Azure build pipeline incompatible msbuild version ubuntu build agent

Question

Azure build pipeline incompatible msbuild version ubuntu build agent

Bernard, Jacob 40

Hi, on the "Restore Solution" step of my build azure build pipeline I am getting the following error:

##[error]The nuget command failed with exit code(1) and error(/home/vsts/work/1/s/Web/ElDorado.Web/ElDorado.Web.csproj : error : Version 8.0.407 of the .NET SDK requires at least version 17.8.3 of MSBuild. The current available version of MSBuild is 16.10.1.31701. Change the .NET SDK specified in global.json to an older version that requires the MSBuild version currently available.

This is running the "ubuntu-latest" vm-image, this doesn't occur with a windows build agent but it seems we must use an ubuntu build agent for the AzureStaticWebApp@0 task.

Here is out build pipeline:

name: Azure Static Web Apps CI/CD

pr:
  branches:
    include:
      - 1855-PrototypeBlazor
trigger:
  branches:
    include:
      - 1855-PrototypeBlazor    
    
variables:
  solution: '**/*.sln'
  buildConfiguration: 'Release'

jobs:
- job: build_and_deploy_job
  displayName: Build and Deploy Job
  condition: or(eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'Manual'),or(eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'PullRequest'),eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'IndividualCI')))
  pool:
    vmImage: ubuntu-22.04
  variables:
  - group: Azure-Static-Web-Apps-salmon-wave-05885360f-variable-group
  steps:
  - checkout: self
    submodules: true

  - task: NuGetToolInstaller@1
    displayName: "Install Nuget"  

  - task: NuGetAuthenticate@1
    displayName: 'Trackhouse Nuget Authenticate'
    inputs:
      forceReinstallCredentialProvider: true


  - task: NuGetCommand@2
    displayName: "Restore Solution"
    inputs:
      command: 'restore'  
      restoreSolution: '$(solution)'
      feedsToUse: 'select'
      vstsFeed: '*GUID hidden*'
      includeNuGetOrg: false
    

  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    displayName: "Build Solution"
    name: "build"
    inputs:
      command: 'build'
      projects: '$(solution)'
      arguments: '--configuration $(buildConfiguration)'  
  - task: AzureStaticWebApp@0
    inputs:
      azure_static_web_apps_api_token: $(*Token hidden but was auto-generated*)
###### Repository/Build Configurations - These values can be configured to match your app requirements. ######
# For more information regarding Static Web App workflow configurations, please visit: https://aka.ms/swaworkflowconfig
      app_location: "/Web//ElDorado.Web" # App source code path
      api_location: "Api" # Api source code path - optional
      output_location: "wwwroot" # Built app content directory - optional
###### End of Repository/Build Configurations ######

Bernard, Jacob 40 Reputation points

2025-04-07T17:10:08.9333333+00:00
I guess I should have included it but we tried the UseDotNet@2 task to specify a Dotnet version hoping that would work but it had no effect. Reading the docs you can specify a Visual Studio version so I tried that thinking it may include the msbuild version that goes with the VS version but it was no help. We read that ubuntu 24.04 doesn't have it all hence specifying 22.04, in other pipelines we just use ubuntu-latest.

Very odd to me that Microsoft wouldn't include MSBuild in their build images, we just want to use the latest versions of their products we can here.

- task: UseDotNet@2 inputs: packageType: 'sdk' version: '8.x' vsVersion: '2022'
Michael Taylor 60,326 Reputation points

2025-04-07T17:36:15.8133333+00:00

Yes, unfortunately MSBuild won't work with the newest Ubuntu anymore based upon this post.

Using the UseDotNet@2 task should work. Ensure you include the includeAllArchitectures parameter and set it to true. This will ensure it installs the the SDK for all the platforms. Also ensure this runs before your actually try to build the app, obviously.

3 answers

Your answer

Bernard, Jacob 40 Reputation points

2025-04-07T17:10:08.9333333+00:00

I guess I should have included it but we tried the UseDotNet@2 task to specify a Dotnet version hoping that would work but it had no effect. Reading the docs you can specify a Visual Studio version so I tried that thinking it may include the msbuild version that goes with the VS version but it was no help. We read that ubuntu 24.04 doesn't have it all hence specifying 22.04, in other pipelines we just use ubuntu-latest.

Very odd to me that Microsoft wouldn't include MSBuild in their build images, we just want to use the latest versions of their products we can here.

- task: UseDotNet@2 inputs: packageType: 'sdk' version: '8.x' vsVersion: '2022'
Michael Taylor 60,326 Reputation points

2025-04-07T17:36:15.8133333+00:00

Yes, unfortunately MSBuild won't work with the newest Ubuntu anymore based upon this post.

Using the UseDotNet@2 task should work. Ensure you include the includeAllArchitectures parameter and set it to true. This will ensure it installs the the SDK for all the platforms. Also ensure this runs before your actually try to build the app, obviously.

Answer 1

Michael Taylor 60,326

Ubuntu 22.04 only has MSBuild 16.x installed as documented here. Interestingly the newer 24.04 doesn't list it at all.

