Any good tutorials on creating the deployment .CAB for VB.NET CF program

[JamesL]

I have created and debugged my whole program. Now I want to deploy it.

As I understand it I want to create a Smart Device CAB Project under the
Setup and Deployment choice in the New Project window. The instructions I
have say to right click on the solution and select Existing Project form Add
menu. Unfortunately, Existing Project does not exist in the menu.

So how do I add the project output to the solution?

Or better yet, to cover all the follow-up questions I will have, Is there a
good online tutorial for this?

James Lysaght

 

[Guest]

James, are you just wanting to create the CAB file to install on a Pocket PC?

If so, all you need to do is choose the 'Build|Build CAB File' from the
menu in Visual Studio. This will build a .CAB file in the cab folder in your
project directory.

If you are referring to a full on setup and deployment application you can
find a tutorial here.

http://www.codeproject.com/netcf/PackagingAndDeployingPPC.asp

Mike

 

[JamesL]

Well,

I want to create a CAB file for distribution, but more than you get from
Build>>Build CAB file as I have data directories to create and icons to
build and such.

I have figured out how do accomplish it on my own now, but I would be
interested in a full on tutorial to tell me what the other options do.

James Lysaght

 

[mikeb]

If its a vb.netcf app - good luck. In fact, instead of leaving it at that
and have you hairless after the struggle, I'd rather point you at a open
source utility we found for building installs - it works great!

Take a look at:
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/

 

[Saverio Tedeschi]

Have a look at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnppcgen/html/netcfdeployment.asp
HTH

 

[mikeb]

Works fine so long as multiple cabs aren't involved in a VB app - unless
things have changed.

The open source installer that I recommended earlier is amazingly powerful
and easy to learn and setup using the examples. It compiles down to one
executable. Nice.

I wouldn't recommend the headaches of the MS solution.

-m