Install CF

[Mike]

Has anyone disassembled the install cab for the .NET CF to see exactly what
it does so that a custom cab file could be built that installs the CF + app
files together? The .inf files that are used to generate the .NET CF
install cabs would be ideal.

 

[Lloyd Dupont]

you could install both at a time
with something like

wceinstaller cab1 cab2

 

[Stan Adermann [Msft]]

You should read your End User License Agreement carefully. I don't believe
it's allowed to break apart the CAB file to redistribute the parts in other
CAB files is allowed.

With a little work you might be able to produce your own cab-in-cab file
that could install your app and NETCF. Something like this:
1. Your cab contains another cab with the compact framework and a third cab
which contains your app.
2. Your cesetup.dll creates a process, handing it process id that
cesetup.dll is running in.
3. This process waits for the specified process to exit, then fires up
"wceload \mydir\netcf.cab". It should probably also check to see if the
device already has your version of NETCF before doing this.
4. Once that process finishes, it does the same for your app cab.

I don't believe it works to have multiple copies of wceload running, which
is why you want another process to manage it. Also, wceload attempts to
kill extra running processes, so you want your install manager process to
have a message loop which watches for the WM_QUIT message and prevents it
from exiting.

Stan Adermann
Developer
Microsoft .NET Compact Framework

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

--------------------
| Reply-To: "Mike" <[email protected]>
| From: "Mike" <[email protected]>
| Subject: Install CF
| Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 14:23:47 -0500
| Lines: 6
| X-Priority: 3
| X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
| X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158
| X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
| Newsgroups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework
| NNTP-Posting-Host: adsl-068-016-172-251.sip.mco.bellsouth.net
68.16.172.251
| Path:
cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl!cpmsftngxa10.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGXA05.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP08
.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl
| Xref: cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework:49894
| X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework
|
| Has anyone disassembled the install cab for the .NET CF to see exactly
what
| it does so that a custom cab file could be built that installs the CF +
app
| files together? The .inf files that are used to generate the .NET CF
| install cabs would be ideal.
|
|
|

 

[Mike]

What is "wceinstaller"? Are you talking about CEAppMgr.exe on the PC or
wceload.exe on the PPC?

 

[Geoff Schwab [MSFT]]

This is detailed in the following FAQ item:

3.2. Which redistributables can I include with my application install?
http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/prodtechinfo/devtools/netcf/FAQ/default.aspx#3.2

--
Geoff Schwab
Program Manager
Excell Data Corporation
http://msdn.com/mobility
http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/prodtechinfo/devtools/netcf/FAQ/default.aspx

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

You should read your End User License Agreement carefully. I don't believe
it's allowed to break apart the CAB file to redistribute the parts in other
CAB files is allowed.

With a little work you might be able to produce your own cab-in-cab file
that could install your app and NETCF. Something like this:
1. Your cab contains another cab with the compact framework and a third cab
which contains your app.
2. Your cesetup.dll creates a process, handing it process id that
cesetup.dll is running in.
3. This process waits for the specified process to exit, then fires up
"wceload \mydir\netcf.cab". It should probably also check to see if the
device already has your version of NETCF before doing this.
4. Once that process finishes, it does the same for your app cab.

I don't believe it works to have multiple copies of wceload running, which
is why you want another process to manage it. Also, wceload attempts to
kill extra running processes, so you want your install manager process to
have a message loop which watches for the WM_QUIT message and prevents it
from exiting.

Stan Adermann
Developer
Microsoft .NET Compact Framework

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

--------------------
| Reply-To: "Mike" <[email protected]>
| From: "Mike" <[email protected]>
| Subject: Install CF
| Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 14:23:47 -0500
| Lines: 6
| X-Priority: 3
| X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
| X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158
| X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
| Newsgroups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework
| NNTP-Posting-Host: adsl-068-016-172-251.sip.mco.bellsouth.net
68.16.172.251
| Path:
cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl!cpmsftngxa10.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGXA05.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP08
phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl
| Xref: cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework:49894
| X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework
|
| Has anyone disassembled the install cab for the .NET CF to see exactly
what
| it does so that a custom cab file could be built that installs the CF +
app
| files together? The .inf files that are used to generate the .NET CF
| install cabs would be ideal.
|
|
|

 

[Lloyd Dupont]

yep !
I took some times to read my home made C installer (I could send the code to
you if you want)
I run

caomplet path\CEAppMgr.exe completepath\Setupi.ini

where Setup.ini describe my CAB files...
[CEAppManager]

Version = 1.0

Component = App

[App]

Description = ihookDB - Pocket DataBase Editor.

CabFiles = ihookDB_PPC.CAB

 

[Mike]

I didn't know you could pass multiple .ini files to ceappmgr.exe. That
helps a lot since my end users don't have to agree to 3 installs for my app.
Thanks.

This is detailed in the following FAQ item:

3.2. Which redistributables can I include with my application install?
http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/prodtechinfo/devtools/netcf/FAQ/default.aspx#3.2

--
Geoff Schwab
Program Manager
Excell Data Corporation
http://msdn.com/mobility

http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/prodtechinfo/devtools/netcf/FAQ/default.aspx