How to create valid setup project for NET 5.0 solution having multiple interlaced exe projects sharing same dlls?

Question

Hi!

I have upgraded multi project windows Framework 4.8 solution to NET 5.0. and...
Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects 0.9.9. setup project is having trouble recognizing shared dll-s.

Details...

Setup's target installation is, classically, into one Windows Program files folder.
Solution projects share same dll-s and when Setup packs them into msi file, msi has duplicate files...

MSI content...

file1.dll
file1.dll
file1.dll
...
file2.dll
file2.dll
file2.dll
...

with a zillion warnings while building...

"WARNING: Two or more objects have the same target location ... "
...

How to correct this problem?

I have set exe projects at Setup as their Publish version....

Project1.exe, Publish Items & "Project1\PublishProfile"
Project2.exe, Publish Items & "Project2\PublishProfile"
Project3.exe, Publish Items & "Project3\PublishProfile"
...

where solution is made from about 20 dll projects and 6 exe projects

Each exe project's publish profile is identical...(same publish spot)

<Project ...>
 <PropertyGroup>
 <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
 <Platform>x64</Platform>
 <PublishDir>..\Build\Publish\Release64</PublishDir>
 <PublishProtocol>FileSystem</PublishProtocol>
 <TargetFramework>net5.0-windows</TargetFramework>
 <RuntimeIdentifier>win-x64</RuntimeIdentifier>
 <SelfContained>false</SelfContained>
 <PublishSingleFile>False</PublishSingleFile>
 <PublishReadyToRun>True</PublishReadyToRun>
 </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Thanks in advance!
Vladimir

P.S. Also, Visual Studio Community MSBuild process is making VS-UI unresponsive when I convert even one projects setup config from "Project Output" to "Publish Items".
P.S.S: I have tried separate publish places...same result.

Answer 1

Hi vbAtom,

Please follow these steps to remove the duplicated dlls from exe:

1. Right-click "Publish Items From XXX(Active)"
   
2. Click "Exclude Filter"
3. Create a filter for a duplicated file
   

Best Regards,
Dylan

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Answer 2

Thank you very much!

Sorry, but, thou it is one of probable solutions, I cannot accept it as answer.

It does not automatically maintain, detect dependencies like it is supposed to be.

Also, it does not solve Visual Studio Community unresponsiveness... as msbuild becomes crazy when I put even
one of projects from "Setup Project Output" => "Setup Publish Items".

This VS stalling makes me to believe that... "Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects 0.9.9" + "Visual Studio" + "Publish Items" = having bug.

One of possible solutions is to make separate Solution, put setup there, and add files from the Publish folder directly into setup.
This would have same maintenance problem as your solution, but, I would get rid of Visual Studio stopping being responsive.

I did reset Visual Studio settings, did reset VS shadow cache, and, I will try to completely reinstall Visual Studio...but I'm pretty sure there is a bug in Visual Studio and Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects 0.9.9. when using "Publish Items" selection.