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Virtualization to Create Single EXEs from Mixed Assemblies

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Renegade:
This might be a useful heads-up for some people.

http://boxedapp.com/



It lets you create a single EXE file from multiple and mixed DLLs, so you can have a .NET program that pulls in native DLLs, but package it all as a single EXE.

BoxedApp Packer is a developer utility for converting your regular full-fledged applications to single self-sustaining executable files that don't require the installation in order to be run. That literally means that you can squeeze all ActiveX controls, dynamic libraries, and just all kinds of files that your original application depends on into a single executable file and run it just as if that was a regular application installed the regular way...
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I've given it a quick few tests, and it pans out. Works very nicely.

Now, you can't use it for something like this call:

System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("blah.exe");

But boohoo. Everything else seems pretty slick.

40hz:
Hey! Renegade's got a new avatar. Like it! :Thmbsup:

Thx for the heads up too!

Renegade:
Hey! Renegade's got a new avatar. Like it! :Thmbsup:

Thx for the heads up too!
-40hz (April 15, 2011, 04:03 AM)
--- End quote ---

Thanks! It was one of those pieces of artwork that I bought while doing Super Simple. It was just so cute. :)

But do check out that BoxedApp. It's slick.

It's 300 Euro, but really, for that kind of software? That's cheap!

Of course, if you only need to merge .NET assemblies, then ILMerge.exe is the way to go.

Incidentally, Infralution's .NET Encryptor packs assemblies together, but I don't know if it will do mixed... I should check...

Renegade:
Checked:

http://www.infralution.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1928

No. Infralution's .NET Encryptor only does .NET assemblies.

So, that leaves BoxedApp at the top of my list so far.

f0dder:
Hrm, if it supports both .NET assemblies and native DLLs, it has to either

1) unbundle the files to %TEMP% or whereever.
2) use manually coded and potentially fragile routines to load the native assemblies.

If the product does #1, please don't use it for your end-users' sake. Temp files == slow, and can trigger antivirus programs in the depressing way. If it's #2, test the result carefully across a wide range of Windows versions.

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