Mono is a software platform designed to allow developers to easily
create cross platform applications. It is an open source
implementation of Microsoft’s .NET Framework based on the ECMA
standards for C# and the Common Language Runtime.
The Mono project is part of the .NET Foundation
Important
The Mono Project (mono/mono) (‘original mono’) has been an important part of the .NET ecosystem since it was launched in 2001. Microsoft became the steward of the Mono Project when it acquired Xamarin in 2016.
The last major release of the Mono Project was in July 2019, with minor patch releases since that time. The last patch release was February 2024.
We are happy to announce that the WineHQ organization will be taking over as the stewards of the Mono Project upstream at wine-mono / Mono · GitLab (winehq.org). Source code in existing mono/mono and other repos will remain available, although repos may be archived. Binaries will remain available for up to four years.
Microsoft maintains a modern fork of Mono runtime in the dotnet/runtime repo and has been progressively moving workloads to that fork. That work is now complete, and we recommend that active Mono users and maintainers of Mono-based app frameworks migrate to .NET which includes work from this fork.
We want to recognize that the Mono Project was the first .NET implementation on Android, iOS, Linux, and other operating systems. The Mono Project was a trailblazer for the .NET platform across many operating systems. It helped make cross-platform .NET a reality and enabled .NET in many new places and we appreciate the work of those who came before us.
Thank you to all the Mono developers!
Join us on Discord in the #monovm channel:
Contents
- Compilation and Installation
- Using Mono
- Directory Roadmap
- Contributing to Mono
- Reporting bugs
- Configuration Options
- Working with Submodules
Build Status
Public CI:
Legacy Jenkins CI (no longer available publicly):
| OS | Architecture | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Debian 9 | amd64 | |
| Debian 9 | i386 | |
| Debian 9 | armel | |
| Debian 9 | armhf | |
| Debian 9 | arm64 | |
| OS X | amd64 | |
| OS X | i386 | |
| Windows | amd64 | |
| Windows | i386 | |
| CentOS | s390x (cs) | |
| Debian 9 | ppc64el (cs) | |
| AIX 6.1 | ppc64 (cs) | |
| FreeBSD 12 | amd64 (cs) |
(cs) = community supported architecture
Compilation and Installation
Building the Software
Please see our guides for building Mono on
Mac OS X,
Linux and
Windows.
Note that building from Git assumes that you already have Mono installed,
so please download and install the latest Mono release
before trying to build from Git. This is required because the Mono build
relies on a working Mono C# compiler to compile itself
(also known as bootstrapping).
If you don’t have a working Mono installation
If you don’t have a working Mono installation, you can try a slightly
more risky approach: getting the latest version of the ‘monolite’ distribution,
which contains just enough to run the ‘mcs’ compiler. You do this with:
# Run the following line after ./autogen.sh
make get-monolite-latest
This will download and place the files appropriately so that you can then
just run:
The build will then use the files downloaded by make get-monolite-latest.
Testing and Installation
You can run the mono and mcs test suites with the command: make check.
Expect to find a few test suite failures. As a sanity check, you
can compare the failures you got with https://jenkins.mono-project.com/.
You can now install mono with: make install
You can verify your installation by using the mono-test-install
script, it can diagnose some common problems with Mono’s install.
Failure to follow these steps may result in a broken installation.
Using Mono
Once you have installed the software, you can run a few programs:
-
mono program.exeruntime engine -
mcs program.csC# compiler -
monodis program.exeCIL Disassembler
See the man pages for mono(1), mcs(1) and monodis(1) for further details.
Directory Roadmap
-
acceptance-tests/— Optional third party test suites used to validate Mono against a wider range of test cases. -
data/— Configuration files installed as part of the Mono runtime. -
docs/— Technical documents about the Mono runtime. -
external/— Git submodules for external libraries (Newtonsoft.Json, ikvm, etc). -
ikvm-native/— Glue code for ikvm. -
libgc/— The (deprecated) Boehm GC implementation. -
llvm/— Utility Makefiles for integrating the Mono LLVM fork. -
m4/— General utility Makefiles. -
man/— Manual pages for the various Mono commands and programs. -
mcs/— The class libraries, compiler and tools-
class/— The class libraries (like System.*, Microsoft.Build, etc.) -
mcs/— The Mono C# compiler written in C# -
tools/— Tools like gacutil, ikdasm, mdoc, etc.
