Packing a .NET Core Exe shouldn't include package dependency on Microsoft.NETCore.App

[dsplaisted]

Today, if you pack an Exe project that targets netcoreapp2.0 or higher, the resulting package has a dependency on Microsoft.NETCore.App. If you pack a library, you don't get the dependency in the package.

I think the dependency is included for Exes to support project tools. However, we would like to reconsider this default.

See dotnet/msbuild#3228 where it's causing issues with prodcon and MSBuild.

[dsplaisted]

@weshaggard @Petermarcu @AndyGerlicher @rainersigwald @nguerrera @livarcocc

[nguerrera]

Documenting the workaround. Set PrivateAssets="All" metadata on the Microsoft.NETCore.App PackageReference:

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Update="Microsoft.NETCore.App" PrivateAssets="All" />
</ItemGroup>

[Petermarcu]

Correct, nothing should have an explicit reference to netcoreapp's package. That should be the default and we should tell people that need it that they should add the reference even though nobody should need to.

[dsplaisted]

@wli3, would you like to pick this up? The implicit reference to Microsoft.NETCore.App should have PrivateAssets=All unless the PackageType property is set to DotnetCliTool.

@KathleenDollard We should communicate this as a breaking change for DotnetCliTools that don't set the PackageType property. Given the prevalence of issues that would be fixed by the change and the fact that there is a workaround (set the property) for the breaking change, I think it's worth doing.

[wli3]

@dsplaisted will this cause the similar problem of testing global tools -- Microsoft.NETCore.App won't flow to the other project? Although I don't think so, that project should have its own Microsoft.NETCore.App

[dsplaisted]

If anything, I think this could fix issues testing global tools. We may have fixed it in another way already for that case though.

[Tadimsky]

@dsplaisted Is the recommended workaround for now (until 2.2 is ready to install on our CI machines) to do the set it as PrivateAssets?

[Tadimsky]

Looks like it doesn't work to set PrivateAssets="All":

9>C:\Users\joschm\Intentional\services\src\Tests\ContentServiceFrontend.Tests\ContentServiceFrontend.Tests.csproj : error NU1605: Detected package downgrade: Microsoft.NETCore.App from 2.1.2 to 2.1.0. Reference the package directly from the project to select a different version. 
9>C:\Users\joschm\Intentional\services\src\Tests\ContentServiceFrontend.Tests\ContentServiceFrontend.Tests.csproj : error NU1605:  ContentServiceFrontend.Tests -> ContentServiceFrontend -> Microsoft.NETCore.App (>= 2.1.2) 
9>C:\Users\joschm\Intentional\services\src\Tests\ContentServiceFrontend.Tests\ContentServiceFrontend.Tests.csproj : error NU1605:  ContentServiceFrontend.Tests -> Microsoft.NETCore.App (>= 2.1.0)

Any ideas?