I'm a noob, and cannot post to the threads where the big dogs romp. So, I'm posting here instead.
I'm trying to run the Windows version of RPCminer-cuda having date code 20110227. It's failing to run, and is giving me error messages that look like one of two things. I think that either I have the wrong version of C++ redistributable, or the wrong version of Microsoft .NET framework. (I don't actually know if RPC miner uses Microsoft .NET, but I saw a post that seemed to say that I needed .NET.)
Does anyone happen to know which C++ redistributable I need for the 20110227 version of RPCminer-cuda?
Does anyone know if I need the .NET framework loaded, and if so, which version I need?
So, now I try to answer my own questions. (20110619)
Apparently .NET (or at least .NET 2.0) already includes a subset of visual C++ redistributable libraries. It appears that CRT and SCL modules are included in .NET 2.0 as managed code. (See:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nikolad/archive/2005/09/02/running-c-application-built-by-vc-express-on-another-computer.aspx page 01, in the comments, about half-way down.) If an application uses only redistributable CRT and/or SCL VC++ modules, then it can be fixed by installing .NET.
The best fix (better than installing .NET) is for end-user to install the correct VC++ redistributable library. However, there seem to be as many as four versions to select from. (See:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nikolad/archive/2005/03/18/398720.aspx) Not clear from the blogs, but I am thinking that some versions of the the VC++ libraries will not play nice with applications compiled by using other versions of the libraries.
There is also reason to believe that default Win XP distribution from Microsoft includes some C++ modules taken from VC6. (See:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nikolad/archive/2005/09/02/running-c-application-built-by-vc-express-on-another-computer.aspx page 01 again, near the bottom. Post by Nikola Dundar.) Behavior of mismatched applications is not clearly defined in the post. But conclusion by Nikola Dundar is that VC++ libraries must be distributed along with application in order to insure expected/wanted behavior at runtime. So, I am thinking that applications created using VC++ 2005 absolutely will not work with Win XP unless the VC++ 2005 libraries are either installed or linked.
In this situation...creating Windows binary versions of BitCoin mining applications for distribution to the public...I am thinking the best solution would be to compile the Windows miner binaries using static linking. Even though this is not recommended by Microsoft.
Please, please to miner authors who use VC++, can you create Windows binaries that are static linked to the correct VC++ libraries? Alternately, could you release miner application in .MSI format, which will install correct VC++ libraries for us automagically?
Thank you.
- TFeagle
