spark.dotnet-install 0.3.0

dotnet-install

Managed dotnet-install for developers who want the familiar shell-script workflow in a compiled CLI.

The tool resolves .NET release metadata, builds an install plan, downloads the selected SDK or runtime artifact, and runs the install flow from a single command.

Get Started

Install as a global tool:

dotnet tool install --global spark.dotnet-install

Or install into a local tool manifest:

dotnet new tool-manifest
dotnet tool install --local spark.dotnet-install

Then start with the commands most people need:

dotnet-install --help
dotnet-install version
dotnet-install --dry-run --channel LTS
dotnet-install --version 10.0.x
dotnet-install --jsonfile ./global.json
dotnet-install upgrade 10.0.x --dry-run
dotnet-install upgrade 10.0.x 11.0.x
dotnet-install upgrade 10.0.x --runtime
dotnet-install self-update --dry-run
dotnet-install self-update --prerelease

Common Tasks

Install the latest LTS SDK:

dotnet-install --channel LTS

Install a specific SDK exactly:

dotnet-install --version 10.0.201

Install the SDK pinned by global.json:

dotnet-install --jsonfile ./global.json

When global.json contains sdk.rollForward, permissive policies are mapped to the closest supported wildcard selector. For example, feature uses 10.0.x, and minor uses 10.x.

Install only a runtime:

dotnet-install --runtime aspnetcore --version 10.0.x

Install into a custom directory:

dotnet-install --version 10.0.x --install-dir ./tools/dotnet

Preview a removal before deleting anything:

dotnet-install remove 8.0.204 --dry-run

Preview an upgrade before installing/removing anything:

dotnet-install upgrade 10.0.x --dry-run

Upgrade multiple SDK bands in one command:

dotnet-install upgrade 10.0.x 11.0.x

Upgrade an SDK but keep its related runtime packs and shared runtime:

dotnet-install upgrade 10.0.x --sdk-only

Upgrade only the .NET runtime in a channel:

dotnet-install upgrade 10.0.x --runtime

Highlights

• Familiar dotnet-install semantics in managed code
• Strong option binding and validation with System.CommandLine
• Channel, exact-version, and wildcard version selection
• Download, extraction, install verification, and feed/proxy override support
• PATH updates for the current process, with optional user PATH persistence on Windows

Notes

• --dry-run stops after plan generation
• --persist-path is supported only on Windows and cannot be combined with --no-path
• --jsonfile installs the SDK version pinned by global.json, honors compatible SDK rollForward policies, and cannot be combined with runtime-only installs
• --internal and --os are parsed compatibility switches; full shell-script parity for these switches is still in progress
• If another .NET installation is already discoverable, PATH mutation is skipped to avoid shadowing it
• remove is destructive and should be previewed with --dry-run first
• upgrade skips installation when the resolved version is already present and removes other installed versions in the same major.minor channel
• upgrade removes the related runtime by default when pruning obsolete SDKs; use --sdk-only to keep the runtime installed
• self-update replaces the current executable with the latest matching GitHub release asset for the current RID
• self-update --prerelease includes preview releases, and prerelease builds enable that behavior by default

Project

• Package: spark.dotnet-install
• Repository: https://github.com/WeihanLi/dotnet-install

See the repository README for source, development, GitHub Action, and release details.