Is the SDK actually required to install tools?

[MV10]

This page states:

The only complicating factor of using these tools in a container is that they are installed with the .NET Core SDK and many Docker containers run without the .NET Core SDK present. One easy solution to this problem is to install the tools in the initial Docker image. The tools don't need the .NET Core SDK to run, only to be installed.

Is this correct, or is that only true of the dotnet tool method of installation? I noticed the tools have stand-alone downloads available, for example:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/diagnostics/dotnet-dump#install

Do those installers still require the SDK? I'm trying to put together some documentation for production server support, and corporate policy prohibits SDK installation for obvious reasons.

I'm happy to PR a change, or if the stand-alone installers do require the SDKs, I'll PR changes to those pages instead (and then we have big trouble internally trying to figure out how to deal with that...)

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Document Details

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• ID: cb469ec9-2273-52d7-059d-8288eb6d8db5
• Version Independent ID: d24b97d5-8931-408e-20e0-78c4787365c0
• Content: Collect diagnostics in containers
• Content Source: docs/core/diagnostics/diagnostics-in-containers.md
• Product: dotnet-fundamentals
• GitHub Login: @tommcdon
• Microsoft Alias: tommcdon

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Associated WorkItem - 427228

[gewarren]

@mjrousos Could you answer this question? Also, should you be marked as the author of this article?

[MV10]

The answer, per our internal Microsoft DSE:

Dotnet tools are nuget packages that get installed to a bin on the PATH. You need the DSK to use the tool installer. The actual utility is just an exe that you don't need the SDK to use. You can just copy it to where you need it from the download link on the docs page.

[tommcdon]

@hoyosjs @mikem8361

Is this correct, or is that only true of the dotnet tool method of installation? I noticed the tools have stand-alone downloads available

We also have direct download links documented here for framework: https://docs.microsoft.com/dotnet/core/diagnostics/dotnet-dump

Do those installers still require the SDK?

The dotnet-dump tool is framework dependent so it does require the .NET Runtime but it does not require the .NET SDK.