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.

1. Install the SDK

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

2. Install an OCI compliant container runtime

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

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

   • 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.

     Unix

     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 has been reported by users as a successful alternative—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.

3. 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: A lightweight, cross-platform code editor with extensive support with the C# DevKit extension.
   • JetBrains Rider: A powerful, cross-platform C# IDE with advanced features like code analysis, refactoring, and debugging.
   • Visual Studio: A full-featured IDE for C# development with debugging, IntelliSense, and Git support.
   
   

4. Consider alternatives to local installation

   If you prefer not to install the prerequisites on your local machine, you can develop Aspire solutions using cloud-based options like GitHub Codespaces or Dev Containers. These options allow you to work in a cloud-based environment, eliminating the need for local installations, but may not provide the same performance as local installations.