Simplest Way to Build Dotnet Sdk Project Requiring Net461 on Macos

Simplest way to build dotnet SDK project requiring net461 on MacOS

(using .NET Core SDK) The simplest way to build for a .NET Framework TFM when running on either macOS or Linux using the .NET Core CLI, is to utilize the .NET Framework Targeting Pack Nuget Packages from Microsoft (currently in preview):

These packages enable building .NET Framework projects on any machine with at least MSBuild or the .NET Core SDK installed.

The following scenarios and benefits are enabled for .NET Framework projects:

• Build without requiring admin operations to install pre-requisites such as Visual Studio or .NET Framework targeting packs.
• Build libraries on any operating system supported by the .NET Core SDK.
• Build Mono-based projects.

You may either include the Microsoft.NETFramework.ReferenceAssemblies metapackage;
or use just the specific package, which is in your case Microsoft.NETFramework.ReferenceAssemblies.net461.

Add the package to the *.csproj or your Directory.Build.props:

<Project>
  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NETFramework.ReferenceAssemblies" Version="1.0.0" PrivateAssets="All" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Note: The PrivateAssets attribute controls which dependency assets will be consumed but won't flow to the parent project. See the docs.

Update

This is no longer required using the .NET 5 SDK (e.g. 5.0.100), which will now automatically add the PackageReference to the ReferenceAssemblies for .NET Framework.

mac/linux `dotnet build` The reference assemblies for framework .NETFramework.. were not found

There's a solution that doesn't require depending on MyGet; adding this props import:

   <TargetFramework>net472</TargetFramework>
   <OutDir>bin</OutDir>
 </PropertyGroup>
+<Import Project="netfx.props" />
 <ItemGroup>

And then include this netfx.props file on your solution:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.  See License.txt in the project root for license information. -->
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <!-- When compiling .NET SDK 2.0 projects targeting .NET 4.x on Mono using 'dotnet build' you -->
    <!-- have to teach MSBuild where the Mono copy of the reference asssemblies is -->
    <TargetIsMono Condition="($(TargetFramework.StartsWith('net4')) OR $(TargetFrameworkVersion.StartsWith('v4.'))) AND '$(OS)' == 'Unix'">true</TargetIsMono>

    <!-- Look in the standard install locations -->
    <BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' == '' AND '$(TargetIsMono)' == 'true' AND EXISTS('/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/lib/mono')">/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/lib/mono</BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono>
    <BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' == '' AND '$(TargetIsMono)' == 'true' AND EXISTS('/usr/lib/mono')">/usr/lib/mono</BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono>
    <BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' == '' AND '$(TargetIsMono)' == 'true' AND EXISTS('/usr/local/lib/mono')">/usr/local/lib/mono</BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono>

    <!-- If we found Mono reference assemblies, then use them -->
    <FrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != '' AND ('$(TargetFramework)' == 'net45' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.5')">$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)/4.5-api</FrameworkPathOverride>
    <FrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != '' AND ('$(TargetFramework)' == 'net451' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.5.1')">$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)/4.5.1-api</FrameworkPathOverride>
    <FrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != '' AND ('$(TargetFramework)' == 'net452' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.5.2')">$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)/4.5.2-api</FrameworkPathOverride>
    <FrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != '' AND ('$(TargetFramework)' == 'net46' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.6')">$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)/4.6-api</FrameworkPathOverride>
    <FrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != '' AND ('$(TargetFramework)' == 'net461' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.6.1')">$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)/4.6.1-api</FrameworkPathOverride>
    <FrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != '' AND ('$(TargetFramework)' == 'net462' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.6.2')">$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)/4.6.2-api</FrameworkPathOverride>
    <FrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != '' AND ('$(TargetFramework)' == 'net47' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.7')">$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)/4.7-api</FrameworkPathOverride>
    <FrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != '' AND ('$(TargetFramework)' == 'net471' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.7.1')">$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)/4.7.1-api</FrameworkPathOverride>
    <FrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != '' AND ('$(TargetFramework)' == 'net472' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.7.2')">$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)/4.7.2-api</FrameworkPathOverride>
    <EnableFrameworkPathOverride Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != ''">true</EnableFrameworkPathOverride>

    <!-- Add the Facades directory.  Not sure how else to do this. Necessary at least for .NET 4.5 -->
    <AssemblySearchPaths Condition="'$(BaseFrameworkPathOverrideForMono)' != ''">$(FrameworkPathOverride)/Facades;$(AssemblySearchPaths)</AssemblySearchPaths>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup Condition="'$(TargetFramework)'== 'net472' OR '$(TargetFrameworkVersion)' == 'v4.7.2'">
    <Reference Include="netstandard" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

(Based on this.)

Can you install and run apps built on the .NET framework on a Mac?

You can use a .Net environment Visual studio, Take a look at the differences with the PC version.

A lighter editor would be Visual Code

Alternatives :

1. Installing the Mono Project runtime . It allows you to re-compile the code and run it on a Mac, but this requires various alterations to the codebase, as the fuller .Net Framework is not available. (Also, WPF applications aren't supported here either.)

2. Virtual machine (VMWare Fusion perhaps)

3. Update your codebase to .Net Core, (before choosing this option take a look at this migration process)

   • .Net Core 3.1 is an open-source, free and available on Window, MacOs and Linux

   • As of September 14, a release candidate ¹ of .Net Core 5.0 has been deployed on Window, MacOs and Linux.

[1] : Release candidate (RC) : releases providing early access to complete features. These releases are supported for production use when they have a go-live license

Assets file project.assets.json doesn't have a target for 'net6.0' - VS2022

I found the problem and it indeed had to do with restoring NuGet Packages, in that I have a connection to a corporate NuGet repository, and the call to it was breaking due to wrong credentials.

What was troubling was that the error did not identify the nature of problem with the connection or the username of the credentials getting refused.

On the logged in user popup dialog window, where the several used usernames are presented, there was one username that was required to re-enter its password.

That was all it took.

Visual Studio > Tools > Options > Azure Service Authentication. ReBuild and the NuGet Packages will be restored and build successful.

Where does Ionide + Fake put the output executable?

.Net Core compiles all projects (even executable applications) to .dll not .exe that can be run with dotnet PATH_TO_DLL. In the bin folder, in the subfolder for given framework target there should be file YOUR_PROJECT_NAME.dll that can be run with dotnet CLI.

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