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I have a Windows app (C using Visual Studio) and I want to port it to a Mac. Must I get a Mac to do this? It'd be nice to port it without having to spend too much. CodeWeavers can port your software to Mac, Linux, and Android We can port your Windows Software to Mac, Linux, and Android CodeWeavers CrossOver technology enables you to bring your Windows software to the Android, Mac and Linux marketplace efficiently and economically. Oct 30, 2019 On your Mac, follow the onscreen prompts until you get to the migration pane of the assistant. Select the option to transfer your information “From a Windows PC,” then click Continue. When prompted, enter an administrator name and password. Click Continue to close any other open apps.
This guide describes how to use Pair to Mac to connect Visual Studio 2019to a Mac build host. The same instructions apply to Visual Studio 2017.
Overview
Building native iOS applications requires access to Apple's build tools,which only run on a Mac. Because of this, Visual Studio 2019 must connect toa network-accessible Mac to build Xamarin.iOS applications.
Visual Studio 2019's Pair to Mac feature discovers, connects to,authenticates with, and remembers Mac build hosts so that Windows-basediOS developers can work productively.
Pair to Mac enables the following development workflow:
- Developers can write Xamarin.iOS code in Visual Studio 2019.
- Visual Studio 2019 opens a network connection to a Mac build host anduses the build tools on that machine to compile and sign the iOS app.
- There is no need to run a separate application on the Mac – VisualStudio 2019 invokes Mac builds securely over SSH.
- Visual Studio 2019 is notified of changes as soon as they happen. Forexample, when an iOS device is plugged in to the Mac or becomes availableon the network, the iOS Toolbar updates instantly.
- Multiple instances of Visual Studio 2019 can connect to the Macsimultaneously.
- It's possible to use the Windows command-line to build iOS applications.
Note
Before following the instructions in this guide, complete the following steps:
- On a Windows machine, install Visual Studio 2019
- On a Mac, install Xcode and Visual Studio for Mac
- You must manually open Xcode after installing so that it can add any additional components.
If you would prefer not to install Visual Studio for Mac, Visual Studio 2019can automatically configure the Mac build host with Xamarin.iOS and Mono.You must still install and run Xcode.For more information, see Automatic Mac provisioning.
Enable remote login on the Mac
To set up the Mac build host, first enable remote login:
- On the Mac, open System Preferences and go to the Sharing pane.
- Check Remote Login in the Service list.Make sure that it is configured to allow access for All users, orthat your Mac username or group is included in the list of allowedusers.
- https://bestofpowerup179.weebly.com/most-recent-mac-software-version.html. If prompted, configure the macOS firewall.If you have set the macOS firewall to block incoming connections, youmay need to allow
mono-sgen
to receive incoming connections. An alertappears to prompt you if this is the case. - If it is on the same network as the Windows machine, the Mac shouldnow be discoverable by Visual Studio 2019. If the Mac is still notdiscoverable, try manually adding a Mac or takea look at the troubleshooting guide.
Connect to the Mac from Visual Studio 2019
Now that remote login is enabled, connect Visual Studio 2019 to the Mac.
- In Visual Studio 2019, open an existing iOS project or create a new oneby choosing File > New > Project and then selecting an iOS projecttemplate.
- Open the Pair to Mac dialog.
- Use the Pair to Mac button iOS toolbar:
- Or, select Tools > iOS > Pair to Mac.
- The Pair to Mac dialog displays a list of all previously-connectedand currently-available Mac build hosts:
- Select a Mac in the list. Click Connect. Lenovo replicator drivers for mac.
- Enter your username and password.
- The first time you connect to any particular Mac, you areprompted to enter your username and password for that machine:TipWhen logging in, use your system username rather than full name. Audio file management software mac.
- Pair to Mac uses these credentials to create a new SSH connectionto the Mac. If it succeeds, a key is added to the authorized_keysfile on the Mac. Subsequent connections to the same Mac will loginautomatically.
- Download circuit desktop app mac. Pair to Mac automatically configures the Mac.Starting with Visual Studio 2019 version15.6,Visual Studio 2019 installs or updates Mono and Xamarin.iOS on aconnected Mac build host as needed (note that Xcode must still beinstalled manually). See Automatic Macprovisioning for more details.
- Look for the connection status icon.
