project.assets.json not found with msbuild

Question

I have an ASP.NET Core application that i wish to build on a jenkins machine with MSBuild 15.

When i try to build i get the following error:

C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.1.502\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.PackageDependencyResolution.targets(198, 5): error NETSDK1004: Assets file 'C:\sync\Src\Util\myUtil\ob j\project.assets.json' not found. Run a NuGet package restore to generate this file

I understand that i need to do nuget restore somehow, but i failed to make it work.

My build process: Running a batch filed with the following command:

call "%VS150COMNTOOLS%VsDevCmd.bat"
MSBuild DailyBuild.proj /t:DailyBuild /p:VersionNumber=%2 /l:FileLogger,Microsoft.Build.Engine;logfile=Build.log

The DailyBuild.proj file look like this:

<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <SourcesPath>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\</SourcesPath>
    <CSCleanProperties>BuildType=Clean;Configuration=Release;IsFormalBuild=true</CSCleanProperties>
    <CSBuildProperties>BuildType=ReBuild;Configuration=Release;PauseBuildOnError=false;PublishWebSites=true;VersionName=myProd-$(VersionNumber)</CSBuildProperties>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <Target Name="DailyBuildWithClean">
    <MSBuild Projects="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\Make.proj" Targets="Clean" Properties="$(CSCleanProperties)"/>
    <MSBuild Projects="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\Make.proj" Properties="$(CSCleanProperties)"/>
    <MSBuild Projects="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\Make.proj" Targets="FormalBuild" Properties="$(CSBuildProperties)"/>
  </Target>

  <Target Name="DailyBuild">
    <MSBuild Projects="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\Make.proj" Targets="SW;PreparePackFolder" Properties="$(CSBuildProperties)"/>
  </Target>

</Project>

The Make.proj is a proj file containing definitions for many applications to be built, one of them is my ASP.NET Core app.

How do i fix this problem? thank you.

SOLUTION EDIT: Thanks to solution by Martin Ullrich:

Added in the DailyBuild.proj the target Restore, also added in the Make.proj a target called restore as suggested (IE:

<Target Name="Restore">
  <MSBuild Projects="$(SourcesPath)\my.sln" Targets="Restore" />
</Target>

)

Possible duplicate of Assets file project.assets.json not found. Run a NuGet package restore — Maxim Goncharuk
I have seen this but it doesnt help me. Im trying to build with MSBuild (specifically with a build machine) not with dotnet so dotnet restore is not helping me. Unless you have something more to add because this answer is not helping me — Tomer Something
If you are going to use .net core you have to follow SDK rules. I would recommend you to get rid off .proj files and msbuild operation and use dotnet CLI and Cake as a build tool. — Maxim Goncharuk
i didnt include the restore command because whichever way i tried it didnt work (msbuild -t:restore or msbuild /t:restore always lead to restore target not found) — Tomer Something

Martin Ullrich Martin Ullrich · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-01T11:20:40

Add -r (-restore//Restore) to your MSBuild command to trigger a restore before the main build.

The restore parameter will build the Restore target, clear internal caches and then run the rest of the build as specified.

Since you build a custom MSBuild project, you then need to add a Restore target to it:

<Target Name="Restore">
  <MSBuild Projects="$(SourcesPath)\my.sln" Targets="Restore" />
</Target>

(or alternatively add another Restore target on the make.proj file and forward it from there to the solution or individual projects that you need to be restored)

project.assets.json not found with msbuild

3 Answers