Dear All,
I have developed my first PocketPC game (see attached). It is similar to Master Mind but using numbers. This is the way we play it in Iraq
I would like some help in making an installation that automatically create a shortcut in Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Games. I am planning to publish the game as a freeware.
I am using VB .NET 2005 (.NET FX 2.0) so if I can include the re-distribution libraries that would make it easier for users, else I may need to point them at a link.
I used 2 different installtion builders but both only copy the CAB file to the Program Files but not make a shortcut for it. I have an *.inf file and haven't used the command line setup builder yet unless I have to.
Any easier way please?
ThanQ.
Related
Hey guys,
If there's already a way to do this, please tell me; otherwise, this could be a suggestion for some genius to try his skills at.
A lot of developers don't provide .cab files to install their software directly to pocket pc. So when you're browsing the internet on your device and you find a program you want to try out, you have to download the .exe file to your pc and install it from there.
Now those .exe files usually do nothing more than putting some help files on your pc and copying the .cab to your pda. So the .cab file is contained somewhere within the .exe installer, possibly in some encoded form I guess, but it should be possible to extract it, right? That way you could install software on the go, regardless wether or not the developer offers a cab file to download.
I can only make this suggestion... actually programming it is not my cup of tea. The last time I did any programming I was 13 or something. It was the early nineties and I was trying to make my own OPL version of Mortal Kombat on a Psion Organiser II 64. Killer graphics, man. Unfortunately it never got beyond beta.
Good luck...
well most of the exe files you install to your pc using activesync are just selfextracting zip files and if you rename them to zip you can often open them and copy out the cab file you want
i dont think the market for an install script / program generator for pocketpc is big enough for people to spend too much time developing it
and they can be pretty complex if you look at wiseInstall master on pc which have a world of option and it's own programming langauge of sorts
Thanks, I'll try that out.
It's more or less as I thought: since every install program is its own decoder/unpacker/etc., the form in which they're encoded can be different for every type of installer, and it would be very hard to cater for all the types out there. Oh well... pity...
A lot of people use the Open Source installer:
ezsetup.exe
You will see this almost everywhere. Even MS use it, despite their scourge of Open Source. It takes a CAB file, adds an End User Licence, a ReadMe, and bundles together into a program which dumps it's output as a cab on the device, then installs the cab.
Since this is open source, you can see exactly how it works here:
http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/ezsetup/?en
I am sure it would be simple to write a version which just extracted the CAB file from an existing archive.
Ben
I really want to use a name picker (randomly picks a name from a pre-defined list)
Google reveals this java version is exactly what I need for a desktop
Is there any way I can use it on the pocket pc (does not work in midlet manager)
http://www.davebsoft.com/jaws/apps/namepicker.jnlp
You normally need a jar version of the program to work with midlet manager - best you do a search for a jar version.
The author kindly sent me his JAR file for this app. I have placed it onto my device but cannot open it
Is it incompatable or am I making a silly mistake
Thanks
Hays
Is that the zip he sent you or did you send you a jar file? Even when i rename it namepicker.jar it wont install, i am sure there is something wrong with the file.
Is that the zip he sent you or did he send you a jar file? Even when i rename it namepicker.jar it wont install, i am sure there is something wrong with the file.
he sent this text in his email
The jar file is here, but it probably isn't set up the way you need it:
http://davebsoft.com/jaws/apps/lib/namepicker.jar
I downloaded it but can't get it working
yep - still says invalid - contact the author again he must have a valid jar that works
will do
thanks for your help
the author replied
"invalid" in what context? It's valid in the context in which you've been
running it on your PC or whatever. Maybe it lacks a manifest file or
something. There are free tool to extract and rebuild jar files.
The message it gives is that it has an 'invalid java application desciptor' i.e. the jad part of the jar is wrong.
just a guess, but its probably made for jave for desktops, not j2me.
OMG. The Java that is written is for PC (or eqv) Java not for Java for phone (eg. midlet). That's why it doesn't run. Midlet is a very small subset of the real Java, the code is different, and there isn't much function in midlet version of java, and it is a pain to program in midlet-java (whatever you call it). Hence the JAR is not working. Try running it on your PC, it will work.
No, you can't extract it and run it on your midlet-enabled phone. No, even if you have the source, you can't do that either, unless you translate the code manually. I don't think there is a converter for that matter, especially it involved GUI.
That explains it
Anyone up for the challenge of writing a good pocket pc version ??
Hays
Try this one...
This is an OSS JVM that's meant to be J2SE compliant so it might just run. Try your luck.
Can someone PLS recommend to me an easy to use CAB creation utility.
I have tried these three and none meet my needs:
Makecab (command line which is too complex for me)
QuickCab (looks real promising but the build process is not working for me in Vista)
PPC Installation creator by Aperitto (Worked for me in the past, but is now chopping up my PNG image files so what gets placed in the CAB is a corrupted PNG file.)
I am not making an application. I just want to be able to use it to place several image and xml files in different folders on a Diamond to modify skins and the TF3D/Manila interface. Also perhaps slight mods to registry.
Is there something else out there that I can use to make a CAB file containing these sort of things. I know that this terribly amateur hour compared to what all you Developers and Chefs do. So I'd appreciate any recommendations of easy to use tools to do this. Thnx..
Try this one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=427438
Tried it too and at present it is not working either. So I need something other than these four:
Makecab (command line which is too complex for me)
QuickCab (looks real promising but the build process is not working for me in Vista)
PPC Installation creator by Aperitto (Worked for me in the past, but is now chopping up my PNG image files so what gets placed in the CAB is a corrupted PNG file.)
Install Builder 0.7 (Cabs will not install to my Diamond)
Any others out there?
