How to use Visual Studio 2003 to debug against Windows CE 4.2 without using ActiveSync?

[Theo]

The common solution to this question is to install the Windows CE
Utilities for Visual Studio .NET 2003 Add-on Pack 1.1, then run the
SDAuthUtilDevice.exe on the device, "click" start to start the
authentification utility and finally connect to the device with Visual
Studio.

The catch is that the device I use is a headless device so I cannot
"click" the start button. I can start and stop process via ethernet or
telnet but I can't click anything. Does anyone know a work around for
this?

What I am trying to do is possible on Visual Studio 2005 and Windows CE
5.0 see "Using Visual Studio 2005 to debug against Windows CE 5.0
devices without using ActiveSync"
(http://blogs.msdn.com/vsdteam/archive/2005/01/05/347332.aspx).

Does anything similar exist for Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Windows CE
4.2?

Thanks,
Theo

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

Headless devices are not really supported. If you mean that your device
doesn't physically have a display, but *does* have the OS support for a
display, whether a NULL display driver or a real one, you can use the Remote
Display application sample that comes with Platform Builder and the
corresponding host program running on your desktop to effectively see the
display of the device. You can push the button via that program. I've done
this on a device that has only a small text display, but which runs the
hardware as though there was a graphical display, also.

Paul T.

 

[Theo]

Our device is really headless. It does not have the OS support for a
display. Is there any way to use conmanclient.exe manually (something
similar to the instructions given for Visual Studio 2005 and Windows CE
5.0) or any other work around?

Thanks,
Theo

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

No, I don't see any way to do that and the source is not provided. Really,
really headless is not supported in CE.NET 4.2, really. You could try the
exact same work-around provided for 5.0, but other than that, you're just
outside the supported area.

Paul T.