-
-
mono/— The core of the Mono Runtime.-
arch/— Architecture specific portions. -
benchmark/— A collection of benchmarks. -
btls/— Build files for the BTLS library which incorporates BoringSSL. -
cil/— Common Intermediate Representation, XML
definition of the CIL bytecodes. -
dis/— CIL executable Disassembler. -
eglib/— Independent implementation of the glib API. -
metadata/— The object system and metadata reader. -
mini/— The Just in Time Compiler. -
profiler/— The profiler implementation. -
sgen/— The SGen Garbage Collector implementation. -
tests/— The main runtime tests. -
unit-tests/— Additional runtime unit tests. -
utils/— Utility functions used across the runtime codebase.
-
-
msvc/— Logic for the MSVC / Visual Studio based runtime and BCL build system.
The latter is experimental at the moment. -
packaging/— Packaging logic for the OS X and Windows Mono packages. -
po/— Translation files. -
runtime/— A directory that contains the Makefiles that link the
mono/ and mcs/ build systems. -
samples/— Some simple sample programs on uses of the Mono
runtime as an embedded library. -
scripts/— Scripts used to invoke Mono and the corresponding program. -
support/— Various support libraries. -
tools/— A collection of tools, mostly used during Mono development.
Contributing to Mono
Before submitting changes to Mono, please review the contribution
guidelines.
Please pay particular attention to the Important
Rules
section.
Reporting bugs
To submit bug reports, please open an issue on the mono GitHub repo.
Please use the search facility to ensure the same bug hasn’t already
been submitted and follow our
guidelines
on how to make a good bug report.
Configuration Options
The following are the configuration options that someone building Mono
might want to use:
-
--with-sgen=yes,no— Generational GC support: Used to enable or
disable the compilation of a Mono runtime with the SGen garbage
collector.- On platforms that support it, after building Mono, you will have
both amono-boehmbinary and amono-sgenbinary.mono-boehmuses Boehm,
whilemono-sgenuses the Simple Generational GC.
- On platforms that support it, after building Mono, you will have
-
--with-libgc=[included, none]— Selects the default Boehm
garbage collector engine to use.-
included: (slightly modified Boehm GC) This is the default
value for the Boehm GC, and it’s the most feature complete, it will
allow Mono to use typed allocations and support the debugger. -
none:
Disables the inclusion of a Boehm garbage collector. -
This defaults to
included.
-
-
--enable-cooperative-suspend- If you pass this flag the Mono runtime is configured to only use
the cooperative mode of the garbage collector. If you do not pass
this flag, then you can control at runtime the use of the
cooperative GC mode by setting theMONO_ENABLE_COOP_SUSPENDflag.
- If you pass this flag the Mono runtime is configured to only use
-
--with-tls=__thread,pthread-
Controls how Mono should access thread local storage,
pthread forces Mono to use the pthread APIs, while
__thread uses compiler-optimized access to it. -
Although __thread is faster, it requires support from
the compiler, kernel and libc. Old Linux systems do
not support with __thread. -
This value is typically pre-configured and there is no
need to set it, unless you are trying to debug a problem.
-
-
--with-sigaltstack=yes,no-
Experimental: Use at your own risk, it is known to
cause problems with garbage collection and is hard to
reproduce those bugs. -
This controls whether Mono will install a special
signal handler to handle stack overflows. If set to
yes, it will turn stack overflows into the
StackOverflowException. Otherwise when a stack
overflow happens, your program will receive a
segmentation fault. -
The configure script will try to detect if your
operating system supports this. Some older Linux
systems do not support this feature, or you might want
to override the auto-detection.
-
-
--with-static_mono=yes,no-
This controls whether
monoshould link against a
static library (libmono.a) or a shared library
(libmono.so). -
This defaults to
yes, and will improve the performance
of themonoprogram. -
This only affects the `mono’ binary, the shared
library libmono.so will always be produced for
developers that want to embed the runtime in their
application.
-
-
--with-xen-opt=yes,no— Optimize code for Xen virtualization.-
It makes Mono generate code which might be slightly
slower on average systems, but the resulting executable will run
faster under the Xen virtualization system. -
This defaults to
yes.
-
-
--with-large-heap=yes,no— Enable support for GC heaps larger than 3GB.-
This only applies only to the Boehm garbage collector, the SGen garbage
collector does not use this configuration option. -
This defaults to
no.
