Re: Is there a better method to embed a application into OS image ?

"YuMail" <Yu.Mails@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:eyDDYa$eFHA.3040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

> I would like to put a software into my OS ROM image.
> Howerver, the software contains many directories and many files.
> When I put all directories and files in
> "\WinCE420\Platform\SMDK2410\Files" directory, I still keep the
> original hierarchy. Howerver, finally all those files still are in
> \Windows directory of OS. It is flat and no hierarchy exists.
>

Both solutions will use more space on your device that what is needed
by the application itself.
As you already stated, .dat files will force the system to copy your
files at startup and you'll end with two copies in memory: one in the
image, in RAM or flash (and this copy could be in compressed form)
and the other one on RAM or on a mass-storage device.
You'll need to update your .dat (and .bib) files if new files are
added to the application (you may put those commands in separated
files using Mike Hall's great CeFileWiz tool, but this does not
change the problem, simply make it more simple to handle...).
Also using the CAB you'll end having a compressed copy in the CAB (in
the image) and one in RAM/mass-storage.
For executable modules things could be even worse, since they'll
could be loaded into RAM to be executed...

If you've got a mass-storage device on your Windows CE device you may
leave the application out of your image and put it directly on the
mass-storage.
If you simply need to start it at system startup, you don't need to
include it in the OS image.
You may build a small launcher application that will be put in the
image and will launch the main app when the mass-storage device is
ready (this will also be useful for upgrades...). It could also load
drivers (if needed).
If your mass-storage device is not accessible from the outside (ex:
intel PSM or any kind of internal flash), you may consider building a
small CE image that includes only the things needed to startup the
mass-storage device and the kernel and use it to copy (permanently)
the application on the mass-storage device.
In this way you'll need to download the image two times, one (in RAM)
to copy the application, and the "real" one to ship it with the
device. In this way the application will be updatable without
rebuilding and updating the whole OS image (and updating a full-OS
image could be more complicated than replacing single files since it
could involve modification of the bootloader).

--
Valter Minute
vminute@xxxxxxxxx (the reply address of this message is invalid)
.