C#•4y ago

.runtimeconfig.json in PackageReference not copied to OutDir

I have a nuget package that contains a managed dll and a corresponding runtimeconfig.json (both in /lib/net6.0). That nuget package is referenced in a C# project. When I build the project only the dll is copied to OutDir, the runtimeconfig.json is missing.

What I have to do now is

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Bla" Version="1.2.3" GeneratePathProperty="true" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="$(PkgBla)/lib/net6.0/Bla.runtimeconfig.json" CopyToOutputDirectory="Always" Visible="false" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Bla" Version="1.2.3" GeneratePathProperty="true" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="$(PkgBla)/lib/net6.0/Bla.runtimeconfig.json" CopyToOutputDirectory="Always" Visible="false" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Bla" Version="1.2.3" GeneratePathProperty="true" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="$(PkgBla)/lib/net6.0/Bla.runtimeconfig.json" CopyToOutputDirectory="Always" Visible="false" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Bla" Version="1.2.3" GeneratePathProperty="true" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="$(PkgBla)/lib/net6.0/Bla.runtimeconfig.json" CopyToOutputDirectory="Always" Visible="false" />
  </ItemGroup>

Is there a better solution to this?

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:39 PM

What is the purpose of runtimeconfig? Isn't it used in the build?

swagridOP•10/24/22, 3:41 PM

This file is used to configure the dotnet runtime on application startup https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/runtime-config/

.NET Runtime config options - .NET

Learn how to configure the .NET runtime using configuration settings.

swagridOP•10/24/22, 3:41 PM

It's not necessary to build a project, only to execute the assembly

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:45 PM

I wonder why Nuget doesn't add the include

BBrady Kelly I wonder why Nuget doesn't add the include

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:46 PM

i wonder why you would put that in a nuget is the question

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:47 PM

Also true

swagridOP•10/24/22, 3:47 PM

There seems to be a similar issue here https://github.com/dotnet/sdk/issues/1675

GitHub

SDK doesnt publish exes correctly when used as a project reference ...

Often a group of exes need to be built and deployed together. This is common in applications like Roslyn where we ship several exes as a single unit: csc, vbc and VBCSCompiler. Rather than building...

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:47 PM

yeah you're not supposed to do that

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:47 PM

split code

TTeBeCo i wonder why you would put that in a nuget is the question

swagridOP•10/24/22, 3:48 PM

The reason it's in there is because that nuget package contains a managed dll which is the entry point in a self hosted runtime scenario

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:48 PM

The docs say, "When a project is built, an [appname].runtimeconfig.json file is generated in the output directory.". So I would imagine if your project needed one it would also get generated

BBrady Kelly The docs say, "When a project is built, an [appname].runtimeconfig.json file is ...

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:49 PM

so not a nuget

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:49 PM

The Nuget one was probably generated when that project was built

Sswagrid The reason it's in there is because that nuget package contains a managed dll wh...

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:50 PM

generate that on publish on the REAL built project

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:50 PM

Maybe something here can help you generate the right config https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/runtime-config/

.NET Runtime config options - .NET

Learn how to configure the .NET runtime using configuration settings.

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:50 PM

a nuget is not "published"

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:51 PM

sdk have targets for these

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:51 PM

ship a target plug-in onto existing targets

BBrady Kelly Maybe something here can help you generate the right config https://learn.micros...

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:51 PM

that would not solve the issue

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:52 PM

i don't think this file ain't supposed to be shipped as a nuget

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:52 PM

Neither do I

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:52 PM

or look at AppHost and recreate your own AppHost

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:52 PM

but again ... dotnet publish

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:52 PM

which is not a nuget

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 3:52 PM

so you'll need to plug j to publish existing targets

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:53 PM

You initinit a nuget after building it

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:55 PM

In .NET 6 "The .NET SDK no longer generates the runtimeconfig.dev.json file by default". Maybe that's why your build isn't making its own

swagridOP•10/24/22, 3:55 PM

The scenario is as follows:

1. There exists a native executable over which I have no control
2. There exist several nuget packages that contain a mix of managed and unmanaged binaries. The unmanaged binaries will be executed at some point by the native executable. These packages act as an app host. They startup the dotnet runtime, execute some managed code on it and then load the consumer of the nuget package as a managed plugin into the runtime.
3. There exists a C# project which consumes these nuget packages. This project can be seen as a plugin to the main framework, which is located in one of the nuget packages

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:56 PM

"if you still require this file, add <GenerateRuntimeConfigDevFile>true</GenerateRuntimeConfigDevFile> to your project"

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 3:58 PM

I think your main build would have previously, in .NET 5, recognised that it needs a runtimeconfig and generated one to suit all the Nuget dependencies, but now you have to force it to generate one

swagridOP•10/24/22, 3:58 PM

I already have a runtimeconfig which is perfectly fine. I just need it to be in the right place

swagridOP•10/24/22, 3:59 PM

The C# project is not the entry point of the application so it shouldn't configure the runtime either

Sswagrid I already have a runtimeconfig which is perfectly fine. I just need it to be in ...

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:01 PM

i don't know how to convince you any more

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 4:01 PM

The runtimeconfig you have was generated for the Nuget package it came with, where the authors are not aware of which other libraries that package will be used with, so I still think something on your side should be generating one based on the total dependencies of your solution

swagridOP•10/24/22, 4:02 PM

I have full control over the nuget packages, but why should someone else generate the runtimeconfig for an assembly that was already built?

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:02 PM

it's absolutely normal that a libraries can't self replace a bootable app

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:02 PM

because it's a library

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:02 PM

it's not an app

Brady Kelly•10/24/22, 4:03 PM

You have control of the packages but the package author doesn't

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:03 PM

it's like saying you're frustrated you can't pay with euro in the us "because you have valid money"

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:03 PM

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

swagridOP•10/24/22, 4:04 PM

I'm sorry I can't follow you. The contents of the nuget package are essentially an app. You could in theory do dotnet exec Bla.dlldotnet exec Bla.dll

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:04 PM

and no

swagridOP•10/24/22, 4:04 PM

why not?

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:05 PM

because that why it's named a library

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:05 PM

and not an app

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:05 PM

and that's why one uses dotnet pack

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:05 PM

and the other dotnet publish

TeBeCo•10/24/22, 4:06 PM

look at AppHost docs if you want

.runtimeconfig.json in PackageReference not copied to OutDir

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