mono.txt 2.5 KB
Mono(tm) Binary Kernel Support for Linux
               -----------------------------------------

To configure Linux to automatically execute Mono-based .NET binaries
(in the form of .exe files) without the need to use the mono CLR
wrapper, you can use the BINFMT_MISC kernel support.

This will allow you to execute Mono-based .NET binaries just like any
other program after you have done the following:

1) You MUST FIRST install the Mono CLR support, either by downloading
   a binary package, a source tarball or by installing from CVS. Binary
   packages for several distributions can be found at:

	http://go-mono.com/download.html

   Instructions for compiling Mono can be found at:

	http://www.go-mono.com/compiling.html

   Once the Mono CLR support has been installed, just check that
   /usr/bin/mono (which could be located elsewhere, for example
   /usr/local/bin/mono) is working.

2) You have to compile BINFMT_MISC either as a module or into
   the kernel (CONFIG_BINFMT_MISC) and set it up properly.
   If you choose to compile it as a module, you will have
   to insert it manually with modprobe/insmod, as kmod
   cannot be easily supported with binfmt_misc. 
   Read the file 'binfmt_misc.txt' in this directory to know
   more about the configuration process.

3) Add the following entries to /etc/rc.local or similar script
   to be run at system startup:

# Insert BINFMT_MISC module into the kernel
if [ ! -e /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register ]; then
        /sbin/modprobe binfmt_misc
	# Some distributions, like Fedora Core, perform
	# the following command automatically when the
	# binfmt_misc module is loaded into the kernel.
	# Thus, it is possible that the following line
	# is not needed at all. Look at /etc/modprobe.conf
	# to check whether this is applicable or not.
        mount -t binfmt_misc none /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc
fi

# Register support for .NET CLR binaries
if [ -e /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register ]; then
	# Replace /usr/bin/mono with the correct pathname to
	# the Mono CLR runtime (usually /usr/local/bin/mono
	# when compiling from sources or CVS).
        echo ':CLR:M::MZ::/usr/bin/mono:' > /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register
else
        echo "No binfmt_misc support"
        exit 1
fi

4) Check that .exe binaries can be ran without the need of a
   wrapper script, simply by launching the .exe file directly
   from a command prompt, for example:

	/usr/bin/xsd.exe

   NOTE: If this fails with a permission denied error, check
         that the .exe file has execute permissions.