Azure-pipelines-tasks: Use .Net Core task V0 does not work anymore

[ChristopheLav]

Required Information

Type: Bug

Enter Task Name: DotNetCoreInstallerV0 / Use .Net Core task (V0)

Environment

Azure DevOps Server (On-Premise)
Version: 17.143.28912.1

Issue Description

The task does not work since a few weeks. I understand that the task is deprecated (announcement) but because this task is embeded in Azure DevOps Server itselft - it's not updable with the Marketplace. So, on-premise environment is impacted by this.

Note 1: I have not the last version of Azure DevOps Server, but on-premise environments have some constraints and often not up-to-date.

Note 2: I know I can install manually the .NET Core SDKs on build agents, but it's a regression for users and not optimal to manage.

Requested: If you can not fix (make available again the releases.json file with updated information), can you provide a method to update the task on Azure DevOps Server without need to do a full update? Release theses tasks on the Marketplace would be nice ;)

Task logs

==============================================================================
Task : .NET Core SDK Installer
Version : 0.2.0
Author : Microsoft Corporation
==============================================================================
Tool to install: .NET Core sdk version 3.1.101.
[command]C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -NoLogo -Sta -NoProfile -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& 'E:\TFSAgents\Build-SVB1171-01\_work\_tasks\DotNetCoreInstaller_b0ce7256-7898-45d3-9cb5-176b752bfea6\0.2.0\externals\get-os-platform.ps1'"
Primary:win-x64
Detected platform (Primary): win-x64
Checking if a cached copy exists for this version...
The cache does not contain the requested version of .NET Core. Downloading and installing it now.
Getting URL to download .NET Core sdk version: 3.1.101.
##[error]Unexpected token : in JSON at position 3

Troubleshooting

In the version 0.2.0 of the task, in releasesfetcher.js:

const DotNetCoreReleasesUrl = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dotnet/core/master/release-notes/releases.json";

This file is no more available.

Thanks!

[vineetmimrot]

Thanks @ChristopheLav for reporting the issue. We will have a look at it soon.

[vineetmimrot]

@ChristopheLav Isn't UseDotNet@2 task not available on On-premise version??

[ChristopheLav]

@vineetmimrot Nope, only UseDotNet@0 is available in Azure DevOps Server 2019.0.1 (17.143.28912.1).

[vineetmimrot]

Hey @ChristopheLav ,
PFA updated dotnetcore installer task.
UseDotNetV2.zip

Instructions for installing it.

1. Install tfx-cli npm tool using npm install -g tfx-cli
2. run tfx login on cli
   For Service URL: Pass your <on-prem url>/DefaultCollection
   Personal access token: Pass your PAT token.
   For any troubleshooting, you can use this doc
   on failure of service url, you can try passing: <on-prem url>/tfs/DefaultCollection
3. After successful login, unzip the above package to some directory PATH_TO_DIR
4. run tfx build tasks upload --task-path PATH_TO_DIR

The new task will be available on your on-premise server with the name .Net Core Installer (with fix). Let me know if you have any issues.

[ChristopheLav]

Thanks @vineetmimrot, I will try tomorrow the fix.

If I understand correctly, a new task will be added. It is possible to update the current task or it will be an unsupported state?

[ChristopheLav]

@vineetmimrot I have tested the fix and it's work flawless. Thanks!

About new guid and new name: is it possible to update the current official task or it will be an unsupported state? I preferer to update the official task to prevent future needed user actions when we will moved to another version.

Before going ahead with your fix, I just want to be sure this possibility doesn't exist. Thanks!

[vineetmimrot]

To prevent any side-affect, I have given the package with different guid and name. In the next on-prem release upgrade, you may officially get an upgraded version of the task.
Though you can change the task name now by modifying the task.json file.

[ChristopheLav]

Excellent. I have test on a lab to change the guid/name, and the new version was added successfully. So the issue is now closed for me. Thank you so much for your quick assistance! I appreciate.

[jochenjonc]

I think this fix is not of a standard you expect from Microsoft. The DotNetCoreInstaller@0 is broken on every Azure DevOps Server (on-premise). The moment you install a new agent, builds using the DotNetCoreInstaller@0 no longer work.

As far as I've seen there is no fix/alternative for the on-premise Azure DevOps, because UseDotNet@2 is not available (yet). And installing a patched DotNetCoreInstaller@2 manually will not work for everyone. Maybe this DotNetCoreInstaller@2 should be made available via the Marketplace.

Fix:
I was able to fix it by copying the content of the {AgentWorkingDir}_tool\dncs from a working agent to the new agent.

[vineetmimrot]

@jochenjonc After installing the UseDotNet@2 task, you need to modify your build definition to either use this task or use version 2 of the task if you have modified the task.json as done by @ChristopheLav. Other than that copying the agent directory content is not needed. When the build definition runs on any agent, the task will be downloaded from the on-prem server to the agent and it will run.

[vineetmimrot]

@jochenjonc Also UseDotNet@2 task is available on the latest on-prem version. Which version of on-prem are you using?

[jochenjonc]

@vineetmimrot I'm on version 17.143.28912.1

[ChristopheLav]

@jochenjonc Why you can’t install the patched task? Any administrator can do that. It’s a supported and officially documented action when you develop a custom task. Or do you encounter an error?

But I'm agree with you, it would be nice if the native tasks will be published on the Marketplace and updated through the Marketplace. It would be very valuable for On-Premise installations 🙂

[jochenjonc]

@ChristopheLav I don't encounter an error, I haven't tried also. I just thought there should be a less complex way to fix it.
But if what @vineetmimrot says that the UseDotNet@2 is part of a recent patch of Azure DevOps Server then the best way to solve it is to install the patch, I can live with that.

[jochenjonc]

Today I updated to the latest patch of Azure DevOps, I now have version Dev17.M153.5, and UseDotNet@2 is available!