-
-
--enable-small-config=yes,no— Enable some tweaks to reduce memory usage
and disk footprint at the expense of some capabilities.-
Typically this means that the number of threads that can be created
is limited (256), that the maximum heap size is also reduced (256 MB)
and other such limitations that still make mono useful, but more suitable
to embedded devices (like mobile phones). -
This defaults to
no.
-
-
--with-ikvm-native=yes,no— Controls whether the IKVM JNI interface library is
built or not.-
This is used if you are planning on
using the IKVM Java Virtual machine with Mono. -
This defaults to
yes.
-
-
--with-profile4=yes,no— Whether you want to build the 4.x profile libraries
and runtime.- This defaults to
yes.
- This defaults to
-
--with-libgdiplus=installed,sibling,<path>— Configure where Mono
searches for libgdiplus when running System.Drawing tests.-
It defaults to
installed, which means that the
library is available to Mono through the regular
system setup. -
siblingcan be used to specify that a libgdiplus
that resides as a sibling of this directory (mono)
should be used.
-
-
Or you can specify a path to a libgdiplus.
-
--enable-minimal=LIST-
Use this feature to specify optional runtime
components that you might not want to include. This
is only useful for developers embedding Mono that
require a subset of Mono functionality. -
The list is a comma-separated list of components that
should be removed, these are:-
aot:
Disables support for the Ahead of Time compilation. -
attach:
Support for the Mono.Management assembly and the
VMAttach API (allowing code to be injected into
a target VM) -
com:
Disables COM support. -
debug:
Drop debugging support. -
decimal:
Disables support for System.Decimal. -
full_messages:
By default Mono comes with a full table
of messages for error codes. This feature
turns off uncommon error messages and reduces
the runtime size. -
generics:
Generics support. Disabling this will not
allow Mono to run any 2.0 libraries or
code that contains generics. -
jit:
Removes the JIT engine from the build, this reduces
the executable size, and requires that all code
executed by the virtual machine be compiled with
Full AOT before execution. -
large_code:
Disables support for large assemblies. -
logging:
Disables support for debug logging. -
pinvoke:
Support for Platform Invocation services,
disabling this will drop support for any
libraries using DllImport. -
portability:
Removes support for MONO_IOMAP, the environment
variables for simplifying porting applications that
are case-insensitive and that mix the Unix and Windows path separators. -
profiler:
Disables support for the default profiler. -
reflection_emit:
Drop System.Reflection.Emit support -
reflection_emit_save:
Drop support for saving dynamically created
assemblies (AssemblyBuilderAccess.Save) in
System.Reflection.Emit. -
shadow_copy:
Disables support for AppDomain’s shadow copies
(you can disable this if you do not plan on
using appdomains). -
simd:
Disables support for the Mono.SIMD intrinsics
library. -
ssa:
Disables compilation for the SSA optimization
framework, and the various SSA-based optimizations.
-
-
-
--enable-llvm-
This enables the use of LLVM as a code generation engine
for Mono. The LLVM code generator and optimizer will be
used instead of Mono’s built-in code generator for both
Just in Time and Ahead of Time compilations. -
See https://www.mono-project.com/docs/advanced/mono-llvm/ for the
full details and up-to-date information on this feature. -
You will need to have an LLVM built that Mono can link
against.
-
-
--enable-big-arrays— Enable use of arrays with indexes larger
than Int32.MaxValue.-
By default Mono has the same limitation as .NET on
Win32 and Win64 and limits array indexes to 32-bit
values (even on 64-bit systems). -
In certain scenarios where large arrays are required,
you can pass this flag and Mono will be built to
support 64-bit arrays. -
This is not the default as it breaks the C embedding
ABI that we have exposed through the Mono development
cycle.
-
-
--enable-parallel-mark-
Use this option to enable the garbage collector to use
multiple CPUs to do its work. This helps performance
on multi-CPU machines as the work is divided across CPUS. -
This option is not currently the default on OSX
as it runs into issues there. -
This option only applies to the Boehm GC.
-
-
--enable-dtrace- On Solaris and MacOS X builds a version of the Mono
runtime that contains DTrace probes and can
participate in the system profiling using DTrace.
- On Solaris and MacOS X builds a version of the Mono
-
--disable-dev-random-
Mono uses /dev/random to obtain good random data for
any source that requires random numbers. If your
system does not support this, you might want to
disable it. -
There are a number of runtime options to control this
also, see the man page.
