iOS Emulator - Error loading partial Info.plist template file

Description

After installation of Mobile.BuildTools, when trying to build against a mac (using a windows dev machine) I get the following error:

3>C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\MSBuild\Xamarin\iOS\Xamarin.Shared.targets(235,3): error : Error loading partial Info.plist template file 'obj/iPhoneSimulator/Debug/mbt/Info.plist': Could not find a part of the path "/Users/{username}/Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds/APPNAME.iOS/7d8514f9c34759c7f37616f2d70c7b61cbf63c6de70aa83105f84d31c20be54b/obj/iPhoneSimulator/Debug/mbt/Info.plist".
3>C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\MSBuild\Xamarin\iOS\Xamarin.Shared.targets(235,3): error :         

I don’t know if I’m missing something or need to set something else up?

Works on Android.

Reproduction Steps

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Create new Xamarin.Forms app
2. Install Mobile.BuildTools (leave default buildtools.json)
3. Set to Debug, Simulator
4. Build

Expected Behavior

Buidl succeeds

Actual Behavior

Build fails. Detailed log shows:

Target "_CompileAppManifest" in file "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\MSBuild\Xamarin\iOS\Xamarin.Shared.targets" from project "{path to csproj}" (target "_CreateAppBundle" depends on it):
3>Building target "_CompileAppManifest" completely.
3>Output file "bin\iPhoneSimulator\Debug\APPNAME.iOS.app\Info.plist" does not exist.
3>Using "CompileAppManifest" task from assembly "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\MSBuild\Xamarin\iOS\..\iOS\Xamarin.iOS.Tasks.dll".
3>Task "CompileAppManifest"
3>  CompileAppManifest: 2021-08-11T10:50:36.8795591+01:00 - Started
3>  CompileAppManifest: 2021-08-11T10:50:36.8795591+01:00 - Initializing
3>  [xma]: Trying to get a Build Connection for Session '7d8514f9c34759c7f37616f2d70c7b61cbf63c6de70aa83105f84d31c20be54b': Xamarin.Messaging.Build.Client.BuildConnection.7d8514f9c34759c7f37616f2d70c7b61cbf63c6de70aa83105f84d31c20be54b, Lifetime: AppDomain
3>  CompileAppManifest: 2021-08-11T10:50:36.8795591+01:00 - Initialized
3>  CompileAppManifest: 2021-08-11T10:50:36.8795591+01:00 - There's no available inputs to copy to the Mac
3>  CompileAppManifest: 2021-08-11T10:50:36.8795591+01:00 - Serializing intputs
3>  CompileAppManifest: 2021-08-11T10:50:36.8895601+01:00 - Executing
3>  [xma]: Starting remote task execution for 'APPNAME.iOS': Xamarin.iOS.Tasks.CompileAppManifest
3>  [xma]: Sending Request Xamarin.Messaging.Build.Contracts.ExecuteTaskMessage to topic xvs/build/execute-task/APPNAME.iOS/7d8514f002fCompileAppManifest
3>  [xma]: Received Response of Xamarin.Messaging.Build.Contracts.ExecuteTaskMessage to topic build7d8514f9c34759c7f37616f2d70c7b61cbf63c6de70aa83105f84d31c20be54b1124{redact}/+/xvs/build/execute-task/APPNAME.iOS/7d8514f002fCompileAppManifest
3>  CompileAppManifest: 2021-08-11T10:50:36.9125598+01:00 - Logging messages
3>C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\MSBuild\Xamarin\iOS\Xamarin.Shared.targets(235,3): error : Error loading partial Info.plist template file 'obj/iPhoneSimulator/Debug/mbt/Info.plist': Could not find a part of the path "/Users/{username}/Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds/APPNAME.iOS/7d8514f9c34759c7f37616f2d70c7b61cbf63c6de70aa83105f84d31c20be54b/obj/iPhoneSimulator/Debug/mbt/Info.plist".
3>C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\MSBuild\Xamarin\iOS\Xamarin.Shared.targets(235,3): error :         
3>  CompileAppManifest: 2021-08-11T10:50:36.9125598+01:00 - Finished
3>Done executing task "CompileAppManifest" -- FAILED.
3>Done building target "_CompileAppManifest" in project "APPNAME.iOS.csproj" -- FAILED.
3>
3>Build FAILED.

Environment

• OS: Windows 10
• IDE: V22019
• BuildTools Version: 2.0.245
• IDE Version: 16.10.4
• Build Target Framework: Xamarin.iOS

Reproduction App

Can supply, but can just use the template that ships with VS2019 and installing Mobile.BuildTools nuget

[ondrejnovotny]

This problem disappears when you disable

“manifests”: { “token”: “$”, “variablePrefix”: “Manifest_”, “missingTokensAsErrors”: true, “disable”: true
}

[carbon-paulc]

That worked! Tempted to remove bits one by one to see what caused it but thats for another day.

Not surw whether I should close this or leave it as a bug?