Let's say I want to run a .NET application on a machine where the .NET framework is not available; Is there any way to compile the application to native code?
16 Answers
Microsoft has an article describing how you can Compile MSIL to Native Code
You can use Ngen.
The Native Image Generator (Ngen.exe) is a tool that improves the performance of managed applications. Ngen.exe creates native images, which are files containing compiled processor-specific machine code, and installs them into the native image cache on the local computer. The runtime can use native images from the cache instead using the just-in-time (JIT) compiler to compile the original assembly.
Unfortunately, you still need the libraries from the framework in order to run your program. There's no feature that I know of with the MS .Net framework SDK that allows you to compile all the required files into a single executable
RemoteSoft makes a tool that compiles a .NET application into a package that can be run without .NET installed. I don't have any experience with it:
I have tested several of them and at this moment the only one that supports .NET 3.5 and also has a great virtualization stack is Xenocode Postbuild
With ngen you still need to have the .NET framework installed but using a tool as such all your managed code is compiled into native code so you can deploy it to machines without the framework presence.
Yes, using Ngen, the Native Image Generator. There are, however, a number of things you need to be aware of:
- You still need the CLR to run your executable.
- The CLR will not dynamically optimize your assemblies based on the environment it's run in (e.g. 486 vs. 586 vs. 686, etc.)
All in all, it's only worth using Ngen if you need to reduce the startup time of your application.
You can use NativeAOT (part of .NET 7 plans, formerly CoreRT).
This technology is a bit limiting, since you cannot rely on reflection too much, but overall you can compile range of application with it. Web apps, WinForms apps, console apps.
As of .NET 7 Preview 5 you can just add
<PropertyGroup>
<PublishAot>true</PublishAot>
</PropertyGroup>
If you want use daily builds of NativeAOT you need add following lines in your project file
<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.DotNet.ILCompiler" Version="7.0.0-*" />
</ItemGroup>
and add dotnet7 Nuget feed into your nuget.config like that
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<packageSources>
<!--To inherit the global NuGet package sources remove the <clear/> line below -->
<clear />
<add key="dotnet-public" value="https://pkgs.dev.azure.com/dnceng/public/_packaging/dotnet-public/nuget/v3/index.json" />
<add key="dotnet7" value="https://pkgs.dev.azure.com/dnceng/public/_packaging/dotnet7/nuget/v3/index.json" />
</packageSources>
</configuration>
You can target .NET 6 apps, and with ILTrim improvements in .NET 6 the more and more code would be ready for native compilation.
For simple applications you can try use BFlat which may give you even better results.
You can use ngen.exe to generate a native image but you still have to distribute the original non-native code as well, and it still needs the framework installed on the target machine.
Which doesn't solve your problem, really.
2019 Answer: Use dotnet/corert. It can compile .NET Core projects into standalone .exe files. No dependencies (except for system libraries like kernel32.dll). I bet this is exactly what the OP need.
From its GitHub home page:
The CoreRT compiler can compile a managed .NET Core application into a native (architecture specific) single-file executable that is easy to deploy. It can also produce standalone dynamic or static libraries that can be consumed by applications written in other programming languages.
The nature of .NET is to be able to install apps that have been compiled to MSIL, then either by JIT or Ngen, MSIL is compiled to native code and stored locally in a cache. It was never intended on generating a true native .exe that can be run independently of the .NET framework.
Maybe there's some hack that does this, but it doesn't sound safe to me. There are too many dynamics that require the framework, such as: dynamic assembly loading, MSIL code generation, etc.
The main reason to compile into Native is to secure your codes, otherwise the MSIL compiled is like deploying the source codes in the client's machine.
NGEN compiles into native but also need to deploy IL codes, this purpose is just to reduce the startup time but it is also useless.
CoreRt is alpha version and working only with simple helloworld type apps.
.Net Core compiles into single executable files but it is also not native exe, this is just a zipped file of IL codes and it will unzip the codes into temp folder while running.
My simple question from Microsoft is, if RyuJIT can compile IL into native on the fly then why not you can compile the same IL ahead-of-time (AOT).
Looks like net core RT workable solutions; soon all apps will go to .net core; https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/5262251/Generate-Native-Executable-from-NET-Core-3-1-Proje?msg=5753507#xx5753507xx https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2018/november/net-core-publishing-options-with-net-core
not tested maybe with old win .net sdk possible do similar.
try this (http://www.dotnetnative.online/) to compile .net compiled exe into native exe, I tried this, its new but good.
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