Hi Everyone,
I am just starting to explore developing software for mobile devices. I want to be able to develop an application, generate a CAB file, copy them to a selected device and the make the device automatically expand and install the CAB file.
Does anyone know of an easy way of automating the installation of a CAB file on devices - this is basically so that the end user does not have to be involved in the installation of new software.
Thanks
Dan
I'm interested in it too!
Do you mean that you want to remotely update the software installed in the mobile? Do you plan to send the new installation file by GPRS?
You can't push files over GPRS unless you have a VPN or similar tunnel (most people don't.)
While developing I like to run Eiichiro Ito's ftpd for Windows CE (works with any version from 2.0 to 5.0 - http://www.oohito.com/wince/arm_j.htm) and I have a rule in my Makefile which automatically uploads the new binary to the storage card, ready to run.
Of course if you only want your program to check for updates and install them automatically, then it is just a matter of making it check a website and download available updates each time it is run. This requires extra code in your application but it's the only way to do it for released software. Also it will annoy the user by trying to connect to GPRS every time they run the program.
It sounds like to me you want to know how to make a cab file. Is that right?
If so I can offer some code. The part about getting the cab to automatically work is not so easy. Unless you have some process already running that expects the cab, what will execute it?(unless of cource you mean the device is synched)
Give more detail.
Hope someone can help me with this. I am developing an application using VB.net and I have two problems.
1. When I copy the .exe file to my SX66 and try to run it nothing happens. I can see a wait cursor appear briefly and it seems to be starting but nothing happens after that (no error messages even). I have seen the same problem with other VB.net apps I have tried to use that others created.
I have the latest .Net Compact framework installed. The app works fine on a Toshiba Pocket PC I have with the older verison of Pocket PC 2003.
2. When I try to run the app directly from VB.net VB.net doesn't recognize that there is a device connected and won't copy the .exe from my desktop to my SX66. This works fine with the Toshiba Pocket PC too.
is your sx66 connected to activeSync ?
Does it run on your Emulator?
Yes on activesync
I haven't tried the emulator. As I said it works fine on a Toshiba PPC so I am figuring it will work in the emulator. I am pretty sure it is something on the SX66 because I have seen the same problem with other .NET apps that I have tried to use that were created by someone else.
is the debug manager service running?
I have Visual Studio 2005 on my PC plus the WM5 SDK. I have been developing a WM5 application and using the emulator to debug. It is nearly ready and thought that I would debug through the Wm5 PPC. I was then confronted with a warning message that the Compact Framework 2.0 was not installed on my PPC. OK I thought so downloaded the NETCFSetupv2.msi from Microsoft. When I try to run this I am told that I already have the .NET 2 Framework - presumably because I have VS 2005 etc.
Is there any way for me to get the CF2 onto my PPC without having to uninstall VS 2005???
Hi there,
Yes you can....
...\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SmartDevices\SDK\CompactFramework\2.0\v2.0\WindowsCE\wce500\armv4i
go to this folder and pick up the frame work that suits you
copy the cab file "NETCFv2.wce5.armv4i.cab" for Pocket PC to Pocket PC and install it.....
regards
Aftab Alam
If you go into the properties of your project within VS2005 you will see a tab page for Devices. On that tab page change the target device to that which you want to deploy it to and lower down the page you will see a check box to "Deploy the latest version of the .NET CF". Ensure that box is checked. Debug your project and the CF will be installed on the device.
I find some freeware programs for the dopod but every time i execute them it get the message "not a valid pocket pc program".
When downloading these apps, which one will work on the Dopod?
ARM? XSCALE?
I know .cab files work but finding the apps i want as a .cab has proven difficult.
XSCALE is the name that intel gave their arm compatible cpu
"not a valid pocket pc program"
is the typical error msg people who try to run pc activesync install applications directly on their pda rather then run them on their pc
Try the following sites:
http://ppcwarez.org
http://www.pdalink.org
Regards!
I downloaded a lot of windows pocketpc applications for my Xperia and none of the worked... The following message comes up: "Is not a valid pocketpc application"
I had a lot of 2003, windows 5, and 6 applications, and games and they cant install or open!
How can I fix this?
RE:
Did you just copy the applications straight to your Xpreia then run the files? If so, you need to run most pocket apps on a PC first, then when you connect your Xperia to a PC then a window will pop up showing you the applications that need to be installed onto your Xperia. This is all Automatic, as long as you have installed the Phone onto your PC.
Hope this helps.
Joel
Yeah, that's the only real stupid crap on WM.
I could install any app on Symbian right on phone.
Why the hell they don't make all .CAB's??
I understand with big files, but with 100kB thing is plain stupid,
the whole idea of mobility dies with this.
P.S. I also have some apps like that, so what do I do?
Install it first on PC? And than what, uninstall it after installing on phone??
If you have it "install" on your pc only, it always leaves a .cab file somewhere to be downloaded to your phone later. That's how I extracted the CAB files from the executables I have anyway.
99% of apps can be obtained as cab. Only few I had to install manually (ie there was no CAB or PC EXE installer).
Most are avaialble also aso PC exe, but if someone bothers with EXE installer, he usually has CAB too (in fact he has to, since the PC installation shows some funky windows and then it simply copies the CAB to WM device).
Which is also where you can get the CAB. Unpack the EXE installer (very often possible, Total Commander can do that for example), locate the CAB inside it, and install the CAB manually.
Dr.Sid said:
99% of apps can be obtained as cab. Only few I had to install manually (ie there was no CAB or PC EXE installer).
Most are avaialble also aso PC exe, but if someone bothers with EXE installer, he usually has CAB too (in fact he has to, since the PC installation shows some funky windows and then it simply copies the CAB to WM device).
Which is also where you can get the CAB. Unpack the EXE installer (very often possible, Total Commander can do that for example), locate the CAB inside it, and install the CAB manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you had plain luck,
50% of the apps which I want are these f**n .exe. Without any .CAB inside.
But I still didn't get how is the standard operation from PC.
What do I do first? Install the .exe on my computer and than connect phone? And what than?
sync your mobile with activeSync, install the application through pc, activeSync will start the installation on your mobile
Connect the phone to the PC via ActiveSync.
Run the exe on the PC. It installs on PC and copies the cab installer to the phone via ActiveSync. The phone should start the installation automatically.
I still wonder .. what applications are those ?
on8a said:
Connect the phone to the PC via ActiveSync.
Run the exe on the PC. It installs on PC and copies the cab installer to the phone via ActiveSync. The phone should start the installation automatically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, thanks guys for replies.
I assume while installing I can choose the place of installation (phone/card....)
P.S. Can the .cab installer stay on device, for quick reinstall after upgrade?
Or you have to connect to PC again?