dotnet pack fails when GeneratePackageOnBuild is true

[daniefer]

Using this simple repo: https://github.com/daniefer/dotnetcliissue
When the <GeneratePackageOnBuild>true</GeneratePackageOnBuild> project attribute is specified and the project has not been built with dotnet build before hand, the build will target netcoreapp2.2 instead of the target framework specified with the <TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework> attribute. When this happens running dotnet pack will build the project into the bin/Debug/netcoreapp2.2 folder instead of bin/Debug/netstandard2.0 and the pack command will fail with the below error:

C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.2.300\Sdks\NuGet.Build.Tasks.Pack\build\NuGet.Build.Tasks.Pack.targets(199,5): error NU5026: The file 'C:\Repos\dotnetcliissue\bin\Debug\netstandard2.0\testing.dll' to be packed was not found on disk. [C:\Repos\dotnetcliissue\testing.csproj]

Steps to reproduce

Clone https://github.com/daniefer/dotnetcliissue
Ensure bin/Debug is empty
Run dotnet pack from project directory or by providing path the *.csproj

Expected behavior

Should pack project.

Actual behavior

dotnet pack fails with below error:

C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.2.300\Sdks\NuGet.Build.Tasks.Pack\build\NuGet.Build.Tasks.Pack.targets(199,5): error NU5026: The file 'C:\Repos\dotnetcliissue\bin\Debug\netstandard2.0\testing.dll' to be packed was not found on disk. [C:\Repos\dotnetcliissue\testing.csproj]

Environment data

global.json file (location - C:\Repos):

{
  "sdk": {
    "version": "2.2.300"
  }
}

dotnet --info output:

PS C:\Repos\dotnetcliissue> dotnet --info
.NET Core SDK (reflecting any global.json):
 Version:   2.2.300
 Commit:    73efd5bd87

Runtime Environment:
 OS Name:     Windows
 OS Version:  10.0.17763
 OS Platform: Windows
 RID:         win10-x64
 Base Path:   C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.2.300\

Host (useful for support):
  Version: 3.0.0-preview5-27626-15
  Commit:  61f30f5a23

.NET Core SDKs installed:
  2.1.505 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  2.1.602 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  2.1.604 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  2.1.700 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  2.1.800-preview-009677 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  2.2.105 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  2.2.202 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  2.2.204 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  2.2.300 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  2.2.400-preview-010195 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  3.0.100-preview5-011568 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]

.NET Core runtimes installed:
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.All 2.1.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.All]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.All 2.1.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.All]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.All 2.2.3 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.All]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.All 2.2.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.All]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 2.1.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 2.1.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 2.2.3 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 2.2.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 3.0.0-preview5-19227-01 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 2.1.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 2.1.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 2.2.3 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 2.2.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 3.0.0-preview5-27626-15 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 3.0.0-preview5-27626-15 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]

To install additional .NET Core runtimes or SDKs:
  https://aka.ms/dotnet-download

[livarcocc]

@wli3 can you take a look at this issue?

[wli3]

the same issue as #3471

[wli3]

More info here #3473 (comment)

[wli3]

It is not really related to target framework. It is actually due to the following logic. When GeneratePackageOnBuild=true, it will skip the build step. So there is no built dll to pack.

https://github.com/NuGet/NuGet.Client/blob/ad3e1a24a5fcf3fe5d062c4fef854a97932e11d6/src/NuGet.Core/NuGet.Build.Tasks.Pack/NuGet.Build.Tasks.Pack.targets#L51

@nkolev92 this is issue an I am thinking to no fix. See #3473 (comment), it is a set of issue that is very brittle

[nam178]

But why this is a no fix?

The setting says "Generate package on build", it does not say "Don't build when generating packages".

[woeterman94]

any update? 🙃

[SuperJMN]

I think I've hit this problem, too, in Azure Pipelines and locally.

[caormarc]

Until the fix is done, I'm using this workaround in my CI pipelines. I hope it helps!

dotnet pack [<PROJECT>|<SOLUTION>] -p:GeneratePackageOnBuild=false

[davidhenley]

Is there an update on this? It's been almost 2 years.

[DarkDibblez]

Causes problems for me as well. I have a web API app and an nswag generated client project. I publish the webapp and run pack on the client project, but because GeneratePackageOnBuild = true it fails. Removing GeneratePackageOnBuild=true from my csproj allows the step to complete successfully.

GeneratePackageOnBuild implies a package is made when the project is built, it does not imply the project has been built when the pack step is run.

[sjanisz]

I have encountered this suddenly in my pipeline too, and it was unexpected as it worked previously with GeneratePackageOnBuild set to true in project settings - now I had to set it to false. Last time it worked was Oct 10, next time I have tried to run pipeline was today (Nov 24) - very upsetting. My pipeline consists of 2 separate stages and jobs, first stage + job is Pack:

stages:
- stage: Pack
  variables:
    - name: Projects
      value: |
        $(LibraryPresentationProject)
  jobs:
  - job: Pack
    steps:
    - template: Templates/RestoreAndBuild.yml
      parameters:
        vstsFeed: $(NugetVstsFeed)
        projects: $(Projects)
    - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
      displayName: 'NuGet pack'
      inputs:
        command: pack
        packagesToPack: $(Projects)
        packDestination: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)'
        versionEnvVar: 'VersionPresentation'
        versioningScheme: 'byEnvVar'
    - publish: $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)
      artifact: PackArtifacts

second is publish:

stages:
- stage: Publish
  jobs:
  - job: Publish
    steps:
    - download: current
      artifact: PackArtifacts
    - task: NuGetAuthenticate@0
      displayName: 'NuGet Authenticate'
    - task: NuGetCommand@2
      displayName: 'NuGet push'
      inputs:
        command: push
        packagesToPush: '$(Pipeline.Workspace)/PackArtifacts/*.nupkg'
        publishVstsFeed: '$(ProjectName)/$(FeedName)'
        allowPackageConflicts: true

lastly i wrap both stages in following yaml:

pool:
  vmImage: windows-latest

trigger: none

variables:
  - template: variables.yml

stages:
  - template: pack.yml
  - template: publish.yml

for completeness Templates/RestoreAndBuild.yml content below:

parameters:
- name: vstsFeed
  type: string
- name: projects
  type: string

steps:
- task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
  displayName: 'Restore'
  inputs:
    command: restore
    feedsToUse: 'select'
    vstsFeed: ${{ parameters.vstsFeed }}
    projects: ${{ parameters.projects }}
- task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
  displayName: 'Build'
  inputs:
    command: 'build'
    projects: ${{ parameters.projects }}
    arguments: '--configuration Debug'