[Mono-list] just installed mono, most basic test failed.

[Edward Ned Harvey (mono)]

> From: mono-list-bounces at lists.ximian.com [mailto:mono-list-
> bounces at lists.ximian.com] On Behalf Of ChipRaptor
> 
> I compiled and ran the basic tests proposed on the mono page at
> http://www.mono-project.com/docs/getting-started/mono-basics/

I recommend, forget about it unless you care - 

GTK isn't usually used anywhere except on Linux.
Normally on the mac, you're using Xamarin.Mac, or MonoMac.
Normally on windows, you're using WinForms or WPF.

Definitely *don't* bother with winforms on non-windows platforms. Nobody has ever had a good experience with that. If you're looking for a cross-platform GUI toolkit, you can look at Eto.Forms and XSP. But I think most people just design business logic separate from GUI code, and build native GUI's on Xam.Mac, GTK#, and Winforms/WPF.

If you're looking for cross-platform GUI toolkit for mobile devices, there's Xamarin.Forms... And probably some competitors, but I don't do this, so I don't know.

So the big questions are - What do you want to accomplish? Are you planning to develop mono sources and contribute to mono? Or do you just want to learn mono and start doing cross-platform stuff like you were doing on .Net with VS?

If you want to just develop .Net applications, I would suggest: Install MonoDevelop (which is completely free, and confusing, because after installation its name will be "Xamarin Studio," but if you were to go to the xamarin downloads page to download xamarin studio, it's not free). Play around with the Xamarin.Mac Hello Mac. Play around with GTK# on linux.

Installing the MDK is pretty brainless and straightforward. And in fact, you can run your apps just because the MDK is installed. But you don't want to (and sometimes can't) make it a requirement for end users to install MDK in order to run your app - If you pay for Xam.Mac, there is a checkbox inside your xam.mac project to bundle the runtime with your app. This is by far, the recommended way to go. (And a requirement, in order to distribute in the appstore).

MonoMac and Xamarin.Mac are the same thing - except Xam.Mac has been developed more with more features added onto it. So you can get a good idea how to design basic forms and how the threading model works using MonoMac, and then pay for Xam.Mac when or if you need it.