dotnet publish with --no-build and PublishSingleFile fails with "Could not find file singlefilehost.exe" error

[antonyoni]

Description

Running the following on Windows 10 or Server Core 2019:

mkdir test
cd test
dotnet new console
dotnet restore -r win-x64
dotnet build --no-restore -r win-x64 --configuration Debug
dotnet publish --no-build -r win-x64 --configuration Debug -p:PublishSingleFile=true --output ./publish

results in the following error message (truncated):

The "GenerateBundle" task failed unexpectedly.
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not find file 'D:\dev\test\obj\Debug\net5.0\win-x64\singlefilehost.exe'. 

Removing the --no-build parameter or using --no-restore fixes the issue.

Configuration

• .NET 5.0.101
• Windows 10.0.19042

Can also be reproduced on docker images:

• mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:5.0
• mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:5.0-windowsservercore-ltsc2019

Other information

Full error messages / stack trace:

C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018: The "GenerateBundle" task failed unexpectedly. [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018: System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not find file 'D:\dev\test\obj\Debug\net5.0\win-x64\singlefilehost.exe'. [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018: File name: 'D:\dev\test\obj\Debug\net5.0\win-x64\singlefilehost.exe' [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at System.IO.FileSystem.CopyFile(String sourceFullPath, String destFullPath, Boolean overwrite) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at System.IO.File.Copy(String sourceFileName, String destFileName, Boolean overwrite) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.NET.HostModel.AppHost.BinaryUtils.CopyFile(String sourcePath, String destinationPath) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.NET.HostModel.Bundle.Bundler.GenerateBundle(IReadOnlyList`1 fileSpecs) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks.GenerateBundle.ExecuteCore() [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks.TaskBase.Execute() [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskExecutionHost.Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.ITaskExecutionHost.Execute() [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.ExecuteInstantiatedTask(ITaskExecutionHost taskExecutionHost, TaskLoggingContext taskLoggingContext, TaskHost taskHost, ItemBucket bucket, TaskExecutionMode howToExecuteTask) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]

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Issue Details

---

Description

Running the following on Windows 10 or Server Core 2019:

mkdir test
cd test
dotnet new console
dotnet restore -r win-x64
dotnet build --no-restore -r win-x64 --configuration Debug
dotnet publish --no-build -r win-x64 --configuration Debug -p:PublishSingleFile=true --output ./publish

results in the following error message (truncated):

The "GenerateBundle" task failed unexpectedly.
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not find file 'D:\dev\test\obj\Debug\net5.0\win-x64\singlefilehost.exe'. 

Removing the --no-build parameter or using --no-restore fixes the issue.

Configuration

• .NET 5.0.101
• Windows 10.0.19042

Can also be reproduced on docker images:

• mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:5.0
• mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:5.0-windowsservercore-ltsc2019

Other information

Full error messages / stack trace:

C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018: The "GenerateBundle" task failed unexpectedly. [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018: System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not find file 'D:\dev\test\obj\Debug\net5.0\win-x64\singlefilehost.exe'. [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018: File name: 'D:\dev\test\obj\Debug\net5.0\win-x64\singlefilehost.exe' [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at System.IO.FileSystem.CopyFile(String sourceFullPath, String destFullPath, Boolean overwrite) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at System.IO.File.Copy(String sourceFileName, String destFileName, Boolean overwrite) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.NET.HostModel.AppHost.BinaryUtils.CopyFile(String sourcePath, String destinationPath) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.NET.HostModel.Bundle.Bundler.GenerateBundle(IReadOnlyList`1 fileSpecs) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks.GenerateBundle.ExecuteCore() [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks.TaskBase.Execute() [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskExecutionHost.Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.ITaskExecutionHost.Execute() [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.101\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Publish.targets(1016,5): error MSB4018:    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.ExecuteInstantiatedTask(ITaskExecutionHost taskExecutionHost, TaskLoggingContext taskLoggingContext, TaskHost taskHost, ItemBucket bucket, TaskExecutionMode howToExecuteTask) [D:\dev\test\test.csproj]

Author:	antonyoni
Assignees:	-
Labels:	area-HostModel, untriaged
Milestone:	-

[antonyoni]

This issue appears to be related: dotnet/wpf#3711

[mkielek]

any news on the issue?

[rupertbenbrook]

If you add -p:PublishSingleFile=true to the build step as well as the publish step, this seems to solve it. I guess defining the PublishSingleFile property in the build outputs the file that's missing. So the working version is:

mkdir test
cd test
dotnet new console
dotnet restore -r win-x64
dotnet build --no-restore -r win-x64 --configuration Debug -p:PublishSingleFile=true
dotnet publish --no-build -r win-x64 --configuration Debug -p:PublishSingleFile=true --output ./publish

I couldn't figure out the best area label to add to this issue. If you have write-permissions please help me learn by adding exactly one area label.

[antonyoni]

If you add -p:PublishSingleFile=true to the build step as well as the publish step, this seems to solve it. I guess defining the PublishSingleFile property in the build outputs the file that's missing. So the working version is:

mkdir test
cd test
dotnet new console
dotnet restore -r win-x64
dotnet build --no-restore -r win-x64 --configuration Debug -p:PublishSingleFile=true
dotnet publish --no-build -r win-x64 --configuration Debug -p:PublishSingleFile=true --output ./publish

Yep, that solves it. Thank you!

Is this something that still needs to be fixed then or just documented?

[GOATS2K]

If you add -p:PublishSingleFile=true to the build step as well as the publish step, this seems to solve it. I guess defining the PublishSingleFile property in the build outputs the file that's missing. So the working version is:

mkdir test
cd test
dotnet new console
dotnet restore -r win-x64
dotnet build --no-restore -r win-x64 --configuration Debug -p:PublishSingleFile=true
dotnet publish --no-build -r win-x64 --configuration Debug -p:PublishSingleFile=true --output ./publish

This works when you're building both with the same configuration, if build is happening with a different configuration than publish, you run into the same error.

Edit: If you're cross-compiling for a different architecture, it's still broken.
This works:

dotnet build -c Release --no-restore -p:PublishSingleFile=true && dotnet publish --no-build -c Release -r osx-x64 -o ~/tools/coral/osx-x64

This does not:

dotnet build -c Release --no-restore -p:PublishSingleFile=true && dotnet publish --no-build -c Release -r osx-arm64 -o ~/tools/coral/osx-arm64

Edit 2: It gets even weirder, Windows builds don't work either!

[agocke]

This is basically a duplicate of #14827

The problem is that you can't set new properties in Publish because they may change things during the build which later get consumed during Publish.