I use WinCE Cab Manager from OCP Software
but it's not free
Try this one: Win CE Cab Manager
it's not free but you have a 30 days trial, and seems to work with my Kaiser with latest 6.1 cooked rom.
http://www.ocpsoftware.com/products.php?nm=cecabmgr
Thanks will take a look at the trial. But Really $100 for a program to copy 5 files onto a PDA is never going to be viable for me. I just want to be able to distribute 5 small files to mates in way they can automatically install them into WM to two different folders without stuffing it up.
Hi,
I'm currently working on a few tools, and want to know what features would be liked by cooks/users or anyone really.
The first tool is an exe generator for hot fixes. Simply put, you plug some files into it, and it generates an exe that can be run on the target device which will do all the hot fixes.
The advantages it gives:
No more cabs!
Can use a custom icon for the exe if desired
Things like messing around with setup.dll files doesn't need to happen, and an application can be launched after install if wanted
Files can be deleted
File properties can be changed
Can use XMLs
Can edit registry
Can install files
Since it's written in native C++, it should run without a hitch on WM5+ devices, whether or not they have .Net whatever...
The second tool is an AutoRun/UC/whatever like system that simply searches through a folder, finds all cabs/xmls/provxmls and then installs them. This means there's no reliance on autorun for parsing config files, or any other requirements. Again, it's written in native C++ so is better
Any suggestions/ideas would be welcome!
Oh, and once I've got slightly further, both these will be released as open source. Probably.
l3v5y said:
Hi,
I'm currently working on a few tools, and want to know what features would be liked by cooks/users or anyone really.
The first tool is an exe generator for hot fixes. Simply put, you plug some files into it, and it generates an exe that can be run on the target device which will do all the hot fixes.
The advantages it gives:
No more cabs!
Can use a custom icon for the exe if desired
Things like messing around with setup.dll files doesn't need to happen, and an application can be launched after install if wanted
Files can be deleted
File properties can be changed
Can use XMLs
Can edit registry
Can install files
Since it's written in native C++, it should run without a hitch on WM5+ devices, whether or not they have .Net whatever...
The second tool is an AutoRun/UC/whatever like system that simply searches through a folder, finds all cabs/xmls/provxmls and then installs them. This means there's no reliance on autorun for parsing config files, or any other requirements. Again, it's written in native C++ so is better
Any suggestions/ideas would be welcome!
Oh, and once I've got slightly further, both these will be released as open source. Probably.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, this sounds very very promising. Can't wait!
dwizzy130
yeah some user friendly and easy to understand specialy editing the rom or making add/remove programs EASILY is the best specialy to noobs like me when cooking ROMS all in one tool with advance AI for error checking
Sounds very attractive. go on my friend.....
Sounds good mate
I'm looking for a tool to easily make a setup.dll. Like setup.dll maker/generator/wizard.
Seems the only tools I can ever found is from e-pocketsetup, but that company was sold to another company and the product was never available since then.
I know cooks hate a cabs with a setup.dll. But seems without setup.dll a cab installer can not execute some little complicated actions. And it is impossible to make a setup.dll without grasp a computer language like c++.
Edit: Found another one: setupdllcreator , but it's not strong enough and not freeware.
Edit: If these can be realized, a setup.dll maker is much less needed:
No more cabs!
Can use a custom icon for the exe if desired
Things like messing around with setup.dll files doesn't need to happen, and an application can be launched after install if wanted
Files can be deleted
File properties can be changed
Can use XMLs
Can edit registry
Can install files
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But we need above mentioned fubctionalities to be DYNAMIC, like:
Can detect availability of certain reg entries or installed apps, base on the result to decide which variants of install files to be installed, or whether some supporting apps like netcf or mortscript to be installed. Or can detect device id, resolutions, drivers to decide what to do.
Otherwise it still can not completely replace setup.dll.
But if dynamic actions can be executed, wow that's a dream of developers & hackers and even common users can benefit from that, a real revolution !
woww can wait for realese
l3v5y said:
Any suggestions/ideas would be welcome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I'm posting my requests again, the idea is this: It will be much helpful if I can know what is happening/changed in the registry after I did anything to my WM devices. So maybe you can develop a tool to monitor & log the real-time changes of registry. Or at least we can have a registry-comparision tool on ppc.
Another thing is it seems we don't have a file structure viewer on ppc, not the stuff like total commander etc., want to export the file structure to a file like .txt or .jpg.
Update: Now my idea is clearer for this, what I suggest would be a System Snopshot program to realize this:
Can make a system snapshot to record the registry content, file structure, ram usage etc.
The snapshot can be initialized in the similiar way of CapSure screen capture program, i.e., a hardwre button, a fixed time, a screen tap, a program launch, etc., defined by user.
Can choose a full system snapshot or only on selected part of registr, file system etc.
Can generate a file containing the recorded system condition.
Can compare any two system snapshot result and generate a comparision chart/change log.
So I've posted my requests as per your request, whether or not you'll do it is not my business lol.
Update: Found SK Tracker, cost EUR9.95, so forget this one. Why I did not know it in the past?!
So i'm not familiar with creating programs at all.
I can create cabs using WinCE Cab manager that can add/edit/move/rename files and registry entries.
I found a cab and i want to know exactly what it does before i install it. I asked the author and he keeps dodging my request. I opened up the cab with WinCE Cab Manager and it installed a file (exe) and created a shortcut.
I've extracted that exe from the cab and now i want to know whats the next step i take.
I've googled and come up with 2 microsoft sites about programming for windows mobile. One utilizes .net the other visual studio.
I'm probably gonna need visual studio right? I'm having trouble downloading a trial right now from microsofts site but is my assumption correct that i'll need to use visual studio?
Any pointers would be great.
Sorry,
Wrong post.
Dear admin, please remove this post.
Thanks.