CAB-Files: ARM, ARMv4, MIPS.... Why needed?

[Boris Nienke]

Hi,

thinking about the differnt CAB-Files that are created i wonder why there
are different CABs needed for the processortypes...

i thought, that the software is .NET now! So if you build an application
(without bundling it with the CF-Installation) shouldn't the EXE run on
EVERY computer with a .NET-Framework installed?

i have written a small display-test application (switching colors, drawing
lines pixels etc.) - this EXE (from the ARM CAB-File) is running fine on a
P4 computer with .NET installed.

So: WHY are there CAB-Files for MIPS, X86, ... etc?

Boris

 

[Elisa]

Hi Boris,

There is some info about a "Pocket PC Platform Independent CAB File" in
the .NET CF Quickstart tutorial on www.gotdotnet.com. Haven't actually
read it, but it might be helpful.


Regards,

Elisa

 

[Chris Tacke, eMVP]

The CAB itself can target a specific processor, but you're right, the EXE
itself doesn't care. The runtimes are a different story - they are
processor dependent.

 

[Boris Nienke]

The CAB itself can target a specific processor, but you're right, the EXE
itself doesn't care. The runtimes are a different story - they are
processor dependent.

so is it right when i build a setup that i could just put ONE CAB into it
(the ARM for example) and it would work on any device supporting the
CompactFramework?

I'm asking because putting all CABs into the setup will make it very big
(one CAB ~200 kb... but 5 CABs >1MB)

currently i only have
- EXE
- DLL (assembly)
- GIF, Database, ...
in my CABs

Boris

 

[Stan Adermann [Msft]]

VS generates processor-specific CAB files because they include a native
cesetup.dll. This .dll is not necessary for install, so you could modify
the .inf to remove the setup.dll and then specify no processor. This will
allow it to install on any CE device.

Stan Adermann
Developer
Microsoft .NET Compact Framework

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

--------------------
| From: Boris Nienke <[email protected]>
| Subject: Re: CAB-Files: ARM, ARMv4, MIPS.... Why needed?
| User-Agent: 40tude_Dialog/2.0.10.1de
| MIME-Version: 1.0
| Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
| Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
| References: <[email protected]>
<#[email protected]>
| Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 09:31:28 +0100
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
| Newsgroups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework
| NNTP-Posting-Host: 217.5.221.2
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cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGXS01.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGXA05.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP0
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| Xref: cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework:47275
| X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework
|
| On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 09:14:51 -0500, Chris Tacke, eMVP wrote:
|
| > The CAB itself can target a specific processor, but you're right, the
EXE
| > itself doesn't care. The runtimes are a different story - they are
| > processor dependent.
|
| so is it right when i build a setup that i could just put ONE CAB into it
| (the ARM for example) and it would work on any device supporting the
| CompactFramework?
|
| I'm asking because putting all CABs into the setup will make it very big
| (one CAB ~200 kb... but 5 CABs >1MB)
|
| currently i only have
| - EXE
| - DLL (assembly)
| - GIF, Database, ...
| in my CABs
|
| Boris
|

 

[Geoff Schwab [MSFT]]

You may find this interesting:

1.22. Why are there cross-platform binaries?
http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/prodtechinfo/devtools/netcf/faq/default.aspx#1.22

--
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.