Compilation libraries cannot be found error when hosting .NET core in Nano Server containers

Here is a Repro Project.

After launch the ASP.NET core web app, browse the website with IP address will return 500 error. Here is the error within the nano server container.

PS C:\app> dotnet --additionalprobingpath "c:\.nuget\packages" "bin\Debug\netcoreapp1.1\myapp.dll"
Hosting environment: Production
Content root path: C:\app
Now listening on: http://+:80
Application started. Press Ctrl+C to shut down.
fail: Microsoft.AspNetCore.Diagnostics.ExceptionHandlerMiddleware[0]
      An unhandled exception has occurred: Can not find compilation library location for package 'microsoft.applicationinsights'
System.InvalidOperationException: Can not find compilation library location for package 'microsoft.applicationinsights'
   at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel.CompilationLibrary.ResolveReferencePaths()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.<SelectManyIterator>d__159`2.MoveNext()
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Compilation.MetadataReferenceFeatureProvider.PopulateFeature(IEnumerable`1 parts, MetadataReferenceFeature feature)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ApplicationParts.ApplicationPartManager.PopulateFeature[TFeature](TFeature feature)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Internal.RazorReferenceManager.GetCompilationReferences()
   at System.Threading.LazyInitializer.EnsureInitializedCore[T](T& target, Boolean& initialized, Object& syncLock, Func`1 valueFactory)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Internal.RazorReferenceManager.get_CompilationReferences()
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Internal.DefaultRoslynCompilationService.CreateCompilation(String compilationContent, String assemblyName)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Internal.DefaultRoslynCompilationService.Compile(RelativeFileInfo fileInfo, String compilationContent)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Internal.RazorCompilationService.Compile(RelativeFileInfo file)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Internal.CompilerCache.CreateCacheEntry(String relativePath, String normalizedPath, Func`2 compile)
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Internal.CompilerCache.GetOrAdd(String relativePath, Func`2 compile)
  at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Internal.DefaultRazorPageFactoryProvider.CreateFactory(String relativePath)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorViewEngine.CreateCacheResult(HashSet`1 expirationTokens, String relativePath, Boolean isMainPage)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorViewEngine.OnCacheMiss(ViewLocationExpanderContext expanderContext, ViewLocationCacheKey cacheKey)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorViewEngine.LocatePageFromViewLocations(ActionContext actionContext, String pageName, Boolean isMainPage)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorViewEngine.FindView(ActionContext context, String viewName, Boolean isMainPage)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewEngines.CompositeViewEngine.FindView(ActionContext context, String viewName, Boolean isMainPage)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.Internal.ViewResultExecutor.FindView(ActionContext actionContext, ViewResult viewResult)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewResult.<ExecuteResultAsync>d__26.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeResultAsync>d__30.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeNextResultFilterAsync>d__28.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.Rethrow(ResultExecutedContext context)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.Next(State& next, Scope& scope, Object& state, Boolean& isCompleted)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeNextResourceFilter>d__22.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.Rethrow(ResourceExecutedContext context)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.Next(State& next, Scope& scope, Object& state, Boolean& isCompleted)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeAsync>d__20.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder.RouterMiddleware.<Invoke>d__4.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Diagnostics.ExceptionHandlerMiddleware.<Invoke>d__6.MoveNext()
fail: Microsoft.AspNetCore.Diagnostics.ExceptionHandlerMiddleware[0]
      An exception was thrown attempting to execute the error handler.
System.ArgumentException: An item with the same key has already been added. Key: System.Object
   at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowAddingDuplicateWithKeyArgumentException(Object key)
   at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.Insert(TKey key, TValue value, Boolean add)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.Next(State& next, Scope& scope, Object& state, Boolean& isCompleted)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeNextResourceFilter>d__22.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.Rethrow(ResourceExecutedContext context)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.Next(State& next, Scope& scope, Object& state, Boolean& isCompleted)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Internal.ControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeAsync>d__20.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder.RouterMiddleware.<Invoke>d__4.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Diagnostics.ExceptionHandlerMiddleware.<Invoke>d__6.MoveNext()
fail: Microsoft.AspNetCore.Server.Kestrel[13]
      Connection id "0HL2I15H5I3IV": An unhandled exception was thrown by the application.

[HuanhuanSunMSFT]

Thanks everyone. I’ll take @dsplaisted suggestion to set nuget packages path as an environment variable. @natemcmaster The reason we need volume mapping instead of publishing and packaging to container is performance. For debugging scenario, we want the process as simplified as possible to reduce the time between F5 clicked and breakpoints hit.

[dsplaisted]

I’ve reproduced this issue outside of a docker container (by renaming the NuGet packages folder), and verified that setting the NUGET_PACKAGES environment variable fixes the issue both outside and inside a docker container.

You have to specify both the --additionalprobingpaths parameter to dotnet as well as setting the NUGET_PACKAGES environment variable. The host only looks at the parameter, while the Razor compilation only looks at the environment variable.

So @HuanhuanSunMSFT, I think for now the fix to this issue is to set the NUGET_PACKAGES environment variable in the container configuration, as well as the additional probing paths parameter.

It would be good to have a unified way of setting the path to NuGet packages that works for both the host and Razor compilation, but that’s not as urgent so I’m going to move this out of 1.0 RTM.