There is a Github issue reported here about it. That ticket was closed. The recommended solution is to have your pipeline explicitly install the tools it needs using UseDotNet@2. Then you can ensure the correct toolset is installed for your build. The alternative is to use VS build which does this as well but it doesn't look like that is an option for you.

Answer 2

Took too long to realize but turns out we should be using a DotnetCoreCLI@2 task NOT a Nuget Command which in hindsight is super obvious. instead of the vsts feed input we are using a nuget.config file in our solution which is accomplishing the same thing. So our pipeline ended up at this, also of major note is that we are seperately building restoring, publishing, and then running the AzureStaticWebApp task without building as it was unable to find out private feed based on this post

  
name: Azure Static Web Apps CI/CD

pr:
  branches:
    include:
      - 1855-PrototypeBlazor
trigger:
  branches:
    include:
      - 1855-PrototypeBlazor    
    
variables:
  solution: '**/*.sln'
  buildConfiguration: 'Release'

jobs:
- job: build_and_deploy_job
  displayName: Build and Deploy Job
  condition: or(eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'Manual'),or(eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'PullRequest'),eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'IndividualCI')))
  pool:
    vmImage: ubuntu-latest
  variables:
  - group: [Resource Group]
  steps:
  - checkout: self
    submodules: true

  - task: NuGetToolInstaller@1
    displayName: "Install Nuget"  

  - task: NuGetAuthenticate@1
    displayName: 'Nuget Authenticate'
    inputs:
      forceReinstallCredentialProvider: true
    
  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    inputs:
      command: 'restore'
      projects: '$(solution)'
      feedsToUse: 'config'
      nugetConfigPath: './nuget.config'
  
  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    displayName: "Build Solution"
    name: "build"
    inputs:
      command: 'build'
      projects: '$(solution)'
      arguments: '--configuration $(buildConfiguration)'  

  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    displayName: 'Publish'
    inputs:
      command: 'publish'
      publishWebProjects: true
      arguments: '--configuration $(buildConfiguration)'  
      zipAfterPublish: false

  - task: AzureStaticWebApp@0
    inputs:
      skip_app_build: true
      azure_static_web_apps_api_token: $(AZURE_STATIC_WEB_APPS_API_TOKEN_*)
      app_location: "/Web/ElDorado.Web/bin/Release/net9.0/publish/wwwroot" # App source code path
      output_location: '' # Built app content directory - optional

Laxman Reddy Revuri 5,400 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-07T23:32:25.5633333+00:00

Hi @Bernard, Jacob
Just checking if the issue has been resolved or if there are any other problems causing issues?
Thank you for answering Michael Taylor
Bernard, Jacob 40 Reputation points

2025-04-08T13:21:10.42+00:00

Hi, this issue was resolved with this thank you, and yes thank you Michael

Answer 3

Hi @Bernard, Jacob
I'm glad that you were able to resolve your issue and thank you for posting your solution so that others experiencing the same thing can easily reference this! Since the Microsoft Q&A community has a policy that "The question author cannot accept their own answer. They can only accept answers by others ", I'll repost your solution in case you'd like to accept the answer.
Ask: Azure build pipeline incompatible msbuild version ubuntu build agent
Solution:
Took too long to realize but turns out we should be using a DotnetCoreCLI@2 task NOT a Nuget Command which in hindsight is super obvious. instead of the vsts feed input we are using a nuget.config file in our solution which is accomplishing the same thing. So our pipeline ended up at this, also of major note is that we are seperately building restoring, publishing, and then running the AzureStaticWebApp task without building as it was unable to find out private feed based on this post

  
name: Azure Static Web Apps CI/CD

pr:
  branches:
    include:
      - 1855-PrototypeBlazor
trigger:
  branches:
    include:
      - 1855-PrototypeBlazor    
    
variables:
  solution: '**/*.sln'
  buildConfiguration: 'Release'

jobs:
- job: build_and_deploy_job
  displayName: Build and Deploy Job
  condition: or(eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'Manual'),or(eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'PullRequest'),eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'IndividualCI')))
  pool:
    vmImage: ubuntu-latest
  variables:
  - group: [Resource Group]
  steps:
  - checkout: self
    submodules: true

  - task: NuGetToolInstaller@1
    displayName: "Install Nuget"  

  - task: NuGetAuthenticate@1
    displayName: 'Nuget Authenticate'
    inputs:
      forceReinstallCredentialProvider: true
    
  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    inputs:
      command: 'restore'
      projects: '$(solution)'
      feedsToUse: 'config'
      nugetConfigPath: './nuget.config'
  
  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    displayName: "Build Solution"
    name: "build"
    inputs:
      command: 'build'
      projects: '$(solution)'
      arguments: '--configuration $(buildConfiguration)'  

  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    displayName: 'Publish'
    inputs:
      command: 'publish'
      publishWebProjects: true
      arguments: '--configuration $(buildConfiguration)'  
      zipAfterPublish: false

  - task: AzureStaticWebApp@0
    inputs:
      skip_app_build: true
      azure_static_web_apps_api_token: $(AZURE_STATIC_WEB_APPS_API_TOKEN_*)
      app_location: "/Web/ElDorado.Web/bin/Release/net9.0/publish/wwwroot" # App source code path
      output_location: '' # Built app content directory - optional

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Azure build pipeline incompatible msbuild version ubuntu build agent

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