- When Visual Studio 2019 is connected to a Mac, that Mac's itemin the Pair to Mac dialog displays an icon indicating thatit is currently connected:There can be only one connected Mac at a time.TipRight-clicking any Mac in the Pair to Mac list brings up a contextmenu that allows you to Connect., Forget this Mac, orDisconnect:If you choose Forget this Mac, your credentials for the selectedMac will be forgotten. To reconnect to that Mac, you will need to re-enteryour username and password. https://yardheavenly.weebly.com/garmin-virb-edit-mac-download.html.
If you have successfully paired to a Mac build host, you are ready to buildXamarin.iOS apps in Visual Studio 2019. Take a look at theIntroduction to Xamarin.iOS for Visual Studioguide.
If you have not been able to pair a Mac, try manually adding aMac or take a look at the troubleshootingguide.
Manually add a Mac
If you do not see a particular Mac listed in the Pair to Mac dialog,add it manually:
- Locate your Mac’s IP address.
- Open System Preferences > Sharing > Remote Login on your Mac:
- Alternatively, use the command line. In Terminal, issue this command:Depending on your network configuration, you may need to use aninterface name other than
en0
. For example:en1
,en2
, etc.
- In Visual Studio 2019's Pair to Mac dialog, select Add Mac.:
- Enter the Mac's IP address and click Add:
- Enter your username and password for the Mac:TipWhen logging in, use your system username rather than full name.
- Click Login to connect Visual Studio 2019 to the Mac over SSH and addit to the list of known machines.
Automatic Mac provisioning
Starting with Visual Studio 2019 version 15.6,Pair to Mac automatically provisions a Mac with software necessary forbuilding Xamarin.iOS applications: Mono, Xamarin.iOS (the softwareframework, not the Visual Studio for Mac IDE), and various Xcode-relatedtools (but not Xcode itself).
Important
- Pair to Mac cannot install Xcode; you must manually install it on theMac build host. It is required for Xamarin.iOS development.
- Automatic Mac provisioning requires that remote login isenabled on the Mac, and the Mac must be network-accessible to the Windowsmachine. See Enabling remote login on the Macfor more details.
- Automatic Mac provisioning requires 3GB of free space on the Mac to install Xamarin.iOS.
Pair to Mac performs necessary software installations/updates when VisualStudio 2019 is connecting to theMac.
Mono
Pair to Mac will check to make sure that Mono is installed. If it is notinstalled, Pair to Mac will download and install the latest stable versionof Mono on the Mac.
Progress is indicated by various prompts, as shown by the followingscreenshots (click to zoom):
Install Check | Downloading | Installing |
---|---|---|
Mono |
Xamarin.iOS
Pair to Mac upgrades Xamarin.iOS on the Mac to match the versioninstalled on the Windows machine.
Important
Pair to Mac will not downgrade Xamarin.iOS on the Mac from alpha/betato stable. If you have Visual Studio for Mac installed, set yourrelease channel asfollows:
- If you use Visual Studio 2019, select the Stable updates channel inVisual Studio for Mac.
- If you use Visual Studio 2019 Preview, select the Alpha updateschannel in Visual Studio for Mac.
Progress is indicated by various prompts, as shown by the followingscreenshots (click to zoom):
Install Check | Downloading | Installing |
---|---|---|
Xamarin.iOS |
Xcode tools and license
Pair to Mac will also check to determine whether Xcode has been installedand its license accepted. While Pair to Mac does not install Xcode, itdoes prompt for license acceptance, as shown in the following screenshots(click to zoom):
Install Check | License Acceptance |
---|---|
Xcode |
Additionally, Pair to Mac will install or update various packagesdistributed with Xcode. For example:
- MobileDeviceDevelopment.pkg
- XcodeExtensionSupport.pkg
- MobileDevice.pkg
- XcodeSystemResources.pkg
The installation of these packages happens quickly and without a prompt.
Note
These tools are distinct from the Xcode Command Line Tools, whichas of macOS 10.9 areinstalled with Xcode.
Troubleshooting automatic Mac provisioning
If you encounter any trouble using automatic Mac provisioning, take a lookat the Visual Studio 2019 IDE logs, stored in%LOCALAPPDATA%XamarinLogs16.0. These logs may contain error messagesto help you better diagnose the failure or get support.
Build iOS apps from the Windows command-line
Pair to Mac supports building Xamarin.iOS applications from the commandline. For example:
Run Mac Apps On Windows
The parameters passed to
msbuild
in the above example are:ServerAddress
– The IP address of the Mac build host.ServerUser
– The username to use when logging in to the Mac build host.Use your system username rather than your full name.ServerPassword
– The password to use when logging in to the Mac build host.
