DjsBlog: .NET Core on IoT -Some key facts

Let’s look at a few key issues and resources before getting started with .NET Core on the RPi.

.NET Core is available as an LTS.

Long Term Support
- .NET Core Support Policy
Version 3.1 is LTS: Support for 3 years.
Will be updates to LTS, called patches, bug fixes and Security issues (?only?).
- Current LTS release is .NET Core V3.1.0, released 3rd Dec 2019
- Previous LTS is 2.1, EOL August 21, 2021
New feature releases as LTS November each year
Other releases including Previews don’t have long term support
Current releases are supported for three months after a subsequent Current or LTS release
Use LTS versions in production, others for early development, trial, feedback.

Processor: x86, x64, ARM, ARM64
OS’s Windows (including IoT-Core), Linux (including Raspbian)
Get .NET Core Runtime if you just want to run an app built elsewhere.
Get .NET Core SDK if you want to build apps, as well as run them
- With the SDK you can do command line project creation, building and running.
- Can also cross compile.
Can get installation packages, which require the installation mechanism to be supported on the host
- E.g. .msi installs supported on Desktop Win 10 but not on Win 10 IoT-Core.
As of V3.x can install simply by downloading required files (download binaries) as a compressed folder to the host and setting a path and environment variable to it. Great for RPi!

.NET Core various versions
.NET Core 3.1.0 Runtime only Third column, third part for Console apps.
- There are also install scripts in the link above that install using PowerShell on Windows and Bash on Linux
  Installs runtime for the given OS.
  Nb: PowerShell script doesn’t work on IOT-Core.
.NET Core SDK 3.1.100 N.B. As above but second column

If you install Visual Studio 19 (V16.4) you get the V3.1.0 runtime installed as well as the V3.1.100 SDK.