Dotnet10 Pack Tool

What it does

This skill simplifies creating hybrid .NET 10 tool packages, combining Native AOT for performance with CoreCLR fallback for broader compatibility. It guides you through configuring your project and building separate packages optimized for different platforms. The process involves generating a "pointer package" (metapackage), building Native AOT binaries for specified target RIDs, creating a CoreCLR fallback, and validating the final package structure.

When to use it

• You need to distribute a .NET 10 tool that performs well on select platforms while remaining compatible with others.
• You want to leverage Native AOT compilation for improved performance in specific environments (e.g., macOS arm64, Linux arm64/x64).
• You are building a cross-platform .NET tool and need to manage package creation for multiple runtime identifiers (RIDs).
• You're familiar with .csproj configuration and command-line build processes.

Key capabilities

• Configures .csproj files with ToolPackageRuntimeIdentifiers and PublishAot=true.
• Generates a pointer package (metapackage) that references RID-specific packages.
• Builds Native AOT packages for specified target RIDs using the -r flag.
• Creates CoreCLR fallback packages using -r any with PublishAot=false.
• Validates the overall package structure.

Example prompts

• "pack .NET tool"
• "dotnet pack AOT"
• "Create a hybrid .NET tool package for macOS arm64 and Linux x64."

Tips & gotchas

• Requires familiarity with .csproj file editing and the dotnet command-line interface.
• Native AOT compilation cannot cross-compile operating systems, so builds must be performed on each target platform.
• The skill relies on manual execution of dotnet pack commands with specific parameters for each RID.