Top 7 Features of Exepack.NET Every Developer Should Know

Beginner’s Tutorial: Getting Started with Exepack.NET

What Exepack.NET Is

Exepack.NET is a lightweight tool for packaging .NET applications into single distributable executables. It simplifies deployment by bundling assemblies, resources, and runtime files so end users can run your app without installing dependencies.

Why Use Exepack.NET

• Simplicity: Produces a single executable for easy distribution.
• Portability: Reduces dependency issues on target machines.
• Faster setup: Users run the app immediately without installing extra components.

Prerequisites

• Windows, macOS, or Linux development machine.
• .NET SDK (recommended .NET 6 or later).
• Basic familiarity with the command line and .NET project structure.

Installation

1. Open a terminal/command prompt.
2. Install Exepack.NET as a global .NET tool:

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dotnet tool install -g Exepack.NET 

(If already installed, update with dotnet tool update -g Exepack.NET.)

Create a Sample .NET App

1. Create a new console app:

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dotnet new console -n ExepackSample cd ExepackSample 

2. Build and test:

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dotnet run 

Package the App with Exepack.NET

1. From the project directory, run:

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exepack pack –project ExepackSample.csproj –output ./dist 

2. Common options:

• –runtime specify target runtime (e.g., win-x64, linux-x64).
• –self-contained produce a self-contained executable.
• –config point to a custom packaging config file.

Example producing a self-contained Windows executable:

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exepack pack –project ExepackSample.csproj –runtime win-x64 –self-contained true –output ./dist 

Verify and Run

• Navigate to ./dist, locate the produced executable, and run it to confirm the app starts without needing the .NET SDK installed.

Troubleshooting

• Build failures: run dotnet build to see compiler errors.
• Missing runtime files: ensure the correct –runtime and –self-contained flags.
• Permission issues on Unix: mark the file executable with chmod +x ./dist/ExepackSample.

Best Practices

• Keep projects trimmed—exclude unnecessary files from packaging.
• Use a CI pipeline to automate packaging for each release.
• Test on target OS versions and architectures.

Next Steps

• Explore advanced options: compression, startup hooks, and resource embedding.
• Integrate Exepack.NET into your CI (GitHub Actions, Azure Pipelines) to produce releases automatically.

This tutorial gives the essentials to package a simple .NET app with Exepack.NET. For advanced usage consult Exepack.NET’s official docs (search online for the latest options and examples).