Using EzSetup for creating Pocket PC installations

EzSetup is a free open source program for creating instillations for your Pocket PC program. After you have prepared CAB files for each processor you have to write a setup program that will install these CAB files.

Summary

EzSetup is a free open source program for creating instillations for your Pocket PC program. After you have prepared CAB files for each processor you have to write a setup program that will install these CAB files.

What You Need

EzSetup 2.0

Background

You can create CAB files using CabWiz.exe (a part of Pocket PC SDK). But then you have to think how to distribute these files. You can simply archive them in one zip file. Another way is creating a desktop setup program using on of the existing installation tools like InstallShield, Wise Installer etc. But this installation tools are expensive, provide a lot of unnecessary functionality and are not so easy.

EzSetup

Among different installation tools there is one that is free, small, easy to use, optimized for Pocket PC and even open source. It is EzSetup. I have tested many different installation tools and EzSetup is the best for creating Pocket PC installations.

EzSetup is a command line compiler that takes several CAB files, one .ini file and creates one compressed executable file that automatically installs your Pocket PC application. Here is a sample screen of the generated installation:

Using EzSetup

First of all you should create CAB files and write .ini file. Then start ezsetup.exe in command like. Here is usage example:

ezsetup.exe -l english -i install.ini -r readme.txt -e eula.txt -o myapp_setup.exe

Where install.ini contains the following lines:

[CEAppManager]
Version = 1.0
Component = My Application
[My Application]
Description = My test application
Uninstall = My Application
CabFiles = myapp.arm.cab,myapp.mips.cab,myapp.sh3.cab

EzSetup will create myapp_setup.exe executable file that consists of two steps. The first step shows content of readme.txt file. The second step shows end user license agreement from eula.txt and prompts user to agree. Only after then the setup installs necessary CAB to the attached Pocket PC.

EzSetup development

EzSetup is free software, released under the Gnu Public License. You can download last sources.

EzSetup is created by Scott Ludwig. Last changes are done by Spb Software House. Next needed features are: uninstall and pictures support. Now there is beta version of EzSetup 2.0. Release version will be published on until April 2002.

Conclusion

If you are a Pocket PC author and are looking for an inexpensive way to create/obtain a setup program, look at EzSetup.

Once you have created your .cab files (as described in the Pocket PC SDK), you are ready to u se EzSetup. EzSetup takes your .cab files and outputs a compressed, self-contained, self-extracting Windows setup program that will set up your Pocket PC software.

Related resources:

Section: Installation

Article: Using Spb AirSetup to create Pocket PC installers

Article: Installing multiple CAB files with the same setup application

QA: How can I add my custom function to installation/uninstallation?

QA: How to uninstall a Pocket PC application?

QA: How can I create setup.exe file that will automatically install necessart .cab file on Pocket PC?

QA: How to install a cab file on Pocket PC?

Article: Successful Installation for Pocket PC Applications

Article: Creating an Application Installation Package with Microsoft Windows CE 3.0

Article: Deploying Windows CE applications with Wise InstallMaster

Article: deVBuzz speaks with Jeff Law of PPCInstall