This page applies to COMFILE Technology's Linux platforms, including ComfilePi, Raspberry Pi, jPC, and other Linux-based devices.

You can develop C# and VB.NET applications on Linux using Microsoft .NET.

Windows WinForms applications can also run on Linux using either ComfileTech.WinForms or Mono.

Modern .NET is Microsoft's current development platform and is recommended for most new projects.

Benefits include:

• Active development and support from Microsoft
• Latest C# language features
• Improved performance
• Long-term platform support
• Cross-platform compatibility

Supported platforms include:

• Windows
• Linux
• Android
• macOS
• iOS
• Web Browser

For user interface development, consider one of the following frameworks:

• Blazor
• Avalonia
• Uno Platform
• Eto.Forms
• Gir.Core

For more information:

• Using .NET on Linux Devices

ComfileTech.WinForms allows traditional WinForms applications to run on both Windows and Linux while using modern .NET.

This is often the easiest migration path for developers who are already familiar with WinForms and want to continue using the Visual Studio designer.

For more information:

• ComfileTech.WinForms

Mono allows existing .NET Framework applications to run on Linux. This option is useful when:

• You already have an existing .NET Framework 2.0–4.x application
• You want to minimize code changes
• Your team is heavily invested in WinForms

While Mono remains a practical solution for existing applications, it is generally not recommended for new projects.

For more information:

• Using .NET Framework and Mono

If you need a library that works with both .NET Framework 4.x and modern .NET, consider targeting .NET Standard 2.0.

This approach is particularly useful for reusable libraries such as:

• Modbus communication
• GPIO access
• I2C communication
• Serial communication
• TCP/IP communication
• Other utility libraries

COMFILE Technology does not provide technical support for Visual Studio, C#, VB.NET, or Microsoft .NET technologies.

For support related to Microsoft products, please contact Microsoft directly.

The .NET ecosystem has bifurcated into two flavors:

• “.NET Framework” now refers to the .NET Framework as it was up until and including version 4.
• “.NET” now refers to the .NET Framework version 5 and later (previously called “.NET Core”), currently at .NET 10.

WinForms applications can be run on Linux panel PCs like the ComfilePi using one of the following configurations:

1. Using .NET Framework 4, with the application running on the Mono runtime.
2. Using .NET 5+ and a .NET port of Mono WinForms like our ComfileTech.WinForms library.

In general, it is recommended to use the latest version of .NET unless you have a compelling reason not to.

Using .NET on the ComfilePi

You might choose to use .NET under the following scenarios:

• You are embarking on development of a new solution, and
• Your .NET developers are willing to adopt a cross-platform UI framework that supports Linux like the following:
  • Blazor
  • Avalonia
  • Uno Platform
  • Eto.Forms
  • Gir.Core
  • There are many others
• Or, you can use a .NET port of Mono WinForms like our ComfileTech.WinForms library.
• If you would prefer WinForms with a more modern appearance, consider our jControls library.

One of the best ways to make your application portable across all platforms is to use Blazor.

If you can isolate your UI into a single .NET assembly, you can not only display your UI remotely in a web browser, but you can also host your UI in a WebView on any platform using Blazor Hybrid.

For Blazor Hybrid applications on Linux, consider using the open-source BlazorWebView.

NOTE: Maui does not currently support Linux.

• It is being actively maintained and developed by Microsoft.
• New features, tooling enhancements, and performance benefits are being released every year.
• Code targeting .NET can be natively compiled, providing performance benefits as well as protection against code disassembly.
• Code targeting .NET can be used to make libraries that can be consumed by other languages like C, Python, and many others.
• .NET has the broadest platform support, IF you can decide on a cross-platform UI framework. .NET supports the following platforms:
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Android
  • MacOS
  • iOS
  • Web Browser

• If using WinForms, it requires a .NET port of Mono WinForms to run on Linux.
• If using a cross-platform UI framework, it may not be possible to use a WYSIWYG UI designer like that provided by WinForms in Visual Studio.
• Requires a .NET port of Mono WinForms to run WinForms programs on Linux.

Using .NET Framework on the ComfilePi

You might choose to use .NET Framework 4 under the following scenarios:

• You have an existing .NET Framework 2.0 ~ 4.x application that you need to port to Linux.
• Your .NET developers are not familiar with any cross-platform UI frameworks (e.g. Blazor, Avalonia, Uno Platform, etc.), and are only familiar with WinForms.

• Works on both Windows (natively) and Linux (via Mono).
• For developers already familiar with WinForms, it does not require learning a new UI framework.

• Although .NET Framework 4 is being maintained by Microsoft, and Mono is currently being maintained by the Wine project developers, they are not being further developed and will inevitably be deprecated in the future.
• The Mono implementation on Linux, while being a remarkable engineering achievement, is not perfect and may require some workarounds.
• Code targeting .NET Framework 4 can only be run on Windows and platforms with a functioning Mono runtime.
• Code targeting .NET Framework 4 cannot be compiled to machine code and can be easily disassembled.

If you need to develop a library for use in both .NET Framework 4 and .NET 5+, use .NET Standard 2.0.

Note that by targeting .NET Standard, you will likely be limited to creating utility libraries (e.g. Modbus communication, GPIO, I2C, Serial Communication, TCP/IP communication, etc.), but that can still be very helpful in maximizing your solution's portability.

COMFILE Technology does not provide technical support for Visual Studio and .NET technologies.

Please contact Microsoft directly for support regarding their products and technologies.

ComfilePi - Industrial Raspberry Pi Panel PC