CF 2.0 and SQL Mobile Setup available?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Thomas Bandt
  • Start date Start date
T

Thomas Bandt

Hi,

is there a ready setup available which allows the user
to install the CF 2.0 and SQL Server Mobile on his
Mobile Device via ActiveSync?

Because I did not got my Custom Installer working on
Windows Mobile 5, and I plan to ship large database
files (~ 150 MB), I thought to deliver a SD Card with
the application and database files on it, and additionally
a setup for the framework and database app.
 
There are separate CAB files for both SQL Mobile and .NET CF. They come with
VS.NET.

Regards
Simon.
 
Simon said:
There are separate CAB files for both SQL Mobile and .NET CF. They come with
VS.NET.
Click to expand...

I know, but I can't deliver all the cabs and let the User
select the one which he needs ... because the User doesn't
know.
 
You have to write your own setup which will install from the client via
ActiveSync. You might want a look at tools from InstallShield. InstallShield
does all this for you, deploying SQL Mobile and .NET CF. I have found the
later versions a little buggy though. Haven't looked at this for a while
though so there could have been updates.

Regards
Simon.
 
Simon said:
You have to write your own setup which will install from the client via
ActiveSync. You might want a look at tools from InstallShield. InstallShield
does all this for you, deploying SQL Mobile and .NET CF. I have found the
later versions a little buggy though. Haven't looked at this for a while
though so there could have been updates.
Click to expand...

I tried both. I built a Custom Installer with Visual Studio - it worked,
but only on one of my 2 test devices with Windows for Pocket PC 2003
on it - not on the other with Windows Mobile 5.

Because of that I am looking for a alternative solution. First thought:
just deliver the app on card and additionally the necessary Software
(CF, SQL Server) on a seperate setup.

InstallShield 11.5 I tried yesterday ... looks simple and doing exactly
what I want - but as you wrote, it's buggy. The setup (autostart.exe)
goes down the list of installable runtimes from A-Z, even if one of the
runtimes was installed successfull, it starts to run the next cab.

Not as simple as I thought ... but I can not imagine to be the only one
who has to deploy his Software to unknown customers with any kind of
platform?

Regards, Thomas
 
You didn't say what didn't work when using VS with WM 5. I must admit,
InstallShield works fine on .NET CF 1.0 and SQL Mobile 2.0, its .NET CF 2.0,
SQL Mobile 3.0 and the snap-in under VS.NET 2005 that runs like a bag of
...... But as you said as an alternative, you might want to look at shipping
your app on an SD card and write a native app which does the install. This
is how for example, TomTom deploys its Satalite GPS Car Navigation
application.

Regards
Simon.
 
I have also had problems with installing .NET CF 2.0 (even SP1) and SQL
Mobile 3.0 on WM 5.0 devices: the CF install requires a system re-start,
which can take a while so I figured it was clever to install SQL Mobile
first. Although this seems to work (no failure message) my application will
always fail when the database is addressed. Re-installing the SQL Mobile
will solve the issue - but how can I make an installation that will always
work first time?
 
Puddles said:
I have also had problems with installing .NET CF 2.0 (even SP1) and SQL
Mobile 3.0 on WM 5.0 devices: the CF install requires a system re-start,
which can take a while so I figured it was clever to install SQL Mobile
first. Although this seems to work (no failure message) my application will
always fail when the database is addressed. Re-installing the SQL Mobile
will solve the issue - but how can I make an installation that will always
work first time?
Click to expand...

Good question! That's even my problem with my custom installer on
Windows mobile 5 - don't know how to get it working correctly.

@Simon - Writing a native installer isn't less work, because of the X
platforms/processors ... right?

Someway dead end :-(
 
NETCF does not requre restart. You see this message due to know issue in WM
5.0. Message can be safely ignored.

--
Best regards,

Ilya

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Ilya said:
NETCF does not requre restart. You see this message due to know issue in WM
5.0. Message can be safely ignored.
Click to expand...

Please say that to my customers ;-)
 
Hi Thomas,
Because of that I am looking for a alternative solution. First thought:
just deliver the app on card and additionally the necessary Software
(CF, SQL Server) on a seperate setup.
Click to expand...

Have a look at the "PocketPC Installer" here:
http://www.pocketpcinstaller.com

Basically, it's a very extremely simple and very clever way of
creating TWO types of self-extracting ".exe" file installers for
your Windows Mobile apps.

One of the installer .exe's that it creates runs on your PDA.
This is one PocketPC file that contains compressed copies of
all of your files, plus the code to intelligently install/copy them
onto your device. So you could put this .exe on an SD-card
and that's all you'd need to give a user to install everything.

The other installer .exe *also* contains all of these files
compressed inside it, but this .exe runs on your Desktop.
This is a convenient way to install everything from the comfort
of your Windows PC. It'll look for a device connected to your
PC, copy everything to it, then start installing/copy it.

Two different ways to deploy your app.
Just pick which you want, and ignore the other.

Now, as both installer .exes contain *compressed* copies of
your files, this'll greatly cut down the size of your installer file.

You also get to specify which files you want to extract/install
onto which type of devices, so, yes, you'll be able to tell it
which files to install on WM2003 devices, and which to install
on WM2005 devices.

Your users won't need to do anything complicated at all. For
them, it will be as simple as "insert the memory card into your
device... sit back and watch it install."


Oh, and creating the installer .exes is childs-play.
Just drag'n'drop your .cab files and other files into the program,
and tick the boxes to say if you want to install/copy each file on
a PPC2002/WM2003/WM2005 device.
It couldn't be easier.

Give it a go, the 30-day evaluation version lets you see it all
in action.


James
 
Thanks James, I'll give it a try!

Regards
Hi Thomas,


Have a look at the "PocketPC Installer" here:
http://www.pocketpcinstaller.com

Basically, it's a very extremely simple and very clever way of
creating TWO types of self-extracting ".exe" file installers for
your Windows Mobile apps.

One of the installer .exe's that it creates runs on your PDA.
This is one PocketPC file that contains compressed copies of
all of your files, plus the code to intelligently install/copy them
onto your device. So you could put this .exe on an SD-card
and that's all you'd need to give a user to install everything.

The other installer .exe *also* contains all of these files
compressed inside it, but this .exe runs on your Desktop.
This is a convenient way to install everything from the comfort
of your Windows PC. It'll look for a device connected to your
PC, copy everything to it, then start installing/copy it.

Two different ways to deploy your app.
Just pick which you want, and ignore the other.

Now, as both installer .exes contain *compressed* copies of
your files, this'll greatly cut down the size of your installer file.

You also get to specify which files you want to extract/install
onto which type of devices, so, yes, you'll be able to tell it
which files to install on WM2003 devices, and which to install
on WM2005 devices.

Your users won't need to do anything complicated at all. For
them, it will be as simple as "insert the memory card into your
device... sit back and watch it install."


Oh, and creating the installer .exes is childs-play.
Just drag'n'drop your .cab files and other files into the program,
and tick the boxes to say if you want to install/copy each file on
a PPC2002/WM2003/WM2005 device.
It couldn't be easier.

Give it a go, the 30-day evaluation version lets you see it all
in action.


James
Click to expand...
 
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