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RuntimeIdentifier warning if self-contained is unspecified

  • Article

If you specify a RuntimeIdentifier in your project file or use the -r option with dotnet, the .NET SDK defaults the build, publish, and run outputs to be self-contained applications. The default without specifying a RuntimeIdentifier is to have a framework-dependent application. This change introduces a new warning (NETSDK1179) if you specify a RuntimeIdentifier without specifying whether the application is self-contained.

Version introduced

.NET 6 RC 1

Previous behavior

In previous versions, specifying a RuntimeIdentifier would silently change the application from a framework-dependent application to a self-contained application.

New behavior

In .NET 6, if you specify a RuntimeIdentifier without specifying whether the application is self-contained, you'll get the following warning:

warning NETSDK1179: One of '--self-contained' or '--no-self-contained' options are required when '--runtime' is used.

For example, the following command will generate the warning:

dotnet publish -r win-x86

Change category

This change might affect source compatibility.

Reason for change

The default without specifying a RuntimeIdentifier is to generate a framework-dependent application. This default caused confusion for many customers. The purpose of adding the warning is to:

  • Warn customers of the behavior change to default to a framework-dependent app.
  • Encourage customers to specifically choose the type of application they want to build.
  • Prepare customers for possibly changing the behavior in .NET 7 to default to framework-dependent.
  • Specify a Boolean value in your project file for SelfContained.
  • Or, add --self-contained with a value to your build or publish command.

Affected APIs

N/A

See also