Prerequisites

Ready to dive into Aspire? Before you begin, make sure your development environment is set up with a few essential tools. This guide walks you through everything you need to start building and running Aspire solutions with confidence.

  1. 1

    Install your language runtime

  2. 2

    Install an OCI-compliant container runtime

    Aspire can run containers using several OCI-compatible runtimes, including Docker Desktop and Podman.

    • Docker Desktop is the most popular container runtime among Aspire developers, offering a familiar and widely supported environment for building and running containers.

    • Podman is an open-source, daemonless alternative to Docker. It supports building and running Open Container Initiative (OCI) containers, making it a flexible choice for developers who prefer a lightweight solution.

      • Rancher Desktop has been reported by users as a successful alternative—particularly when configured to use the Docker CLI. However, Rancher Desktop is not an officially supported or regularly tested scenario for Aspire. If you encounter issues with Rancher Desktop, please let us know, but fixes may not be prioritized.
  3. 3

    Install an integrated development environment (IDE)

    Aspire supports multiple IDEs and code editors. You can choose the one that best fits your workflow:

    [!NOTE] Visual Studio Code We recommend Visual Studio Code for the best experience—a lightweight, cross-platform code editor with excellent Aspire support. Install the following extensions to get started:

    1. 1

      Aspire extension for Aspire-specific commands and features.

  4. 4

    Consider alternatives to local installation

    If you prefer not to install the prerequisites on your local machine, you can develop Aspire solutions using cloud-based options like GitHub Codespaces or Dev Containers. These options allow you to work in a cloud-based environment, eliminating the need for local installations, but may not provide the same performance as local installations.

    The Aspire team maintains a GitHub Codespaces (with preconfigured Dev Container) configuration to help you get started quickly:

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