-
-
--with-csc=roslyn,mcs,default-
Use this option to configure which C# compiler to use. By default
the configure script will pick Roslyn, except on platforms where
Roslyn does not work (Big Endian systems) where it will pick mcs.If you specify «mcs», then Mono’s C# compiler will be used. This
also allows for a complete bootstrap of Mono’s core compiler and
core libraries from source.
-
If you specify «roslyn», then Roslyn’s C# compiler will be used.
This currently uses Roslyn binaries.
-
--enable-nacl-
This configures the Mono compiler to generate code
suitable to be used by Google’s Native Client:
https://code.google.com/p/nativeclient/ -
Currently this is used with Mono’s AOT engine as
Native Client does not support JIT engines yet.
-
-
--enable-wasm-
Use this option to configure mono to run on WebAssembly. It will
set both host and target to the WebAssembly triplet. This overrides
the values passed to--hostor--targetand ignored what config.sub guesses.This is a workaround to enable usage of old automake versions that don’t
recognize the wasm triplet.
-
Working With Submodules
Mono references several external git submodules, for example
a fork of Microsoft’s reference source code that has been altered
to be suitable for use with the Mono runtime.
This section describes how to use it.
An initial clone should be done recursively so all submodules will also be
cloned in a single pass:
$ git clone --recursive git@github.com:mono/mono
Once cloned, submodules can be updated to pull down the latest changes.
This can also be done after an initial non-recursive clone:
$ git submodule update --init --recursive
To pull external changes into a submodule:
$ cd <submodule>
$ git pull origin <branch>
$ cd <top-level>
$ git add <submodule>
$ git commit
By default, submodules are detached because they point to a specific commit.
Use git checkout to move back to a branch before making changes:
$ cd <submodule>
$ git checkout <branch>
# work as normal; the submodule is a normal repo
$ git commit/push new changes to the repo (submodule)
$ cd <top-level>
$ git add <submodule> # this will record the new commits to the submodule
$ git commit
To switch the repo of a submodule (this should not be a common or normal thing
to do at all), first edit .gitmodules to point to the new location, then:
$ git submodule sync -- <path of the submodule>
$ git submodule update --recursive
$ git checkout <desired new hash or branch>
The desired output diff is a change in .gitmodules to reflect the
change in the remote URL, and a change in / where you see
the desired change in the commit hash.
License
See the LICENSE file for licensing information, and the PATENTS.TXT
file for information about Microsoft’s patent grant.
Mono Trademark Use Policy
The use of trademarks and logos for Mono can be found here.
Mono app for Windows 10 – Learn how to download and install the Mono 6.8.0.105 (64-bit) application on your Windows 10 PC for free. Develop and run .NET client or server applications for Windows PC. Now, this Developer Tools app is available for PC Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64.
Develop and run .NET client or server applications for Windows PC
Table of Contents
Mono 6.8.0.105 (64-bit) Overview
Mono is a Developer Tools application like DEV-C++, Sandboxie, and RAD Studio from Mono Team. It has a simple and basic user interface, and most importantly, it is free to download. Mono is an efficient software that is recommended by many Windows PC users.
Mono is a very fast, small, compact and innovative Open Source Developer Tools for Windows PC. It is designed to be uncomplicated for beginners and powerful for professionals. This app has unique and interesting features, unlike some other Developer Tools apps. Mono works with most Windows Operating System, including Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64.
Although there are many popular Developer Tools software, most people download and install the Open Source version. However, don’t forget to update the programs periodically. You can get Mono free and download its latest version for Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64 PC from below.
Mono 6.8.0.105 (64-bit) Technical Details
It’s better to know the app’s technical details and to have a knowledge background about the app. Therefore, you can find out if Mono will work on your Windows device or not.
| App Name: | Mono |
| Developer: | Mono Team |
| Version: | Mono 6.8.0.105 (64-bit) LATEST |
| Updated: | February, 6th 2020 |
| Category | Developer Tools |
| File Size: | 147 MB |
| File Type: | EXE file |
| Requirement: | PC/laptop/tablet running Windows (Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64) |
| License: | Open Source |
Download Mono 6.8.0.105 (64-bit) (latest version) free for Windows 10 PC/laptop/tablet. Safe Download and Install from the official link!
Mono download features:
- Mono direct, free and safe download
- Latest version update
- Compatible with Windows 10
- Download Mono for your PC or laptop
Mono Setup Installer
Download & install the latest offline installer version of Mono for Windows PC / laptop. It works with Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64.
✔ Free & Safe Download for Windows PC/laptop – 147 MB
Safety (Virus) Test:
✔ Tested and is to download and install on your Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64 device (PC/laptop/tablet).
