Is there some way to compile a .NET application to native code?

Question

What if I want to run a .NET application in a machine where the .NET framework is not available? Is there some way to compile the application to native code?

Answer 1

Yes, using Ngen, the Native Image Generator. There are, however, a number of things you need to be aware of:

• You still need the CLR to run your executable.
• The CLR will not dynamically optimize your assemblies based on the environment it's run in (e.g. 486 vs. 586 vs. 686, etc.)

All in all, it's only worth using Ngen if you need to reduce the startup time of your application.

Answer 2

Microsoft has an article describing how you can Compile MSIL to Native Code

You can use Ngen.

The Native Image Generator (Ngen.exe) is a tool that improves the performance of managed applications. Ngen.exe creates native images, which are files containing compiled processor-specific machine code, and installs them into the native image cache on the local computer. The runtime can use native images from the cache instead using the just-in-time (JIT) compiler to compile the original assembly.

Unfortunately, you still need the libraries from the framework in order to run your program. There's no feature that I know of with the MS .Net framework SDK that allows you to compile all the required files into a single executable

Answer 3

RemoteSoft makes a tool that compiles a .NET application into a package that can be run without .NET installed. I don't have any experience with it:

RemoteSoft Salamander

Answer 4

I think it's not possible. You will need to distribute .NET FW as well. If you want to compile .NET app to native code, use NGen tool

Answer 5

You can use ngen.exe to generate a native image but you still have to distribute the original non-native code as well, and it still needs the framework installed on the target machine.

Which doesn't solve your problem, really.

Answer 6

The nature of .NET is to be able to install apps that have been compiled to MSIL, then either by JIT or Ngen, MSIL is compiled to native code and stored locally in a cache. It was never intended on generating a true native .exe that can be run independently of the .NET framework.

Maybe there's some hack that does this, but it doesn't sound safe to me. There are too many dynamics that require the framework, such as: dynamic assembly loading, MSIL code generation, etc.

Answer 7

I have tested several of them and at this moment the only one that supports .NET 3.5 and also has a great virtualization stack is Xenocode Postbuild

With ngen you still need to have the .NET framework installed but using a tool as such all your managed code is compiled into native code so you can deploy it to machines without the framework presence.