Take a .CAB Ride

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.pocketpcaddict.com/modules.php?name=Sections&sop=viewarticle&artid=12">http://www.pocketpcaddict.com/modules.php?name=Sections&sop=viewarticle&artid=12</a><br /><br />I am not sure what is in the water that the guys over at Pocket PC Addict drink, but it does seem to contribute to the amusing articles. :wink: Gary B. Garland wants his Pocket PC to be more independent than ever, able to download and install any app or driver without needing a PC. Having recently myself installed two apps via .CAB downloads while on the road I can appreciate the sentiments.

[BugDude10]

I agree wholeheartedly. I'm not always at my desk (my sole PPC sync connection), and I hate to wait to get to the office to be able to install some fabulous new app or to re-install something I already have. Developers should give us the option of downloading the .CAB rather than an installation package.

[brntcrsp]

The only downside I see is that you lose the ability to manage the installs from Active Sync.

On the other hand you don't have to manage the installs from Active Sync.

[Gary Garland, Esq.]

:lol: Well, Ed, first and foremost, the arsenic traces in the water have only helped my writing, and second, that .cab article was the most clever thing I've ever read. Ooops, sorry about that. Anyway, I'm glad you found my pocket pc woes amusing :) Seriously, I have not (yet) had the misfortune of being in the situation I described, on the road lacking drivers or critical files, but it is inevitable. When I schlep into NYC (rarely these days) I'm using my iPAQ (lil' buddy) as the hub of my portable office. Wanna print? Sure, I bring a portable printer, but without PrintPocket CE it's just a pretty paperweight. Love my stowaway, but chuck the driver and it's a bookend. I have had a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with Sprite Software's embedded backup software - in particular, the scheduling has only worked for me a handful of times, even though I set it for nightly backups. What does this mean? One nasty shock/zap, or hard reset, and I'm unable to produce output for the day. I have gotten nailed with hard resets on my ipaq 3630. Now, I do store .cab files on my storage card, along with my backups - but what happens if i lose the ipaq, or it gets damaged and I need to produce output on the spot? I could buy another ipaq (financial ouch) or even an upcoming cheapie Dell, but without my drivers and software, I'm dead.
If enough people write to the sites that count, at least for business productivity software and drivers, then we can at least attempt to scrape our collective sorry software dead butts off the ground and become semi productive members of society. Or something like that.... :roll:

[Tom Eichers]

Oh yea this is a biggie, your browsing the web and you find a great new app that you need right now, you click the download and - dang - no .CAB download got to wait till you get home or in the office to try it. I now keep a SD card with just CAB file for just my important programs (the one that have only CABs).

[Newsboy]

Is it possible to save the cab file for later re-installation on your desktop PC? I.E. extract the CAB file from the .exe, and save it to a flash card in case you need to re-install it later on the road?

[snayar]

I've been installing my apps directly from .cabs for months now, since as times goes on ActiveSync Installations tends to get very very slooow for some reason :roll:, so I decided to download and installed on my Pocket PC a nice app called CabInstl from http://s-k.al.ru/wincepdaru.html#ci, and then went to the ActiveSync directory on my PC to retreive the .CAB files that I needed and transfered them to CF and install from there.

CabInstl not only gives you the option not to delete the .CAB after installation, but it allows you to install to whatever path you like (main memory, SafeStore, CF, etc.)

Very nice app! :wink:

[mscdex]

too bad that site for CabInstl is completely in Russian and the app is probably in Russian also. :roll:

[toshtoshtosh]

There's an idea.

Start a freeware PPC software site. Make sure it's optimized for PPC screens, and instead of the Installers have the .CAB files available for download.

Does this exist?

[Ed Hansberry]

There's an idea.

Start a freeware PPC software site. Make sure it's optimized for PPC screens, and instead of the Installers have the .CAB files available for download.

Does this exist?
Handango.com is aready doing this with some software. You have to visit with a PPC to see it.

[msprague]

Is it possible to save the cab file for later re-installation on your desktop PC? I.E. extract the CAB file from the .exe, and save it to a flash card in case you need to re-install it later on the road?
If you installed an app with Activesync the .cab file is already somewhere on your hard drive. Most apps create a folder under C:\Program Files\Microsoft Activesync (assuming default install directories). There are some developers that don't put them there by default (like Developer One for instance) but you can still hunt up the cab file if you look around. I have been doing this ever since my last hard reset and I have all my cab files on my SD card along with registration codes.
too bad that site for CabInstl is completely in Russian and the app is probably in Russian also. :roll:
I rely on this and the app is in English.

[snayar]

too bad that site for CabInstl is completely in Russian and the app is probably in Russian also. :roll:

Even though the site it's in Russian, the link I provided takes you to the Download and the App it's not in Russian but English.

Regards,
Sergio

[ledpocket]

My thumbs up for cabinstl. This is a good app to have. I keep all of my cabs on an sd card, and can reload anything in an emergency, without deleting the cab file. Very good for peace of mind.

[mscdex]

So does anyone know of a site that has a lot of programs that can be downloaded as cabs instead of activesync installers? it would be very useful for people like me who use the internet on the go.
If there are none, I may start a collection on a website.
Or perhaps Jason wants to start a cab download section on the site... :D

[Sven Johannsen]

too bad that site for CabInstl is completely in Russian and the app is probably in Russian also. :roll:

Well, if you are gonna be like that, here

http://www.geocities.com/s_k_s_k_s_kru/

There was a link on the russion page to the english version. It was cleverly hidden, saying "English page here" ;)

[mscdex]

anyone have webspace I could use for a .cab software download site i'm creating or know where I could get a decent amount of space for free (preferrable without banners/ads)?