What is New in the Mono Latest Version?
✓ Compatibilities improvement for new Windows update.
✓ Fixes bugs.
How to download and install Mono for Windows 10 PC/laptop
Now let’s just move to the next section to share the steps you have to follow to download Mono for Windows PC. So here we go:
- Download the Mono installer file from the link above.
- Save the downloaded file to your computer.
- Double-click on the downloaded Mono installer file.
- Now, a smart screen might appear and ask for a confirmation.
- Click “Yes” to confirm.
- Finally, follow the installation instructions until you get a confirmation notification of a successful installation process.
So those are all the processes that you have to follow to download Mono for Windows PC. Then let’s go on to the next section where we will discuss Mono itself. So you can understand the application and its features. So here we go:
Top Features of Mono for Windows PC
Mono is one of the most popular Developer Tools alongside WeBuilder, TortoiseSVN, and WinZip Self-Ex. This app has its advantages compared to other Developer Tools applications. Mono is lightweight and easy to use, simple for beginners and powerful for professionals. Mono application is free to download and offers easy-to-install, easy-to-use, secure, and reliable Developer Tools applications.
This application’s primary functions are comprehensive and go beyond the features offered by others that can be considered as its rivals.
- Mono for PC – fast, reliable, and robust by Mono Team.
- Mono Free & Safe Download.
- Mono latest version for the best experience.
- It works/compatible with almost all Windows versions, including Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64.
- Free of Cost!
- User-friendly Interface.
- Easy to Use.
- Privacy and Security!
- Lightweight and consume low resources.
- Best for Developer Tools application.
- PC User’s choice!
How to uninstall Mono in Windows PC?
Steps to uninstall Mono in Windows 10 / Windows 8 / Windows 7 / Windows Vista
- Click the Windows Start menu.
- Locate and select the Control Panel menu, then select Programs.
- Under Programs, click the Uninstall a Program.
- Select Mono and then right-click, select Uninstall/Change.
- Then click Yes to confirm the Mono uninstallation process.
Steps to uninstall Mono in Windows XP
- Click the Windows Start menu.
- Locate and select the Control Panel menu, then select Add or Remove Programs icon.
- Select the Mono and then click Remove/Uninstall.
- Then click Yes to confirm the Mono uninstallation process.
Steps to uninstall Mono in Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000
- Click the Windows Start menu.
- Locate and select the Control Panel menu, then double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
- Select the Mono and then right-click, select Uninstall/Change.
- Then click Yes to confirm the Mono uninstallation process.
Best Mono Alternative Apps for Windows
Isn’t Mono what you were looking for? We prepared a list of alternatives below!
- WeBuilder
- TortoiseSVN
- WinZip Self-Ex
- Komodo Edit
- StarUML
WeBuilder, TortoiseSVN, and WinZip Self-Ex is the strong competitor of Mono. Otherwise, Komodo Edit and StarUML also quite good as the alternative of this software. There are also other similar apps such as RAD Studio, Sandboxie, and DEV-C++ that also need to try if you want to find the best alternative of Mono.
In Conclusion
The Mono for Windows PC is unquestionably the best Developer Tools that you can find nowadays. It also is the most reliable when it comes to performance and stability. You can find that out for yourself. That is why a lot of PC users recommend this app.
Get superb and impressive experience using this Mono application developed by Mono Team. Mono nowadays are already getting better each time.
If you have some questions related to this app, feel free to leave your queries in the comment section. Or you can share with us your experience when using this Mono on your Windows 10 PC. And if you know other people who want to experience Mono for Windows PC, you can share this article to help them. Enjoy using Mono for Windows PC.
Find other interesting articles that will help you how to download WeBuilder for Windows 10 PC, install TortoiseSVN for Windows 10, WinZip Self-Ex review, or about best Komodo Edit alternative apps for Windows 10.
Mono FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: What is Mono for PC?
A: For more information about this app, please go to the developer link on the above of this page.
Q: Is Mono free? If not, how much does it price to download this app?
A: Absolutely no cost! You can download this app from official websites for free by this website—any extra details about the license you can found on the owner’s websites.
Q: How do I access the free Mono download for Windows PC?
A: It is easy! Just click the free Mono download button in the above of this page. Clicking the download button will start the installer to download Mono free for a PC/laptop.
Q: Is this Mono will typically run on any Windows?
