.NET installations are not being cached

[GGG-KILLER]

Description

.NET installations aren't being cached even when the same version remains the same between workflow runs.

Details

I have a workflow that uses .NET Core 2.1, 3.1 and 5.0 side-by-side and it has been downloading and installing these versions even when they haven't changed in different workflow runs:

# workflow.yml
name: Test

on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  build:
    name: Build and Test on ${{ matrix.os }}
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
    strategy:
      matrix:
        os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest]
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    - name: Setup .NET Core 2.1
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v1
      with:
        dotnet-version: '2.1'
    - name: Setup .NET 3.1
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v1
      with:
        dotnet-version: '3.1'
    - name: Setup .NET 5
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v1
      with:
        dotnet-version: '5.0.100-rc.1.20452.10'
    - name: Install dependencies
      run: dotnet restore
    - name: Build
      run: dotnet build --configuration Release --no-restore
    - name: Test
      run: dotnet test --configuration Release --no-build

3 runs with the same versions:

1. https://github.com/GGG-KILLER/GParse/runs/1328132497?check_suite_focus=true
2. https://github.com/GGG-KILLER/GParse/runs/1328139624?check_suite_focus=true
3. https://github.com/GGG-KILLER/GParse/runs/1328149289?check_suite_focus=true

In all of these runs the installation wasn't cached.

This seems to be a regression, since before this action started using install-dotnet.sh/install-dotnet.ps1 they were being cached and the README still states that the installed versions should be cached.

[litetex]

It seems like it was removed with #124:
c9bfd3d#diff-36a9847d245bd66dd946fe257334eb7bbe0c728d37d53df8b8173c7e3eecd5b2L160-L163

[r3econ]

Will this be fixed sometime soon?

[JustinGrote]

This should be updated to use the tool-cache package
https://github.com/actions/toolkit/tree/main/packages/tool-cache

[GGG-KILLER]

This should be updated to use the tool-cache package
https://github.com/actions/toolkit/tree/main/packages/tool-cache

The actual work is being done by the powershell/bash install-dotnet scripts though.
The actual action code just invokes the script with the right parameters (and at most does .NET version resolution).

[GGG-KILLER]

Though I guess cacheDir could be called with the directory where the versions were installed...

EDIT: Seems like cacheDir only works for self-hosted runners so I don't think this will help with GitHub-hosted runners.

[JustinGrote]

@GGG-KILLER you're right, my bad.
https://github.com/actions/toolkit/pull/358/files

I suppose it could be a composite action and integrate the actions/cache action but maybe that should be left up to the consumer instead.

[JustinGrote]

I'm not up on my news, v2 of the cache action has a cache npm package, so this could be directly used without needing to make a composite action:
https://github.com/actions/toolkit/tree/main/packages/cache

[GGG-KILLER]

Iirc, this package used to use the cache package, but after changing to the install-dotnet scripts this situation changed.
I think this could be reimplemented but then the package would need additional logic to check if the cached version is indeed the latest version when versions with placeholders are used (like 5.x or 5.0.x).

[alex-jitbit]

Any news?

• name: Setup .NET Core SDK
  uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v1.9.0

[jetersen]

Seems like we could get caching working again relatively easy:

setup-dotnet/externals/install-dotnet.ps1

Line 1072 in 4997896

$isAssetInstalled = Is-Dotnet-Package-Installed -InstallRoot $InstallRoot -RelativePathToPackage $dotnetPackageRelativePath -SpecificVersion $SpecificVersion

setup-dotnet/externals/install-dotnet.sh

Line 1194 in 4997896

if is_dotnet_package_installed "$install_root" "$asset_relative_path" "$specific_version"; then

by fixing the InstallRoot to the same location as GitHub action runners for windows and ubuntu respectively. I believe MacOS is already using the correct caching location.

[GGG-KILLER]

Seems like we could get caching working again relatively easy:

setup-dotnet/externals/install-dotnet.ps1

Line 1072 in 4997896

$isAssetInstalled = Is-Dotnet-Package-Installed -InstallRoot $InstallRoot -RelativePathToPackage $dotnetPackageRelativePath -SpecificVersion $SpecificVersion

setup-dotnet/externals/install-dotnet.sh

Line 1194 in 4997896

if is_dotnet_package_installed "$install_root" "$asset_relative_path" "$specific_version"; then

by fixing the InstallRoot to the same location as GitHub action runners for windows and ubuntu respectively. I believe MacOS is already using the correct caching location.

That is not the reason why installations aren't being cached though. That's the reason why the preinstalled versions aren't being used. These are two separate issues.

Now that the hosted runner images aren't going to include .NET anymore, I think this is even more relevant as we won't be able to take advantage of .NET being preinstalled on the runners.