`directives.version` is checked against dsc-lib's crate version (3.2.0), not the running dsc version

[SamyRai]

Prerequisites

• Write a descriptive title.
• Make sure you are able to repro it on the latest version
• Search the existing issues.

Summary

directives.version always compares against 3.2.0, whatever dsc build is running. On dsc 3.3.0, pinning '=3.3.0' fails and pinning '=3.2.0' passes. 3.4.0-preview.1 behaves the same way.

In practice you can't require anything newer than 3.2.0 with the directive, and an upper bound such as '<3.3.0' is accepted by 3.3.0 and 3.4.0-preview.1.

The check in validate_config parses env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"), and inside dsc-lib that resolves to dsc-lib's own version (mod.rs L1299-L1301 at v3.3.0). lib/dsc-lib/Cargo.toml is still 3.2.0 on main, while dsc/Cargo.toml is 3.4.0-preview.1. The metadata code in the same file uses self.context.dsc_version (L1253-L1257), so the directive check could probably use that as well. The existing tests in dsc/tests/dsc_version.tests.ps1 use =999.0.0 and >=3.1, and both give the same result with 3.2.0 or 3.3.0, so they don't catch this.

Steps to reproduce

1. Save this as repro.dsc.config.yaml:

   $schema: https://aka.ms/dsc/schemas/v3/bundled/config/document.json
   directives:
     version: '=3.3.0'
   resources:
   - name: os
     type: Microsoft/OSInfo
     properties: {}

2. Run it with dsc 3.3.0:

   dsc --version
   dsc config test --file ./repro.dsc.config.yaml

3. Change the directive to '=3.2.0' and run dsc config test again.

Expected behavior

PS> dsc --version
dsc 3.3.0

# version: '=3.3.0'
exit code 0, test results for the OSInfo instance

# version: '=3.2.0'
ERROR Error: Validation: Configuration requires DSC version '=3.2.0', but the current version is '3.3.0'
exit code 2

Actual behavior

PS> dsc --version
dsc 3.3.0

# version: '=3.3.0'
ERROR Error: Validation: Configuration requires DSC version '=3.3.0', but the current version is '3.2.0'
exit code 2

# version: '=3.2.0'
exit code 0, and the output reports executionInformation.version: 3.3.0

Same document, other requirements:

directives.version	dsc 3.3.0	dsc 3.4.0-preview.1
=<running version>	exit 2	exit 2
=3.2.0	exit 0	exit 0
<3.3.0	exit 0	exit 0
>=3.3.0	exit 2	not run

Error details

2026-10-04T10:25:47.660394Z ERROR Error: Validation: Configuration requires DSC version '=3.3.0', but the current version is '3.2.0'

Environment data

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      5.1.26100.9444
PSEdition                      Desktop
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
BuildVersion                   10.0.26100.9444
CLRVersion                     4.0.30319.42000
WSManStackVersion              3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1

Windows 11 Pro for Workstations 25H2, build 26200. dsc 3.3.0 installed from the release msixbundle; 3.4.0-preview.1 run from the release zip.

Version

3.3.0 (also reproduced on 3.4.0-preview.1)

Visuals

No response

[SteveL-MSFT]

Thanks for the detailed bug report!