Note
Visual Studio 2019 stores
msbuild
in the following directory:C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft Visual Studio2019<Version>MSBuildCurrentBinThe first time Pair to Mac logs in to a particular Mac build host fromeither Visual Studio 2019 or the command-line, it sets up SSH keys. With thesekeys, future logins will not require a username or password. Vodafone 3g software for mac. Newlycreated keys are stored in %LOCALAPPDATA%XamarinMonoTouch.
If the
ServerPassword
parameter is omitted from a command-line buildinvocation, Pair to Mac attempts to log in to the Mac build hostusing the saved SSH keys.Summary
Free Windows For Mac
This article described how to use Pair to Mac to connect Visual Studio 2019 to aMac build host, enabling Visual Studio 2019 developers to build native iOSapplications with Xamarin.iOS.
Next steps
-->This article describes how to port your Windows Forms-based desktop app from .NET Framework to .NET Core 3.0 or later. The .NET Core 3.0 SDK includes support for Windows Forms applications. Windows Forms is still a Windows-only framework and only runs on Windows. This example uses the .NET Core SDK CLI to create and manage your project.
In this article, various names are used to identify types of files used for migration. When migrating your project, your files will be named differently, so mentally match them to the ones listed below:
File | Description |
---|---|
MyApps.sln | The name of the solution file. |
MyForms.csproj | The name of the .NET Framework Windows Forms project to port. |
MyFormsCore.csproj | The name of the new .NET Core project you create. |
MyAppCore.exe | The .NET Core Windows Forms app executable. |
Prerequisites
- Visual Studio 2019 16.5 Preview 1 or later for any designer work you want to do. We recommend to update to the latest Preview version of Visual Studio.Install the following Visual Studio workloads:
- .NET desktop development
- .NET Core cross-platform development
- A working Windows Forms project in a solution that builds and runs without issue.
- A project coded in C#.
Note
.NET Core 3.0 projects are only supported in Visual Studio 2019 or a later version. Starting with Visual Studio 2019 version 16.5 Preview 1, the .NET Core Windows Forms designer is also supported.
To enable the designer, go to Tools > Options > Environment > Preview Features and select the Use the preview Windows Forms designer for .NET Core apps option.
Consider
When porting a .NET Framework Windows Forms application, there are a few things you must consider.
- Check that your application is a good candidate for migration. Apple tv 3 jailbreak download mac.Use the .NET Portability Analyzer to determine if your project will migrate to .NET Core 3.0. If your project has issues with .NET Core 3.0, the analyzer helps you identify those problems.
- Edison mail app for mac. You're using a different version of Windows Forms.When .NET Core 3.0 Preview 1 was released, Windows Forms went open source on GitHub. The code for .NET Core Windows Forms is a fork of the .NET Framework Windows Forms codebase. It's possible some differences exist and your app won't port.
- The Windows Compatibility Pack may help you migrate.Some APIs that are available in .NET Framework aren't available in .NET Core 3.0. The Windows Compatibility Pack adds many of these APIs and may help your Windows Forms app become compatible with .NET Core.
- Update the NuGet packages used by your project.It's always a good practice to use the latest versions of NuGet packages before any migration. If your application is referencing any NuGet packages, update them to the latest version. Ensure your application builds successfully. After upgrading, if there are any package errors, downgrade the package to the latest version that doesn't break your code.
Create a new SDK project
The new .NET Core 3.0 project you create must be in a different directory from your .NET Framework project. If they're both in the same directory, you may run into conflicts with the files that are generated in the obj directory. In this example, we'll create a directory named MyFormsAppCore in the SolutionFolder directory:
Next, you need to create the MyFormsCore.csproj project in the MyFormsAppCore directory. You can create this file manually by using the text editor of choice. Paste in the following XML:
If you don't want to create the project file manually, you can use Visual Studio or the .NET Core SDK to generate the project. However, you must delete all other files generated by the project template except for the project file. To use the SDK, run the following command from the SolutionFolder directory:
After you create the MyFormsCore.csproj, your directory structure should look like the following:
Add the MyFormsCore.csproj project to MyApps.sln with either Visual Studio or the .NET Core CLI from the SolutionFolder directory:
Fix assembly info generation
Windows Forms projects that were created with .NET Framework include an
AssemblyInfo.cs
file, which contains assembly attributes such as the version of the assembly to be generated. SDK-style projects automatically generate this information for you based on the SDK project file. Having both types of 'assembly info' creates a conflict. Resolve this problem by disabling automatic generation, which forces the project to use your existing AssemblyInfo.cs
file.There are three settings to add to the main
<PropertyGroup>
node.- GenerateAssemblyInfo
When you set this property tofalse
, it won't generate the assembly attributes. This avoids the conflict with the existingAssemblyInfo.cs
file from the .NET Framework project. - AssemblyName
The value of this property is the output binary created when you compile. The name doesn't need an extension added to it. For example, usingMyCoreApp
producesMyCoreApp.exe
. - RootNamespace
The default namespace used by your project. This should match the default namespace of the .NET Framework project.
