Re: [DotGNU]New addendum for MS redistributables

[Rhys Weatherley]

David Sugar wrote:

> I am curious what they provide and/or define fully as
> "Redistributables", other than the obvious sample applications, in
> VS.NET.  It seems to refer to the core SDK and stuff that might be
> likely to be used or inserted into generated applications, such as
> perhaps might occur with projects initiated thru their so called "wizards".

It probably also refers to various libraries and system
assemblies, and perhaps even the CLR itself, that are
needed to run CLI applications in a stand-alone
environment.

MS has always allowed people to redistribute their own
copies of certain Windows DLL's because the target
user's machine may have older versions that must be
upgraded to run the application.

This is also in part why "DLL Hell" is such a problem
under Windows, as every Tom, Dick, and Harry distributes
their own version of the DLL's, blindly installs them, and
then all hell breaks loose when an older DLL whacks
a newer one.

The CLI environment is supposed to fix this to some
extent, with explicitly-versioned assemblies.  i.e. they
reinvented the .so naming scheme that Unix systems
have had for ages.

Cheers,

Rhys.