Publish Framework-dependent
Apps published as framework-dependent are cross-platform and don't include the .NET Core runtime. The user of your app is required to install the .NET Core runtime.
- Publishing an app as framework-dependent produces a cross-platform binary as a
dll file and a platform-specific executable that targets your current platform.
- The
dll is cross-platform while the executable isn't.
- For example, if you publish an app named
excel_processor and target Windows, a excel_processor.exe executable is created along with excel_processor.dll.
- When targeting Linux or macOS, a
excel_processor executable is created along with excel_processor.dll.
Framework-dependent Executables
Starting with .NET Core 2.2, you can deploy framework-dependent executables, which are .exe files instead of .dll files.
- Functionally similar to framework-dependent deployments, framework-dependent executables (FDE) still rely on the presence of a shared system-wide version of .NET Core to run.
- Your app contains only your code and any third-party dependencies. Unlike framework-dependent deployments, FDEs are platform-specific.
- This new deployment mode has the distinct advantage of building an executable instead of a library, which means you can run your app directly without invoking dotnet first.
Advantages
Small Deployment
- Only your app and its dependencies are distributed.
- The user installs The .NET Core runtime and libraries and all apps share the runtime.
- Your app and any .NET-based library runs on other operating systems.
- You do not need to define a target platform for your app.
Uses the Latest Patched Runtime
- The app uses the latest runtime (within the targeted major-minor family of .NET Core) installed on the target system.
- This means your app automatically uses the latest patched version of the .NET Core runtime.
Disadvantages
Requires Pre-installing the Runtime
- Your app can run only if the version of .NET Core your app targets is already installed on the host system.
- You can configure roll-forward behavior for the app to either require a specific version of .NET Core or allow a newer version of .NET Core.
.NET Core May Change
- It is possible for the .NET Core runtime and libraries to be updated on the machine where the app is run.
- In rare cases, this may change the behavior of your app if you use the .NET Core libraries, which most apps do.
- You can configure how your app uses newer versions of .NET Core.
The following disadvantage only applies to .NET Core 2.1 SDK.
- Use the
dotnet command to start the app
- Users must run the dotnet
<filename.dll> command to start your app.
- .NET Core 2.1 SDK does not produce platform-specific executables for apps published framework-dependent.
