1Mono(tm) Binary Kernel Support for Linux
2-----------------------------------------
3
4To configure Linux to automatically execute Mono-based .NET binaries
5(in the form of .exe files) without the need to use the mono CLR
6wrapper, you can use the BINFMT_MISC kernel support.
7
8This will allow you to execute Mono-based .NET binaries just like any
9other program after you have done the following:
10
111) You MUST FIRST install the Mono CLR support, either by downloading
12   a binary package, a source tarball or by installing from Git. Binary
13   packages for several distributions can be found at:
14
15	https://www.mono-project.com/download/
16
17   Instructions for compiling Mono can be found at:
18
19	https://www.mono-project.com/docs/compiling-mono/linux/
20
21   Once the Mono CLR support has been installed, just check that
22   ``/usr/bin/mono`` (which could be located elsewhere, for example
23   ``/usr/local/bin/mono``) is working.
24
252) You have to compile BINFMT_MISC either as a module or into
26   the kernel (``CONFIG_BINFMT_MISC``) and set it up properly.
27   If you choose to compile it as a module, you will have
28   to insert it manually with modprobe/insmod, as kmod
29   cannot be easily supported with binfmt_misc.
30   Read the file ``binfmt_misc.txt`` in this directory to know
31   more about the configuration process.
32
333) Add the following entries to ``/etc/rc.local`` or similar script
34   to be run at system startup:
35
36   .. code-block:: sh
37
38    # Insert BINFMT_MISC module into the kernel
39    if [ ! -e /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register ]; then
40        /sbin/modprobe binfmt_misc
41	# Some distributions, like Fedora Core, perform
42	# the following command automatically when the
43	# binfmt_misc module is loaded into the kernel
44	# or during normal boot up (systemd-based systems).
45	# Thus, it is possible that the following line
46	# is not needed at all.
47	mount -t binfmt_misc none /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc
48    fi
49
50    # Register support for .NET CLR binaries
51    if [ -e /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register ]; then
52	# Replace /usr/bin/mono with the correct pathname to
53	# the Mono CLR runtime (usually /usr/local/bin/mono
54	# when compiling from sources or CVS).
55        echo ':CLR:M::MZ::/usr/bin/mono:' > /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register
56    else
57        echo "No binfmt_misc support"
58        exit 1
59    fi
60
614) Check that ``.exe`` binaries can be ran without the need of a
62   wrapper script, simply by launching the ``.exe`` file directly
63   from a command prompt, for example::
64
65	/usr/bin/xsd.exe
66
67   .. note::
68
69      If this fails with a permission denied error, check
70      that the ``.exe`` file has execute permissions.
71