If C# Dev Kit is not installed, programmatically calling command `dotnet.generateAssets` does not work

[bwateratmsft]

Type: Bug

Issue Description

If C# Dev Kit is not installed, programmatically calling command dotnet.generateAssets does not work. The Container Tools extension uses this command and the tasks it generates to debug .NET apps within a container.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install C# and Container Tools extensions, but do not install C# Dev Kit.
2. Create and open a .NET MVC project.
3. In the command palette, run the command "Containers: Add Docker files to workspace...". Follow the prompts to scaffold Docker files for .NET: ASP.NET Core.
4. (Behind the scenes, during the above step, the Container Tools extension will call dotnet.generateAssets, but nothing happens.)
5. Try running the debug profile "Containers: .NET Launch"

Expected Behavior

Debugging works

Actual Behavior

Debugging starts, but fails because the app is not built

I suspect the root cause of the issue is that this line is returning false instead of true: https://github.com/dotnet/vscode-csharp/blob/ff6e65a14cedf55fe930f36e685564a4d5780086/src/lsptoolshost/debugger/debugger.ts#L108

When promptForDevKitDebugConfigurations gets called, without C# Dev Kit installed, that function will always return false. Above on this line, it will cause the function for dotnet.generateAssets to immediately return: https://github.com/dotnet/vscode-csharp/blob/ff6e65a14cedf55fe930f36e685564a4d5780086/src/lsptoolshost/debugger/debugger.ts#L57-L59

Logs

Nothing noteworthy

C# log

Nothing noteworthy

C# LSP Trace Logs

Nothing noteworthy

Environment information

VSCode version: 1.101.2 C# Extension: 2.80.16 Using OmniSharp: false

Dotnet Information

.NET SDK: Version: 10.0.100-preview.5.25277.114 Commit: ddf39a1b46 Workload version: 10.0.100-manifests.a07d1f1a MSBuild version: 17.15.0-preview-25277-114+ddf39a1b4

Runtime Environment: OS Name: Windows OS Version: 10.0.26100 OS Platform: Windows RID: win-x64 Base Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\10.0.100-preview.5.25277.114\

.NET workloads installed: [aspire] Installation Source: VS 17.14.36221.1 Manifest Version: 8.2.2/8.0.100 Manifest Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk-manifests\8.0.100\microsoft.net.sdk.aspire\8.2.2\WorkloadManifest.json Install Type: Msi

Configured to use workload sets when installing new manifests. Workloads are configured to install and update using workload versions, but none were found. Run "dotnet workload restore" to install a workload version.

Host: Version: 10.0.0-preview.5.25277.114 Architecture: x64 Commit: ddf39a1b46

.NET SDKs installed: 9.0.301 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk] 10.0.100-preview.5.25277.114 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]

.NET runtimes installed: Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 8.0.17 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App] Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 9.0.6 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App] Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 10.0.0-preview.5.25277.114 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App] Microsoft.NETCore.App 8.0.17 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App] Microsoft.NETCore.App 9.0.6 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App] Microsoft.NETCore.App 10.0.0-preview.5.25277.114 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App] Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 8.0.17 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App] Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 9.0.6 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App] Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 10.0.0-preview.5.25277.114 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]

Other architectures found: x86 [C:\Program Files (x86)\dotnet] registered at [HKLM\SOFTWARE\dotnet\Setup\InstalledVersions\x86\InstallLocation]

Environment variables: Not set

global.json file: Not found

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

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

Visual Studio Code Extensions

Extension	Author	Version	Folder Name
azure-dev	ms-azuretools	0.9.0	ms-azuretools.azure-dev-0.9.0
codespaces	GitHub	1.17.3	github.codespaces-1.17.3
copilot	GitHub	1.338.0	github.copilot-1.338.0
copilot-chat	GitHub	0.28.3	github.copilot-chat-0.28.3
csharp	ms-dotnettools	2.80.16	ms-dotnettools.csharp-2.80.16-win32-x64
debugpy	ms-python	2025.8.0	ms-python.debugpy-2025.8.0-win32-x64
docker	docker	0.11.0	docker.docker-0.11.0-win32-x64
esbuild-problem-matchers	connor4312	0.0.3	connor4312.esbuild-problem-matchers-0.0.3
extension-test-runner	ms-vscode	0.0.12	ms-vscode.extension-test-runner-0.0.12
memento-explorer	bwater	0.1.5	bwater.memento-explorer-0.1.5
python	ms-python	2025.8.0	ms-python.python-2025.8.0-win32-x64
remote-containers	ms-vscode-remote	0.417.0	ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.417.0
remote-explorer	ms-vscode	0.5.0	ms-vscode.remote-explorer-0.5.0
remote-repositories	ms-vscode	0.42.0	ms-vscode.remote-repositories-0.42.0
remote-server	ms-vscode	1.5.2	ms-vscode.remote-server-1.5.2
remote-ssh	ms-vscode-remote	0.120.0	ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh-0.120.0
remote-ssh-edit	ms-vscode-remote	0.87.0	ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh-edit-0.87.0
remote-wsl	ms-vscode-remote	0.99.0	ms-vscode-remote.remote-wsl-0.99.0
tsl-problem-matcher	amodio	0.6.2	amodio.tsl-problem-matcher-0.6.2
vscode-azureresourcegroups	ms-azuretools	0.10.13	ms-azuretools.vscode-azureresourcegroups-0.10.13
vscode-containers	ms-azuretools	2.0.4-alpha	vscode-containers
vscode-dotnet-runtime	ms-dotnettools	2.3.6	ms-dotnettools.vscode-dotnet-runtime-2.3.6
vscode-eslint	dbaeumer	3.0.10	dbaeumer.vscode-eslint-3.0.10
vscode-pylance	ms-python	2025.6.2	ms-python.vscode-pylance-2025.6.2
vscode-remote-extensionpack	ms-vscode-remote	0.26.0	ms-vscode-remote.vscode-remote-extensionpack-0.26.0
vscode-yaml	redhat	1.18.0	redhat.vscode-yaml-1.18.0

Extension version: 2.80.16 VS Code version: Code 1.101.2 (2901c5ac6db8a986a5666c3af51ff804d05af0d4, 2025-06-24T20:27:15.391Z) OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26100 Modes:

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-10900K CPU @ 3.70GHz (20 x 3696)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: enabled_on direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	undefined
Memory (System)	126.84GB (93.30GB free)
Process Argv	--folder-uri file:///d%3A/vscode-containers --log ms-azuretools.vscode-containers=debug --crash-reporter-id c08aabd7-db54-41cf-8677-dacd1ad47381
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

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