A: Yes! The Mono for PC will typically work on most recent Windows operating systems, including Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64.
Q: What’s the difference between 64-bit and 32-bit versions of Mono?
A: The Mono 64-bit version was specially designed for 64-bit Windows Operating Systems and performed much better on those. The Mono 32-bit version was initially intended for 32-bit Windows Operating Systems, but it can also run on 64-bit Windows Operating Systems.
Q: What’s the importance of downloading the latest version of Mono?
A: We recommend downloading the latest version of Mono because it has the most recent updates, which improves the quality of the application.
Disclaimer
Mono is an application that builds by Mono Team. All trademarks, product names, company names, and logos mentioned here are their respective owners’ property. This site (autotechint.com) is not affiliated with them directly. All information about applications, programs, or games on this website has been found in open sources on the Internet.
We don’t host or store Mono on our servers. Downloads are done through the Official Site. We are firmly against piracy, and we do not support any sign of piracy. If you think that the application you own the copyrights is listed on our website and want to remove it, please contact us.
We are always compliant with DMCA regulations and respect the application owners. We are happy to work with you. Please find the DMCA / Removal Request page below.
Mono is an open-source implementation of the .NET Framework, allowing developers to run .NET applications on non-Windows platforms such as Linux and macOS. Developed by Xamarin, a subsidiary of Microsoft, Mono has been widely adopted in various industries and applications. In this article, we will delve into the world of Mono and explore its uses, benefits, and applications.
What is Mono?
Mono is a free and open-source implementation of the .NET Framework, which includes a C# compiler, a runtime environment, and a set of libraries. It allows developers to write .NET applications that can run on multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. Mono is designed to be compatible with the .NET Framework, making it an attractive option for developers who want to deploy their applications on non-Windows platforms.
History of Mono
Mono was first released in 2004 by Ximian, a company founded by Miguel de Icaza and Nat Friedman. Initially, the project was called “Mono” because it was a single, unified implementation of the .NET Framework. In 2003, Ximian was acquired by Novell, and the Mono project continued to evolve under the new ownership. In 2011, Novell was acquired by Attachmate, and the Mono project was spun off into a separate company called Xamarin. In 2016, Microsoft acquired Xamarin, and the Mono project became a part of the Microsoft ecosystem.
Mono has a wide range of uses, from developing cross-platform applications to creating games and mobile apps. Here are some of the most notable uses of Mono:
Cross-Platform Development
One of the primary uses of Mono is cross-platform development. With Mono, developers can write .NET applications that can run on multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. This allows developers to deploy their applications on a wide range of devices, from desktop computers to mobile devices.
Benefits of Cross-Platform Development
Cross-platform development with Mono offers several benefits, including:
- Increased reach: By deploying applications on multiple platforms, developers can reach a wider audience and increase their market share.
- Reduced development costs: With Mono, developers can write a single codebase that can run on multiple platforms, reducing the need for duplicate code and minimizing development costs.
- Improved maintainability: Mono allows developers to maintain a single codebase, making it easier to update and maintain applications across multiple platforms.
Game Development
Mono is also widely used in game development, particularly in the development of cross-platform games. With Mono, game developers can write games that can run on multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Popular Games Built with Mono
Some popular games built with Mono include:
- Bastion: A critically acclaimed action RPG developed by Supergiant Games.
- Fez: A puzzle-platformer game developed by Polytron Corporation.
- Starbound: A sci-fi sandbox game developed by Chucklefish.
Mobile App Development
Mono is also used in mobile app development, particularly in the development of cross-platform mobile apps. With Mono, developers can write mobile apps that can run on multiple platforms, including iOS and Android.
Popular Mobile Apps Built with Mono
Some popular mobile apps built with Mono include:
- Xamarin.Forms: A cross-platform UI framework developed by Xamarin.
- Microsoft Azure Mobile Apps: A set of cloud-based services for building mobile apps.
Benefits of Using Mono
Mono offers several benefits, including:
- Cross-platform compatibility: Mono allows developers to write .NET applications that can run on multiple platforms.
- Open-source: Mono is open-source, making it free to use and distribute.
- Large community: Mono has a large and active community of developers, making it easy to find support and resources.
- Compatibility with .NET Framework: Mono is designed to be compatible with the .NET Framework, making it an attractive option for developers who want to deploy their applications on non-Windows platforms.
Challenges and Limitations of Using Mono
While Mono offers several benefits, it also has some challenges and limitations, including:
- Performance issues: Mono can have performance issues, particularly when compared to native .NET Framework applications.
