How to dynamically restart Application

[Juff-Ma]

How to restart an App dynamically? I mean stopping the application completetly and starting it again, only closing the window isn't possible as the app will also run in framebuffer mode.
If I try to just start the app builder again it throws an exception with "Setup was already called on one of AppBuilder instances.". In older avalonia verions (until 0.10.22 it works, maybe also early 11.0 versions but in this version definitely works) you could circumvent this by using SetupWithoutStarting like so:

using System;

using Avalonia;
using Avalonia.Controls.ApplicationLifetimes;

namespace RestartTest
{
    public class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var builder =
                AppBuilder.Configure<App>()
                    .UsePlatformDetect()
                    .LogToTrace()
                    .SetupWithoutStarting();

            while (true)
            {
                var lifetime = new ClassicDesktopStyleApplicationLifetime();
                builder.Instance.ApplicationLifetime = lifetime;
                builder.Instance.OnFrameworkInitializationCompleted();
                lifetime.Start(args);

                ((ClassicDesktopStyleApplicationLifetime)Application.Current.ApplicationLifetime).Dispose();
            }
        }
    }
}

However in Avalonia 11 the same code throws System.InvalidOperationException: "It's not possible to change ApplicationLifetime after Application was initialized.".

Is there a way to circumvent this? It is requirement for my app to dynamically close itself and i didn't find a way to hide a framebuffer app without closing it.

All ways to do this were done in Avalonia 0.10 where but i would rather stay on 11.

[maxkatz6]

@Juff-Ma you can do something like this, without lifetimes at all:

AppBuilder.Configure<App>().UsePlatformDetect().SetupWithoutStarting();

while (true)
{
   new MainWindow().Show();
   Dispatcher.PushFrame(new DispatcherFrame());
}

[Juff-Ma]

That's the problem, I don't have a window, it's a single view embedded app.

If you set IsVisible to false, it will disable any rendering of the subtree.

Would this free up /dev/dri/card1 for use of another program?

[maxkatz6]

No. Restarting lifetime also wouldn't.

[Juff-Ma]

No. Restarting lifetime also wouldn't.

Why not? Why wouldn't telling the app to exit and restarting it also stop it from rendering and then start rendering again? Why would avalonia capture a rendering device if it isn't currently using it (for example the application being stopped)? I mean avalonia doesn't block the drm device if you stop the app using CTR+C. (not to be rude but I honestly don't understand why avalonia would do this)

And if this wouldn't work how would one do this? It is a requirement for our app.

[MikeCodesDotNET]

Given the nature and complexity of the question, I recommend you contact us to arrange commercial support.

We offer various support agreements to provide in-depth support from the Avalonia core team.

[Juff-Ma]

Sadly we are a small group working in an educational institution and our budget is too limited to get paid support.

[Pratham95VP]

string exePath = Process.GetCurrentProcess().MainModule.FileName; Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo(exePath) { UseShellExecute = true }); Environment.Exit(0); try this.

[Juff-Ma]

That would be the nuclear option, while it would work I don't like it and would like to consider all other options first.