Question

I want to use LINQ on machines with only .NET Framework 2.0 installed.

I’ve alread read about LINQBridge. But can’t I simply set “copy local” to the referenced assemblies like System.Core.dll and System.Xml.Linq.dll to get the functionality I need?

Are there any drawbacks? Is this even allowed?

Answer 1

.Net 3.5 is really just .Net 2.0 with some extra dlls. There is no 3.5 runtime. If you include the dlls you need, the application will run without any problems.

From the following article concerning the linq bridge comment: http://www.albahari.com/nutshell/linqbridge.aspx

First, it’s important to understand
that C# 3.0 and Framework 3.5 are
designed to work with CLR 2.0—the same
CLR version that Framework 2.0 uses.
This means that the C# 3.0 compiler
emits IL code that runs on the same
virtual machine as before.

This makes Framework 3.5 additive—just
as Framework 3.0 was
additive—comprising additional
assemblies that enhance the existing
2.0 Framework and CLR. So there’s nothing to stop us from writing our
own assemblies that do the work of
Framework 3.5 (at least, the critical
bits required for local LINQ queries).

The compiler then looks for Where,
OrderBy and Select methods. The
critical thing is that it can find
appropriately named methods with the
correct signatures (typically
extension methods). But it doesn’t
matter what assembly the methods come
from. LINQBridge simply provides
another source of these methods—that
are functionally identically to those
implemented in the Framework 3.5
assemblies.