Build .NET Core 9 under FreeBSD

2025

• TODO v10
• some steps I always forget how to bootstrap

Hacky way for native build, tested with v9.preview.7, old, use ports

• for cross build sdk, patch needed for runtime to output proper ilc - https://patch-diff.githubusercontent.com/raw/dotnet/runtime/pull/105004.patch
• also this one might be needed https://github.com/dotnet/runtime/pull/105587.patch
• if sdk will fail with missing runtime, extract freshly built runtime from artifacts into sdk/.dotnet dir

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• aspnet runtime nuget with 6.0.32
• app host both runtime and aspnet with 6.0.32
• I use some old v6 versions and repack them with new version, scripts in repo, maybe there's better way for that
• eng/Versions.props, line 217 with MicrosoftDotNetILCompilerVersion, put 9.0.0-preview.7.24405.7 or the one you have with SDK
• add nuget source for SDK nuget's your compile with
• adjust global.json versions to SDK version
• for runtime, app host error could happen - this need sed linux-arch to freebsd-arc - ex. sed -i '' -e 's/linux-arm64/freebsd-arm64/g' runtime/.dotnet/sdk/9.0.100-preview.7.24407.12/Microsoft.NETCoreSdk.BundledVersions.props
• add <NuGetAudit>false</NuGetAudit> into aspnetcore/Directory.Build.props
• remove dnc/internal nuget feeds might also help

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• build runtime (ILC can/will fail due to missing symbols, copy from crossbuild, but final SDK/nuget will also be broken)
• build aspnet (do not build with node/npm installed)
• build sdk

Old New News (2024)

• We how have community made port under FreeBSD ports for x64/amd64 and aarch64
• /usr/ports/lang/dotnet/make install or pkg install will get you up and running
• to speed up port build, use install_tools.sh first, unless you like everything from source

Old news (out-dated, but still some valid points)

• Just a collection of script and patches put up into one place, to help getting automated builds.
• For other versions, check proper tag with that name (mostly out-dated and not updated).
• For my private nuget feed, check dotnet-freebsd-nuget-feed

Usage

1. Run as root install_tools.sh - make sure to mount all needed things (add them to /etc/fstab, then mount -a)
2. init.sh
3. build_runtime.sh - add -v d inside if it will fail with SEHExceptions...
4. build_aspnetcore.sh
5. build_installer.sh - this one can fail with downloaing some things, copy URL and try to manualy fetch it into installer/artifacts/obj/redist/Release/downloads/
6. Check installer/artifacts/packages/Release/Shipping/ or
7. gather_output.sh will create one archive with everything you should need on target system
8. clean.sh if you want to save disk space after use

Extra info

• some steps can fail, some patches can fail to apply, mostly due to numbers, this needs to be handed by hand, as I don't update all the patches with every release
• sometime some step can fail, due to zombie dotnet processes left, simple killall -9 dotnet will do the trick
• when building under jail, mlock is required

Requirments

1. Working SDK for FreeBSD
2. Tested under FreeBSD 13 and 14
3. 8GB+ of RAM recommended (with 4GB I saw some parts crashing)
4. To run SDK and/or apps pkg install libunwind icu libinotify should be enough on another box, maybe openssl too
5. Under 14 also pkg install misc/compat13x might be needed if using builds directly

Support

• x64 - read
• arm64 - read
• nice summary from @Thefrank

Ready builds, credits, etc

• Check releases (issue me if someting's broken or missing)
• Crossbuild and native builds
• Azure pipeline