- Compatibility issues: Mono may have compatibility issues with certain .NET Framework libraries and APIs.
- Limited support for certain features: Mono may not support certain features of the .NET Framework, such as Windows-specific APIs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mono is a powerful tool for developing cross-platform applications, games, and mobile apps. With its open-source nature, large community, and compatibility with the .NET Framework, Mono is an attractive option for developers who want to deploy their applications on non-Windows platforms. While Mono has some challenges and limitations, its benefits make it a popular choice among developers. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out, Mono is definitely worth considering for your next project.
Getting Started with Mono
If you’re interested in getting started with Mono, here are some steps to follow:
- Download and install Mono: You can download and install Mono from the official Mono website.
- Choose a development environment: You can use a variety of development environments with Mono, including Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and MonoDevelop.
- Start building your application: Once you have Mono installed and a development environment set up, you can start building your application.
With these steps, you can start exploring the world of Mono and developing cross-platform applications, games, and mobile apps.
What is Mono and how does it work?
Mono is an open-source implementation of the .NET Framework, allowing developers to run .NET applications on non-Windows platforms such as Linux and macOS. It works by providing a runtime environment that can execute .NET bytecode, enabling developers to write cross-platform applications using C# and other .NET languages.
Mono’s architecture is based on the ECMA-335 standard, which defines the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) for .NET. This allows Mono to provide a compatible runtime environment for .NET applications, making it possible to run .NET code on multiple platforms. By using Mono, developers can leverage the power of .NET on a wide range of operating systems.
What are the benefits of using Mono?
One of the primary benefits of using Mono is its ability to enable cross-platform development. By using Mono, developers can write .NET applications that can run on multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. This makes it an ideal choice for developers who need to deploy their applications on different operating systems.
Another benefit of using Mono is its open-source nature. As an open-source project, Mono is free to use and distribute, making it an attractive option for developers who want to avoid the costs associated with proprietary software. Additionally, the open-source community surrounding Mono provides a wealth of resources and support for developers.
What are some common use cases for Mono?
Mono is commonly used for developing cross-platform desktop applications, such as games, productivity software, and multimedia tools. Its ability to run .NET code on multiple platforms makes it an ideal choice for developers who want to deploy their applications on different operating systems.
Mono is also used in mobile app development, particularly for Android and iOS applications. By using Mono, developers can write C# code that can run on both Android and iOS platforms, making it easier to develop cross-platform mobile apps. Additionally, Mono is used in web development, particularly for building web applications using the ASP.NET framework.
How does Mono compare to other cross-platform frameworks?
Mono is often compared to other cross-platform frameworks such as Java and Qt. While Java is a popular choice for cross-platform development, it requires developers to write Java code, which may not be ideal for developers who prefer C# or other .NET languages. Qt, on the other hand, is a C++-based framework that requires developers to write C++ code.
In contrast, Mono provides a .NET-based runtime environment that allows developers to write C# code that can run on multiple platforms. This makes it an attractive option for developers who prefer the .NET ecosystem. Additionally, Mono’s open-source nature and large community of developers make it a popular choice for cross-platform development.
What are some challenges associated with using Mono?
One of the challenges associated with using Mono is its compatibility with certain .NET features. While Mono provides a compatible runtime environment for most .NET features, some features may not be fully supported or may require additional configuration.
Another challenge associated with using Mono is its performance. While Mono’s performance has improved significantly over the years, it may still lag behind the performance of native .NET applications on Windows. However, this gap is narrowing, and Mono’s performance is now comparable to native .NET applications in many cases.
How can I get started with Mono?
To get started with Mono, you’ll need to download and install the Mono runtime environment on your system. This can be done by visiting the Mono website and following the installation instructions for your platform.
Once you have Mono installed, you can start developing .NET applications using your preferred IDE or text editor. Mono provides a range of tools and resources to help you get started, including tutorials, documentation, and sample code. Additionally, the Mono community is active and supportive, with many online forums and resources available to help you with any questions or issues you may encounter.
Время на прочтение3 мин
Количество просмотров1.2K
8 марта 2025 года состоялся релиз проекта открытой программной платформы для создавания кроссплатформенных приложений Mono 6.14.0 (альтернативная реализация платформы .NET).
Это первая официальная сборка проекта от сообщества Wine и организации WineHQ, развивающей открытую реализацию API Win32. В конце августа 2024 года Microsoft передала разработку Mono в Wine и WineHQ.
