> > Matthew Fleming
>> >> >> > DermVision

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dermite - 28 Apr 2006 20:30 GMT

Yes, but I was hoping to provide my users with a single installer that would
install my application and all of its prerequisites, including the CF v. 2.0.
I could refer them to the MS webpage containing the CF redistributable MSI,
with instructions to download and run it if necessary, but they might not
know what to do because they might not know whether they already have the
right CF runtime or not. Perhaps this complication is unavoidable. How do
other people handle the problem?

Matthew

> Yes, the CF redistributable MSI will do that for you.
>
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> >> >> >> > Matthew Fleming
> >> >> >> > DermVision

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<ctacke/> - 28 Apr 2006 21:16 GMT

Modify your INI file for ceappmgr.exe to include the CF cabs as well as your
own app cabs.

-Chris

> Yes, but I was hoping to provide my users with a single installer that
> would
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>> >> >> >> > Matthew Fleming
>> >> >> >> > DermVision

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dermite - 28 Apr 2006 22:09 GMT

Can I just include the CF cabs for all the possible targets, and the
installer will automagically know which one to use?

Matthew

> Modify your INI file for ceappmgr.exe to include the CF cabs as well as your
> own app cabs.
[quoted text clipped - 109 lines]
> >> >> >> >> > Matthew Fleming
> >> >> >> >> > DermVision

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<ctacke/> - 29 Apr 2006 00:40 GMT

Yep. It's not really automagic - the CAB files hold info on what targets
they are for, so when a device connects, ActiveSync queries it's processor
type, CE version, etc. and looks to see if it has a CAB that matches those
variables.

-Chris

> Can I just include the CF cabs for all the possible targets, and the
> installer will automagically know which one to use?
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>> >> >> >> >> > Matthew Fleming
>> >> >> >> >> > DermVision

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dermite - 29 Apr 2006 01:38 GMT

Great. I think I've got it now. Thanks so much for the explanations.

Matthew

> Yep. It's not really automagic - the CAB files hold info on what targets
> they are for, so when a device connects, ActiveSync queries it's processor
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> >> >> >> >> >> > Matthew Fleming
> >> >> >> >> >> > DermVision

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