Prerequisites

Ready to dive into Aspire? Before you begin, make sure your development environment is set up with a few essential tools. This guide walks you through everything you need to start building and running Aspire solutions with confidence.

Install the SDK

Install either .NET 8.0 or .NET 9.0 to work with Aspire. No prior C# experience is required.

Install OCI compliant container runtime

Aspire can run containers using several OCI-compatible runtimes, including Docker Desktop and Podman.

Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop is the most popular container runtime among Aspire developers, offering a familiar and widely supported environment for building and running containers.

Docker Desktop

Podman

Podman is an open-source, daemonless alternative to Docker. It supports building and running Open Container Initiative (OCI) containers, making it a flexible choice for developers who prefer a lightweight solution.

Linux

Set the ASPIRE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME env var to podman

export ASPIRE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME=podman

Windows

Set the ASPIRE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME env var to podman

[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("ASPIRE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME", "podman", "User")

Rancher Desktop

Some users have reported success using Rancher Desktop—particularly when configured to use the Docker CLI. However, Rancher Desktop is not an officially supported or regularly tested scenario for Aspire. If you encounter issues with Rancher Desktop, please let us know, but fixes may not be prioritized.

Install an integrated development environment (IDE)

Aspire supports multiple IDEs and code editors. You can choose the one that best fits your workflow:

Visual Studio Code Visual Studio Code is a lightweight code editor with support for C# development through extensions. It's ideal for cross-platform development and quick edits.

JetBrains Rider JetBrains Rider is a cross-platform C# IDE that provides advanced code analysis, refactoring, and debugging capabilities.

Visual Studio Code Tip

When choosing Visual Studio Code, it’s recommended to install the C# DevKit extension for C# developmet. This extension provides features like IntelliSense, debugging, and project management.

Visual Studio Visual Studio is a powerful IDE for C# development. It provides a rich set of features, including debugging, IntelliSense, and integrated Git support.

Alternatives to local installation

If you prefer to avoid installing the prerequisites on your local machine, you can develop Aspire solutions using one of the following cloud-based options:

GitHub Codespaces

Dev Containers

Note

These options allow you to work in a cloud-based environment, eliminating the need for local installations. But they may not provide the same performance as local installations.