`dotnet tool install` ignores $DOTNET_ROOT and defaults to $HOME/.dotnet

[d3jv]

Describe the bug

Despite setting the $DOTNET_ROOT environment variable to a different location, dotnet tool install --global always installs tools to ~/.dotnet/tools and then prints out a message that I should at it to the PATH.

To Reproduce

Further technical details

dotnet --info clearly shows that everything is installed in /opt/dotnet

.NET SDK:
 Version:           8.0.201
 Commit:            4c2d78f037
 Workload version:  8.0.200-manifests.3097af8b

Runtime Environment:
 OS Name:     void
 OS Version:  
 OS Platform: Linux
 RID:         linux-x64
 Base Path:   /opt/dotnet/sdk/8.0.201/

.NET workloads installed:
There are no installed workloads to display.

Host:
  Version:      8.0.2
  Architecture: x64
  Commit:       1381d5ebd2

.NET SDKs installed:
  8.0.201 [/opt/dotnet/sdk]

.NET runtimes installed:
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 8.0.2 [/opt/dotnet/shared/Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 8.0.2 [/opt/dotnet/shared/Microsoft.NETCore.App]

Other architectures found:
  None

Environment variables:
  DOTNET_ROOT       [/opt/dotnet]

global.json file:
  Not found

Learn more:
  https://aka.ms/dotnet/info

Download .NET:
  https://aka.ms/dotnet/download

[baronfel]

DOTNET_ROOT is not used by tools in any way by design - it only applies to the .NET AppHost (dotnet binary) and the .NET Runtime.

If you want to install tools to a custom location, you should use the --tool-path option of dotnet tool install to do so.

[d3jv]

If so, has it always been that way? The guide for installing dotnet on linux says to add $DOTNET_ROOT/tools to the PATH, implying that the tools should be installed there.

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/tools/dotnet-environment-variables#net-sdk-and-cli-environment-variables says DOTNET_ROOT "Specifies the location of the .NET runtimes, if they are not installed in the default location." Why should global tools be installed to the directory of the runtimes?

[baronfel]

If so, has it always been that way? The guide for installing dotnet on linux says to as $DOTNET_ROOT/tools to the PATH, implying that the tools should be installed there.

Good spot - the guidance on that page is just wrong in that case. I'll work with the team to get it corrected.

[JL03-Yue]

Thanks for reporting.

[JL03-Yue]

@d3jv Thank you for reporting. Are there any other problems?

[d3jv]

@JL03-Yue Haven't noticed anything else yet.