How to Create a Cab File

[MarkMoore]

OK - I tried searching but keep getting an error that my 'search term contains less that the 3 minimum word requirement' or something to that effect.

Anyhow - I was trying to figure out how to create a cab file. I peeked in to the PPCGeeks_OEM.rar from the Kitchen folder and would like to install some of the additional apps - the problem is when cooking a new ROM, they take up too much space. So how can extract the files (actually I know that part) and create a CAB file to install them (or can I just copy them over and run some magic XML command/progam that will install them?)

Thanks,
Mark

[jabu]

I would like to know this also. Good question!

[Unknown Zone]

http://www.devx.com/wireless/Article/31198

This might help I myself did not read the article..but you might want to check it out.

[jabu]

Packaging CAB Files
The first step toward deploying the project is to first package the application into a Cabinet (CAB) file. The CAB file can then be deployed to devices, where it is then expanded and installed. A CAB file is an executable archive file that contains your application, dependencies such as DLLs, resources, Help files, and any other files you want to include in it.

In this step not only will I create the CAB file for the application, but I will also configure it so that a shortcut is created on the user's Start menu when they install the application. Add a new project to your current solution by going to File(Add Project…. In the Project Types column, expand the Other Project Types node and select Setup and Deployment. Select the Smart Device CAB Project template. Name the project C:\SmartDeviceCab1 and click OK.
In Solution Explorer, click the SmartDeviceCab1 project and set the ProductName property to MySampleApp (see Figure 2). This will be the name of the folder that is created on the Pocket PC when you install the application.
Right-click on SmartDeviceCab1 in Solution Explorer and select Properties. Set the output file name to Debug\SampleApp.cab (see Figure 3). This will be the name and location of the CAB file.
The next step would be to configure how the CAB file will install on the target device when it is deployed onto the user's Pocket PC. For my example, I will create a shortcut on the user's Pocket PC Start Menu so that users can directly launch the application from the Start Menu.
In the File System pane, right-click Application Folder and select Add—>Project Output…. In the Add Project Output Group window, select Primary output and click OK.



Right-click on Primary output from SampleApp(Active) and select Create Shortcut to Primary output from SampleApp (Active) (see Figure 4). The Primary Output refers to the application that will be expanded from the SampleApp.cab cabinet file and here we are creating a shortcut to point to the application.
Rename the default shortcut "SampleApp v1." This will be the shortcut that you will display on the Start menu of the end user devices (you will create the shortcut in the next step).
In the current window, right click on File System on Target Machine and select Add Special Folder—>Start Menu Folder (see Figure 5). This will allow us to put the shortcut we created earlier into the Start Menu folder on the target Pocket PC. If a Start menu already exists on the device simply skip to the next step.



The icon for the SampleAppv1 shortcut should be visible from the current window. Drag and drop it onto the Start Menu Folder. The Start Menu Folder should now look like Figure 6. This will cause a shortcut to be created on the user's Pocket PC Start Menu when the application is installed.
The next step is to generate the CAB file. To do that, go to Build—>Build SmartDeviceCab1 to build the CAB file project.
The CAB file is, in itself, an installer, but only end users with above-average computer savvy will know what to do with it. The next step is to actually make a Windows-style application installer that better mimics the typical experience installing applications on PCs.



Source: http://www.devx.com/wireless/Article/31198/0/page/2


You don't need to goto the next step in the walkthrough unless you want to create a windows installer.


NOTE: These instructions are for Visual Studio. You can get the Express version for free here: http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/


Thanks to Unknown Zone for digging up this article.

[weedahoe]

Has everyone forgotten about WinCE CAB Manager?

[jabu]

Originally Posted by weedahoe

Has everyone forgotten about WinCE CAB Manager?

Yes.

[nxtech3]

if Visual Studio Express is free then why would someone want to pay for WinCE Cab Manager?? What are the major differences?

[jabu]

Visual studio takes a GRIP of hard drive space. I haven't used WinCE Cab Manager, so I don't know how it differs.

[weedahoe]

You guys are pathetic, the first thing we teach and preach here is 'search' and you guys still dont do it.

[jabu]

I really don't care enough about making cabs to search!