dotnet-tool-management

Manage .NET CLI tools consistently by using local tool manifests to pin specific tool versions. Committing the manifest file to source control ensures every team member runs identical tool versions, guaranteeing reproducible development environments.

The best way to restore .NET CLI tools in CI/CD pipelines is using the `dotnet tool restore` command. This reads your committed local tool manifest and automatically installs the exact pinned versions required for reliable, reproducible automated builds.

Yes, .NET tool management supports a .NET 8.0+ baseline for global and local installations. Local tools and manifests have been available since .NET Core 3.0, while .NET 10+ introduces specific handling for RID-specific tool packaging.

Use global .NET CLI tool installations for general utilities needed across all projects, and local tools managed via manifests for project-specific requirements. Local manifests allow you to pin tool versions for team reproducibility and reliable CI integration.

Pin a specific version of a dotnet tool like dotnet-ef by adding it to a local tool manifest. This manifest tracks exact version numbers and can be committed to source control, ensuring database migrations run identically across all environments.

Yes, local tool manifests support RID-specific tool packaging introduced in .NET 10+. This allows you to define and restore platform-specific .NET CLI tool installations while maintaining version control and reproducibility across different runtime identifiers.