Microsoft получила доступ к проекту Mono после поглощения компании Xamarin в 2016 году. На базе платформы Mono планировалось развивать средства для разработки мобильных приложений на языке C# с использованием технологий.NET. Три года спустя проект впал в стагнацию, а с 2019 года прекратились значительные релизы, хотя разработчики проекта продолжали регулярно публиковать корректирующие обновления.
Из‑за того, что Mono использовался в Wine для запуска собранных для Windows исполняемых файлов на базе.NET, разработчики Wine поддерживали синхронизированный форк Wine Mono, который успешно сопровождался и регулярно обновлялся многие годы.
Microsoft после оценки хода развития этого инструментария приняла решение передать основной проект Mono сообществу Wine и сделать репозиторий Wine Mono основным. Код в старом репозитории Mono будет сохранён, но переведён в архивный режим. Ранее сформированные готовые сборки останутся доступными на протяжении четырёх лет.
Платформа Mono была основана в 2001 году Мигелем де Икаса (Miguel De Icaza) и Нэтом Фридманом (Nat Friedman), которые учредили для развития своих проектов компанию Ximian. В 2003 году компания Ximian была продана Novell, и первый релиз Mono 1.0, вышедший в 2004 году, был подготовлен в составе Novell. В 2011 году в результате реструктуризации, осуществлённой после покупки Novell корпорацией Attachmate, под сокращения попали все разработчики проекта Mono. В ответ Мигель де Икаса и Нэт Фридман основали новую компанию Xamarin, которая начала заниматься разработкой и поддержкой связанных с Mono проектов независимо от холдинга Attachmate. Через два месяца компании Xamarin и Attachmate заключили соглашение, в соответствии с которым Attachmate признала Mono как независимый открытый проект и передела Xamarin бессрочное право использования всей интеллектуальной собственности и торговых марок, связанных с проектом Mono.
В феврале 2016 года Мигель де Икаса и Нэт Фридман продали свой бизнес компании Microsoft, после чего проект Mono поменял лицензию c LGPLv2 на MIT и перешёл под управление некоммерческой организации.NET Foundation, созданной Microsoft. Также были открыты ранее отдельно распространявшиеся проприетарные расширения к Mono и даны обязательства, гарантирующие неприменение патентов Microsoft против лиц, занимающихся разработкой, использованием, продажей, импортированием и поставкой Mono. Компоненты Mono были интегрированы с первым открытым выпуском платформы.NET Core.
Основные изменения и доработки в Mono 6.14.0:
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добавлена поддержка macOS на системах с архитектурой ARM64;
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улучшена реализация библиотеки классов System.Windows.Forms для окружений, использующих протокол X11. Для X11 переделана реализация буфера обмена и интерфейса Drag&Drop. Устранены утечки ресурсов и проведена общая работа по повышению стабильности на системах X11;
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улучшена поддержка генерируемых COM‑интерфейсов;
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устранены типовые проблемы, приводившие к зависанию во время завершения работы;
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расширена локализация;
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проведена работа по устранению причин вывода предупреждений компиляторами. Компиляция для Linux на системах amd64 полностью избавлена от предупреждений компилятора;
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сформирован выпуск библиотеки libgdiplus 6.2, предоставляющей совместимый с GDI+ API для операционных систем, отличных от Windows. Разработка libgdiplus была передана под покровительство Wine вместе с Mono.
Mono for Windows: A comprehensive tool for developing and running .NET client and server applications
Mono for Windows is a software solution for developing and running .NET client and server applications as well as running Visual Studio binaries with no need to compile them. With Mono, developers can improve their efficiency when creating .NET Framework based apps compliant with EMCA standards for C# and CLI.
The program is made of a number of components, specifically Mono Runtime, Mono Class Library, C# compiler and Base Class Library. The C# Compiler module supports C# versions from 1.0 to 5.0.
The Mono Runtime component is based on EMCA CLI and includes various functions programmers can use, such as a library loader, JIT and AOT compilers as well as a garbage collector. The Mono Class Library lets you use advanced classes that provide extra functionality, especially for Linux software.
Also, the Base Class Library component offers a .NET Framework compatible collection of powerful classes you can use to build apps.
Mono for Windows lets you run various types of apps based on ASP.NET, ADO.NET, Sliverlight and Windows.Forms with no need to recompile them, plus it provides a large number of implementations and bindings for commonly used libraries and protocols.