TFS Build: Building Windows Store 8.1 apps on Windows Server 2008 R2

Question

Hi,

Can we generate TFS builds for Windows 8.1 store apps using the below configuration?

1. Build Controller and Agent on one machine, having operating system Windows Server 2008 R2.

I have installed all the required components like Windows 8.1 SDK, Visual Studio 2013 (tried Ultimate as well). 

I am not able to succeed in generating builds. Receiving the below error:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\WindowsXaml\v12.0\8.1\Microsoft.Windows.UI.Xaml.Common.targets (202): Could not find Windows Runtime type 'Windows.UI.Xaml.Markup.IXamlMetadataProvider'."

Is there any other thing that I have to install to make it work on Win 2008 R2 Server?

To add, I am able to generate TFS builds for the same project (app) using a different TFS Build controller and agent, which has Windows 8.1 Operating system.

Thanks,

Praveen

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Praveen

Answer 1

No. Windows 8.1 and VS 2013 are required to build Windows Store apps.

Windows 2012 R2 is the server analogue to Windows 8.1. Windows 2008 R2 is a server analogue of Windows 7.

To build Windows Store apps on 2008 R2 you could install Windows 8.1 in a VM for the build.

Answer 2

Thanks Rob.

Upon some study, found that we can build Windows 8.1 apps on Windows 2012 R2 server (only building, but not development)

So, is there a possibility that I can install a build agent on a Windows 2012 R2 server and generate builds for Windows store and phone apps?

Link to refer:

http://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/products/visual-studio-2013-compatibility-vs.aspx

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Praveen