Debug ASP.NET Core on Docker with Visual Studio Code

Last Thursday I started reading the Free eBook: “Containerized Docker Application Lifecycle with Microsoft Tools and Platform” by Cesar de la Torre. The book is really easy to read and really gives the reader a glimpse on the way to approach the overall application lifecycle when using containers and Microsoft Technologies. One of the interesting things he mentions is the ability to debug your source code inside a container using Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code, so I decided to try it out and Debug ASP.NET Core on Docker with Visual Studio Code

First be aware of the following prerequisites:

Prerequisites Command .NET Core 1.1 SDK for Windows Download and install: .NET Core 1.1 SDK for Windows Docker for Windows Download and install: Docker for Windows (stable) Visual Studio Code and C# Plugin Download and install from here: Code Node.js Download and install from here: Node.js v6.9.2 Yeoman From a Command Prompt run the following: npm install -g yo Generator-docker Run the following command: npm install -g generator-docker Bower Run the following command: npm install -g bower Gulp Run the following command: npm install -g gulp

Now let’s create an ASP .NET Core application and debug it inside Docker:

1. Create an ASP .NET Core application

Open a command prompt and run

md debug.on.docker cd debug.on.docker dotnet new -t web dotnet restore code .

2. Change your application port in Program.cs

Let’s use port 5000 to host the application

public static void Main( string [] args) { var host = new WebHostBuilder() .UseUrls( "http://*:5000" ) .UseKestrel() .UseContentRoot(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()) .UseIISIntegration() .UseStartup<Startup>() .Build(); host.Run(); }

3. Create the artifacts needed to Debug on Docker

Run the following command in the root folder of your project.

yo docker

Answer the questions as follows:

What language is your project using? .NET Core Which version of .NET Core is your project using? rtm Does your project use a web server? Yes Which port is your app listening to? 5000 What do you want to name your image? debug.on.docker What do you want to name your service? debug.on.docker What do you want to name your compose project? debugondocker

4. Change dockerTask.ps1

The Yeoman generator is not ready for .Net Core 1.1 so change dockerTask.ps1 line 47 with

$framework = "netcoreapp1.1"

5. Change the docker files

Change the fist line of both Dockerfile and Dockerfile.debug in order to use the latest image for .NET Core 1.1

FROM microsoft/dotnet

6. Debug your application

Place a break point in your code (i.e. line 14 of Program.cs) and hit F5 in Visual Studio Code.

The first time it will take some time, but your application will run as a container and you’ll be able to debug it!!!

You can get a copy of the code here: https://github.com/cmendible/dotnetcore.samples/tree/main/debug.on.docker

Hope it helps!