Add these three elements to the
<PropertyGroup>
node in the MyFormsCore.csproj
file:Add source code
Right now, the MyFormsCore.csproj project doesn't compile any code. By default, .NET Core projects automatically include all source code in the current directory and any child directories. You must configure the project to include code from the .NET Framework project using a relative path. If your .NET Framework project used .resx files for icons and resources for your forms, you'll need to include those too.
Add the following
<ItemGroup>
node to your project. Each statement includes a file glob pattern that includes child directories.Alternatively, you can create a
<Compile>
or <EmbeddedResource>
entry for each file in your .NET Framework project.Add NuGet packages
Add each NuGet package referenced by the .NET Framework project to the .NET Core project.
Most likely your .NET Framework Windows Forms app has a packages.config file that contains a list of all of the NuGet packages that are referenced by your project. You can look at this list to determine which NuGet packages to add to the .NET Core project. For example, if the .NET Framework project referenced the
MetroFramework
, MetroFramework.Design
, and MetroFramework.Fonts
NuGet packages, add each to the project with either Visual Studio or the .NET Core CLI from the SolutionFolder directory:The previous commands would add the following NuGet references to the MyFormsCore.csproj project:
Port control libraries
If you have a Windows Forms Controls library project to port, the directions are the same as porting a .NET Framework Windows Forms app project, except for a few settings. And instead of compiling to an executable, you compile to a library. The difference between the executable project and the library project, besides paths for the file globs that include your source code, is minimal.
Using the previous step's example, lets expand what projects and files we're working with.
File | Description |
---|---|
MyApps.sln | The name of the solution file. |
MyControls.csproj | The name of the .NET Framework Windows Forms Controls project to port. |
MyControlsCore.csproj | The name of the new .NET Core library project you create. |
MyCoreControls.dll | The .NET Core Windows Forms Controls library. |
Consider the differences between the
MyControlsCore.csproj
project and the previously created MyFormsCore.csproj
project.Here is an example of what the .NET Core Windows Forms Controls library project file would look like:
As you can see, the
<OutputType>
node was removed, which defaults the compiler to produce a library instead of an executable. The <AssemblyName>
and <RootNamespace>
were changed. Specifically the <RootNamespace>
should match the namespace of the Windows Forms Controls library you are porting. And finally, the <Compile>
and <EmbeddedResource>
nodes were adjusted to point to the folder of the Windows Forms Controls library you are porting.Next, in the main .NET Core MyFormsCore.csproj project, add a reference to the new .NET Core Windows Forms Control library. Add a reference with either Visual Studio or the .NET Core CLI from the SolutionFolder directory:
The previous command adds the following to the MyFormsCore.csproj project:
Compilation problems
If you have problems compiling your projects, you may be using some Windows-only APIs that are available in .NET Framework but not available in .NET Core. You can try adding the Windows Compatibility Pack NuGet package to your project. This package only runs on Windows and adds about 20,000 Windows APIs to .NET Core and .NET Standard projects.
The previous command adds the following to the MyFormsCore.csproj project:
Windows Forms Designer
As detailed in this article, Visual Studio 2019 only supports the Forms Designer in .NET Framework projects. By creating a side-by-side .NET Core project, you can test your project with .NET Core while you use the .NET Framework project to design forms. Your solution file includes both the .NET Framework and .NET Core projects. Add and design your forms and controls in the .NET Framework project, and based on the file glob patterns we added to the .NET Core projects, any new or changed files will automatically be included in the .NET Core projects.
Once Visual Studio 2019 supports the Windows Forms Designer, you can copy/paste the content of your .NET Core project file into the .NET Framework project file. Then delete the file glob patterns added with the
<Source>
and <EmbeddedResource>
items. Fix the paths to any project reference used by your app. This effectively upgrades the .NET Framework project to a .NET Core project.Next steps
- Learn about breaking changes from .NET Framework to .NET Core.
- Read more about the Windows Compatibility Pack.
- Watch a video on porting your .NET Framework Windows Forms project to .NET Core.