.NET Tool Backend

The dotnet: backend installs command-line tool packages from NuGet using dotnet tool install. The unprefixed dotnet tool installs the SDK; see the .NET language guide for SDK selection and global.json.

Dependencies

Install a .NET SDK and the runtime required by the selected tool package. A newer SDK alone does not guarantee that an older tool can run: .NET's runtime selection rules still apply. Use mise exec -- dotnet --list-runtimes to inspect what is installed.

Usage

This example pairs .NET 8 with a GitVersion release that includes a .NET 8 tool:

mise use dotnet@8 dotnet:[email protected]
mise exec -- dotnet-gitversion /version

Both entries are written to the project's mise.toml:

toml

[tools]
dotnet = "8"
"dotnet:GitVersion.Tool" = "6.0.5"

Add -g to mise use for global configuration. To choose another release, run mise ls-remote dotnet:GitVersion.Tool and check that release's runtime requirements. mise use dotnet:GitVersion.Tool records a latest request.

mise installs each tool into its own directory with --tool-path; it does not create or update a project's .config/dotnet-tools.json manifest.

Private feeds

dotnet.registry_url selects the NuGet service index used for version discovery. The dotnet CLI handles installation separately, using its NuGet configuration and credentials. Configure the installation source in NuGet.Config as well; changing the discovery endpoint alone does not add a source to the CLI.

Settings

Set these with mise settings set [VARIABLE]=[VALUE] or by setting the environment variable listed.

Tool Options

The following tool-options are available for the dotnet backend—these go in [tools] in mise.toml.

`install_env`

Set environment variables for the dotnet tool install command:

toml

[tools]
"dotnet:GitVersion.Tool" = { version = "latest", install_env = { DOTNET_CLI_TELEMETRY_OPTOUT = "1" } }

`prerelease`

By default, NuGet pre-release versions are excluded from mise ls-remote and from latest resolution. Set prerelease = true to include them:

toml

[tools]
"dotnet:GitVersion.Tool" = { version = "latest", prerelease = true }

The legacy dotnet.package_flags = ["prerelease"] setting is deprecated. Prefer the per-tool prerelease = true option, or the global prereleases setting when every tool should include pre-release versions. Because dotnet.package_flags is global, remove it before relying on per-tool prerelease = false opt-outs.

Troubleshooting

SDK not found: check mise exec -- dotnet --info and any global.json that constrains SDK selection.
Required framework missing: install a compatible runtime/SDK or select a tool release that targets the runtime you have.
Package not found: verify that the package is a .NET tool and that both discovery and installation can access its feed.

Implementation: src/backend/dotnet.rs.