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# CLR package guidelines

From ArchWiki

This document defines the standard for packaging Common Language Runtime (.NET) projects under Arch Linux. Currently only Mono is capable of providing a usable, efficient CLR runtime for multiple systems and this standard will reflect its use. Be aware that a lot of CLR programs were developed with Microsoft .NET in mind and, as such, may or may not run under Mono because of .NET-exclusive factors such as P/Invoke calls and Microsoft digital rights management (DRM) APIs and are thus will not yield a usable package for Arch Linux. However, if combined with Wine as of version 1.5.6 (?), your package may have a chance to run under it. Please see the Wine PKGBUILD Guidelines for more information if such is the case.

## Packaging gotchas

- Always add mono to `depends`
- Always set `arch` to `any`. Mono does not yet support compiling (running?) 64-bit assemblies.
- Always add `!strip` to `options`
- If the package is a library (DLL), consider installing it to Mono's global assembly cache (GAC) if it is to be used as a dependency.
- If the assembly is precompiled and comes with a program debug database file (Foo.dll.pdb), consider converting it as such: `pdb2mdb Foo.dll`
- If the package is meant to be executed (EXE), be sure to install to `/usr/bin` a shell script to run it, similar to this one:

    #!/bin/sh
    exec mono foo.exe "$@"

### Signed assemblies

If the package is to be installed into the GAC, be sure it has a signed key file. If not, you can generate one like this: `sn -k 1024 Foo.snk`. Following that, the easiest way to embed the key file into the assembly is to disassemble it like this: `monodis Foo.dll --output=Foo.il`. Afterwards, reassemble it like so: `ilasm /dll /key:Foo.snk Foo.il`

## Sample PKGBUILDs

The following examples will try to cover some of the most common conventions and build systems.

### xbuild

#### Unsigned DLL

    # Maintainer: yourname <yourmail>
    pkgname=foo
    pkgver=1.0
    pkgrel=1
    pkgdesc="Fantabulous library for .Net"
    arch=('any')
    url="http://www.foo.bar"
    license=('GPL')
    depends=('mono')
    options=('!strip')
    source=("http://www.foo.bar/foobar.tar.gz")
    md5sums=('4736ac4f34fd9a41fa0197eac23bbc24')

    build() {
      cd foobar

      xbuild Foo.sln

      # if the package is unsigned, do the following:
      cd /bin/x86/Debug
      monodis Foo.dll --output=Foo.il
      sn -k 1024 Foo.snk
      ilasm /dll /key:Foo.snk Foo.il
    }

    package() {
      cd foobar/bin/x86/Debug

      install -Dm644 Foo.dll "$pkgdir/usr/lib/foobar/Foo.dll"
      install -Dm644 Foo.dll.mdb "$pkgdir/usr/lib/foobar/Foo.dll.mdb"

      # Register assembly into Mono's GAC
      gacutil -i Foo.dll -root "$pkgdir/usr/lib"
    }

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