dotnet-tool

Install a global tool (don't use --global for local tools)

$ dotnet tool install [[-g|--global]] [dotnetsay]

$ dotnet tool restore

$ dotnet tool update [[-g|--global]] [tool_name]

$ dotnet tool uninstall [[-g|--global]] [tool_name]

$ dotnet tool list [[-g|--global]]

$ dotnet tool search [search_term]

$ dotnet tool [[-h|--help]]

dotnet tool [OPTIONS] [COMMAND]

-h|--help
    Show help information

--info
    Display .NET installation information

--list-sdks
    List all installed .NET SDKs

--list-runtimes
    List all installed .NET runtimes

--version
    Display .NET SDK version

-v|--verbosity <LEVEL>
    Set verbosity: q|quiet, m|minimal, n|normal, d|etailed, diag|diagnostic

.NET tools are specialized console applications packaged as NuGet packages for tasks like code generation, testing, and deployment. The dotnet tool command allows installing, uninstalling, listing, updating, searching, and restoring these tools either globally (user-wide) or locally (project-specific).

Global tools reside in ~/.dotnet/tools on Linux and require adding this path to $PATH for direct invocation. Local tools are stored in a project's tools folder and invoked via dotnet tool run or symlinks. This enables sharing tools across projects without global pollution.

Key benefits include version management per project, integration with dotnet restore, and discovery via NuGet.org. Tools like dotnet-ef (Entity Framework) or dotnet-ildasm exemplify usage. Always verify tool compatibility with your .NET SDK version.

Global tools require ~/.dotnet/tools in $PATH; restart shell or source profile after install. Local tools need project config; avoid mixing global/local. Requires .NET SDK 2.1+. Prone to NuGet feed issues or permission errors on restricted systems.

install: Install tool package.
uninstall: Remove tool.
list: List installed tools.
update: Update tool.
search: Search NuGet for tools.
restore: Restore local tools from manifest.

Use --global for user-wide install; omit for project-local. Global needs PATH update; local uses global.json or dotnet.tools.csproj.

Introduced in .NET Core 2.1 SDK (May 2018) for tool management. Evolved in .NET 5+ with better local tool support, manifest files, and NuGet integration. Now core to .NET 8+ workflows for CLI extensibility.

dotnet(1)