Silverlight 1.0

 What to install? 

In order for you to get started creating Silverlight experiences you’ll need different tools and downloads. Notice that the following instructions work for Silverlight 1.0 RC (Release Candidate). Please look for an updated version of this document at: ux.artu.tv

The recommended order of installation is:

1.       Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 Release Candidate for Mac and/or Windows

The runtime required to run Silverlight experiences

Even though Silverlight 1.1 download is also available, this document only covers the process to install Silverlight 1.0.

2.       Expression Blend 2 August Preview

Professional design tool to assemble UIs and create Animations for Silverlight

3.       Expression Media Encoder Preview Update

A tool that helps you prepare video for the Web (encode, compress)

4.       Expression Design

A professional illustration and graphic design tool to create Silverlight vector based assets

5.       Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2The next generation development tool. This is a big download: 3GB. You will install VS2008 Beta 2 Professional Edition. Installing VS is pretty tricky because the download is only available as an .img file which you must burn into a DVD so it actually works. Once you burn the image into a DVD you can then run the setup file. I’ve included detailed instructions of this process at the bottom of this document. 

6.       Microsoft Silverlight Tools Alpha Refresh for Visual Studio (July 2007)

The add-on to create Silverlight applications using .NET

7.       Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 Software Development Kit Release Candidate
Download this SDK to create Silverlight Web experiences that target Silverlight 1.0 RC. The SDK contains documentation, samples along with templates for Visual Studio and has also a “Go Live” license that enables building commercial applications.  

8.       Microsoft ASP.NET Futures (July 2007)

This release includes Silverlight controls for ASP.NET

Installing VS2008 Beta 2

The download available is a disc image or .img file and not just an installer. You need to burn this image into a blank DVD and once you do that you can then run the setup. Please follow the next few steps to install VS2008 Beta 2:

-          Download the Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 Professional disc image (OrcasBeta2ProX1394646.img) and save it in the root of C:\ or pick another location of your choice.

-          Once downloaded, rename the file and change the .img extension to .iso. The final name of your file should now be ‘OrcasBeta2ProX1394646.iso’

-          You now need to burn this .iso file into an empty DVD. You need a DVD burning tool like Nero or Easy CD Creator. If you don’t have any of these tools download the free Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools and run the installer. With these a bunch of little tools will be placed in your computer.

-          Go to the following path using Windows Explorer: C:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools and select the dvdburn.exe file and copy it to the root of C:\

-          Insert a blank DVD

-          Now press the Start button and launch a program called CMD (Command Line). If you have Vista simply use the Search text box in the Start menu to find CMD. If you have XP then you can choose Run and then write down cmd.exe

-          When CMD is launched, you’ll see an old school kind of application. Being in that app type ‘cd..’ and press enter. Repeat this step as many times as needed so that the path shows only as ‘C:\>’.  The ‘cd..’ is the same as telling this little ugly app to go up one level in the folder structure. The objective is for you get to the root of your C:\ hard drive.

-          One you are in C:\ type the following: ‘dvdburn [yourDVDdriveletter] [theFullPathandNameofTheVS2008Beta2imgFile]’ and press Enter. Let me give you an example of how this looks like considering my DVD drive letter is D: and the location of the VS2008 Beta 2 .img file is the root of C:\.  The instruction I would need to type in this scenario is:

dvdburn D: C:\ OrcasBeta2ProX1394646.iso 

-          After you type in this instruction and hit enter, the process of burning the image into the DVD will begin. Sometimes you will get an error. If you get an error press F3 to automatically retype the same instruction or manually retype the same instruction and press Enter. For some reason this second try with exactly the same instruction made it work me.

-          Once the DVD is burned and finalized it might pop out of your DVD drive. Reinsert it or make sure it is still inserted. Then go to Windows Explorer and in the root of the DVD look for a file called ‘setup’ and double click it to run.

-          Follow the instructions in the VS installer and that’s it!