error CS0006: Metadata file '.../maccatalyst-arm64/StartupHookForFunctionalTest.dll' could not be found

[EgorBo]

runtime-extra-platforms fails on ios/tvos/maccatalyst with:

CSC : error CS0006: Metadata file '/Users/runner/work/1/s/artifacts/bin/StartupHookForFunctionalTest/Release/net8.0/iossimulator-x64/StartupHookForFunctionalTest.dll' could not be found [/Users/runner/work/1/s/src/tests/FunctionalTests/iOS/Simulator/StartupHook/iOS.Simulator.StartupHook.Test.csproj]
##[error]CSC(0,0): error CS0006: (NETCORE_ENGINEERING_TELEMETRY=Build) Metadata file '/Users/runner/work/1/s/artifacts/bin/StartupHookForFunctionalTest/Release/net8.0/iossimulator-x64/StartupHookForFunctionalTest.dll' could not be found

Build FAILED.

e.g. https://dev.azure.com/dnceng-public/public/_build/results?buildId=144305&view=logs&jobId=cbf7f906-06a1-5744-2b19-594b1486a781&j=07effcfd-c63d-5008-e811-03b29530f5cb&t=46984e67-96b8-5591-f4ad-dfc0b5406724

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I couldn't figure out the best area label to add to this issue. If you have write-permissions please help me learn by adding exactly one area label.

[ghost]

Tagging subscribers to this area: @directhex
See info in area-owners.md if you want to be subscribed.

Issue Details

---

runtime-extra-platforms fails on ios/tvos/maccatalyst with:

CSC : error CS0006: Metadata file '/Users/runner/work/1/s/artifacts/bin/StartupHookForFunctionalTest/Release/net8.0/iossimulator-x64/StartupHookForFunctionalTest.dll' could not be found [/Users/runner/work/1/s/src/tests/FunctionalTests/iOS/Simulator/StartupHook/iOS.Simulator.StartupHook.Test.csproj]
##[error]CSC(0,0): error CS0006: (NETCORE_ENGINEERING_TELEMETRY=Build) Metadata file '/Users/runner/work/1/s/artifacts/bin/StartupHookForFunctionalTest/Release/net8.0/iossimulator-x64/StartupHookForFunctionalTest.dll' could not be found

Build FAILED.

e.g. https://dev.azure.com/dnceng-public/public/_build/results?buildId=144305&view=logs&jobId=cbf7f906-06a1-5744-2b19-594b1486a781&j=07effcfd-c63d-5008-e811-03b29530f5cb&t=46984e67-96b8-5591-f4ad-dfc0b5406724

Author:	EgorBo
Assignees:	-
Labels:	untriaged, area-Infrastructure-mono
Milestone:	-

[mdh1418]

@steveisok @lambdageek
I think this is because our iOS default workflow

runtime/eng/testing/tests.ioslike.targets

Lines 168 to 184 in da03f60

	<Target Name="_CopyTestArchive"
	Condition="'$(ArchiveTests)' == 'true' and '$(IgnoreForCI)' != 'true'">
	<Error Condition="'$(TestArchiveTestsDir)' == ''" Text="TestArchiveTestsDir property to archive the test folder must be set." />
	<!-- Adjust the variable names -->
	<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(GenerateXcodeProject)' == 'true'">
	<_AppBundleDir>$(AppBundlePath)/../</_AppBundleDir>
	</PropertyGroup>
	<MakeDir Condition="'$(GenerateXcodeProject)' == 'true'" Directories="$(TestArchiveTestsDir)" />
	<ZipDirectory Condition="'$(GenerateXcodeProject)' == 'true'"
	SourceDirectory="$(_AppBundleDir)"
	DestinationFile="$([MSBuild]::NormalizePath('$(TestArchiveTestsDir)', '$(TestProjectName).zip'))"
	Overwrite="true" />
	<RemoveDir Condition="'$(NeedsToBuildAppsOnHelixLocal)' != 'true'" Directories="$(OutDir)" />
	</Target>

will remove the $(OutDir)

Removing directory "/Users/mihw/runtime/runtime_ios/artifacts/bin/StartupHookForFunctionalTest/release/net8.0/iossimulator-arm64/".

Afterwards, the CoreCompile target step sees /Users/mihw/runtime/runtime_ios/artifacts/bin/StartupHookForFunctionalTest/release/net8.0/iossimulator-arm64/StartupHookForFunctionalTest.dll as a reference but the directory was removed.

[steveisok]

@mdh1418 can we skip this test until there's a fix?

[mdh1418]

Yeah, I can skip it. I think the problem inherently because this test has a ProjectReference

runtime/src/tests/FunctionalTests/iOS/Simulator/StartupHook/iOS.Simulator.StartupHook.Test.csproj

Line 19 in da03f60

<ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\TestAssets\StartupHookForFunctionalTest\StartupHookForFunctionalTest.csproj" />

but its not clear to me how this ends up with a reference to /Users/mihw/runtime/runtime_ios/artifacts/bin/StartupHookForFunctionalTest/release/net8.0/iossimulator-arm64/StartupHookForFunctionalTest.dll in CoreCompiled as opposed to the libraries tests which also have ProjectReference but dont have this problem.

[lambdageek]

ProjectReferences should work.
Why are we deleting that other directory?

[lambdageek]

Maybe the ProjectReference should be Private?
We want the hook dll to be copied into the functional test's bin directory

[mdh1418]

ProjectReferences should work. Why are we deleting that other directory?

We were deleting that directory as a means to help conserve disk space, but upon some investigations in #82313 (comment), we still have plenty of disk space left even if we retain $(OutDir).

[mdh1418]

@lambdageek @steveisok
It doesn't look like making the ProjectReference private resolves the underlying problem.
From some investigation, the problem is that the Android build targets are being hit during the ResolveProjectRefernces target, probably because when resolving StartupHookForFunctionalTest.csproj, the publish target is hit, and because we use Publish as an AfterTargets

runtime/src/mono/msbuild/android/build/AndroidBuild.props

Line 9 in f70f26f

<AndroidBuildAfterThisTarget Condition="'$(AndroidBuildAfterThisTarget)' == ''">Publish</AndroidBuildAfterThisTarget>

, the Android build is kicked off, thus hitting _CopyTestArchive and removing the output directory before we actually try to compile the actual project in CoreCompile