.NET

The core .NET plugin installs .NET SDKs using Microsoft's official install script. All SDK versions are installed side-by-side under a shared DOTNET_ROOT directory, matching .NET's native multi-version model. This means dotnet --list-sdks will see every version you've installed through mise.

Unlike most tools, the SDKs don't live inside ~/.local/share/mise/installs because they share a common root. mise symlinks the install path to DOTNET_ROOT and sets environment variables so the correct SDK is picked up.

::: info This plugin manages the .NET SDK itself. To install .NET global tools (e.g., dotnet-ef), use the dotnet backend with dotnet:ToolName syntax. :::

Usage

Use the latest .NET SDK:

mise use -g dotnet@latest
dotnet --version

Use a specific version:

mise use -g [email protected]
dotnet --version

Install multiple SDKs side-by-side for multi-targeting:

mise use dotnet@8
mise use dotnet@9
dotnet --list-sdks

global.json support

mise recognizes global.json as an idiomatic version file. If your project contains a global.json with an SDK version, mise will automatically use it:

{
  "sdk": {
    "version": "8.0.100"
  }
}

Enable idiomatic version file support:

mise settings set idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools dotnet

Isolated Mode

By default, all SDK versions share a single DOTNET_ROOT directory. This matches .NET's native side-by-side model and means dotnet --list-sdks shows every installed version.

If you prefer the traditional mise approach where each version gets its own directory, enable isolated mode:

mise settings set dotnet.isolated true

In isolated mode each SDK version is installed under ~/.local/share/mise/installs/dotnet/<version>/, just like most other mise-managed tools. dotnet --list-sdks will only report the currently active version.

Runtime-only Installs

By default, mise installs the full .NET SDK. If you only need to run .NET applications without building them and without the added overhead of the SDK, you can install just the runtime using the runtime inline option:

mise use dotnet[runtime=dotnet]@8.0.14
dotnet --list-runtimes

Valid runtime values

Example: mix SDK and runtime

You can install a full SDK for development alongside a runtime for a production-like environment:

[tools]
dotnet = ["9", { version = "8.0.14", runtime = "dotnet" }]

::: warning

• Version numbers are runtime versions, not SDK versions. For example, 8.0.14 refers to .NET Runtime 8.0.14, not SDK 8.0.14. Check the .NET release notes for available runtime versions.
• Runtime-only installs do not include the SDK build tools. Commands like dotnet build and dotnet publish will not be available, and dotnet --version will not report an SDK version.

:::

::: tip Only exact runtime versions are supported (e.g., dotnet[runtime=dotnet]@8.0.14). Channel syntax like @8 is not currently supported for runtime installs, as it resolves against SDK versions rather than runtime versions. :::

Environment Variables

The plugin sets the following environment variables:

Settings