[Mono-dev] Application Deployment

[Francisco T. Martinez]

Carlos J. Muentes wrote:

>Thanks for the URL, it looks like a slick utility.  Only issue for me is
>I built the entire app in Monodevelop, which means I'd have to create
>new projects in Visual Studio, and import all the code files.  Do you
>have anything for Monodevelop project (*mdp) or Monodevelop solution
>(*mds) files?
>
>
>  
>
>>-------- Original Message --------
>>Subject: Re: [Mono-dev] Application Deployment
>>From: "Francisco T. Martinez" <martinf at mfconsulting.com>
>>Date: Mon, August 14, 2006 9:34 am
>>To: "Carlos J. Muentes" <carlos at rockwithme.org>
>>Cc: Mirco Bauer <meebey at meebey.net>, mono-devel-list at lists.ximian.com
>>
>>Carlos J. Muentes wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Yea I found how to edit the .mdp file while searching around the other
>>>day, and it did work.  I also found how to generate a tarball in
>>>monodevelop, but for some reason, it only worked as root, which isn't a
>>>big deal.  I think deployment project templates (in MD) and overall
>>>application development should be addressed further.  The world is
>>>getting comfy using RPM/deb/* type binary packages, and I think it
>>>would be a step back to limit apps written in C#/Mono to tarball
>>>deployment; especially in the 'Next->Next->Finish' world of Windows.  I
>>>also think that while xcopy simplifies a lot of things, it's not a great
>>>solution to deployment, especially in Windows systems.
>>>
>>>Personally, I would like to quickly generate installation packages that
>>>provide menu entries in the users respective desktop environments
>>>applications menu, as well as proper file location/layout.  I certainly
>>>would never expect end users of my software to compile my applications
>>>      
>>>
>>>from source code; I think it's unprofessional and a bit lame, unless my
>>    
>>
>>>app is targeted towards developers (like mono*), which in this case it
>>>isn't specifically in this instance.  IMHO, Rapid Application
>>>Development isn't only about a great runtime and a great lanaguage to
>>>accompany it; it's also about getting your software to your customers
>>>_rapidly_.
>>>
>>>I also kind of feel like there's way to big of a disconnect between mono
>>>and monodevelop (the mono runtime is almost feature complete, at version
>>>.11, MD is .89 hundreths away from a 1.0 release ^_^ ); there wouldn't
>>>be as many .NET apps in the world today without the awe inspiring
>>>muscle of Visual Studio.NET, but that's probably for another
>>>discussion.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>-------- Original Message --------
>>>>Subject: Re: [Mono-dev] Application Deployment
>>>>From: Mirco Bauer <meebey at meebey.net>
>>>>Date: Sun, August 13, 2006 6:19 pm
>>>>To: "Carlos J. Muentes" <carlos at rockwithme.org>
>>>>Cc: mono-devel-list at lists.ximian.com
>>>>
>>>>On Fri, 2006-08-11 at 11:45 -0700, Carlos J. Muentes wrote:
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>Thanks for the great input Kornel, but I built this app using
>>>>>Monodevelop, and am not sure how to pass /target to MD during
>>>>>compilation.  Should I recompile the app in Windows?
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>Open the monodevelop project file (something.mdp) with an texteditor and
>>>>change the target from Exe to WinExe and open it with monodevelop again
>>>>and compile. Now it will have no console window on windows.
>>>>
>>>>I asked already about this feature (allowing to set target to WinExe via
>>>>monodevelop it self) on the #monodevelop channel but nobody was
>>>>interested in it.
>>>>
>>>>Problem is, as soon as you change the build settings in monodevelop, it
>>>>will replace WinExe with -1 ;) so don't forgot to change/check that
>>>>value once in a while.
>>>>
>>>>-- 
>>>>Regards,
>>>>
>>>>Mirco 'meebey' Bauer
>>>>
>>>>PGP-Key:
>>>>http://keyserver.noreply.org/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xEEF946C8
>>>>
>>>>-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
>>>>Version: 3.12
>>>>GIT d s-:+ a-- C++ UL++++$ P L++$>+++$ E- W+++$ N o? K- w++>! O---- M-
>>>>V? PS
>>>>PE+ Y- PGP++ t 5+ X++ R tv+ b+ DI? D+ G>++ e h! r->++ y?
>>>>------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>Some time ago I released a small project that facilitates the creation 
>>of Windows Installers based on Inno Setup (which is a free download and 
>>very efficient Open Source product) for Mono developers that want to 
>>deploy their applications in Windows.
>>
>>This project aims to create Windows Start Menu short cuts, desktop 
>>and/or tray launch short cuts and can even help begin a download for the 
>>respective runtime that the end user will need to run the Mono 
>>application. It has other features like correcting a Gtk# application 
>>that was not combiled with /target:winexe so that one can even avoid 
>>showing a Windows console window in the background of a running GUI app.
>>
>>You can find more information about this and links to download the 
>>"InstallerMaker" utility here:
>>
>>http://www.mfconsulting.com/blog/archives/000140.html
>>
>>Hope it helps,
>>
>>Paco
>>    
>>
Not yet, as far as mdp reading capabilities.  However, you don't need to 
have a Visual Studio project to start with.  If you have it, then a lot 
of the fields are pre-filled for you, but if you don't have it you just 
fill out the info by hand.

Best regards,

Paco