How to get TFS2015 Build (Build.vnext) and NuGet package restore to use custom package sources

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I'm trying to get our TFS2015 Build (TFSBuild vnext) going along with VS Team Services.

Thus far most blogs and documentation has been helpful, except for when trying to build a project that uses custom package sources for NuGet automatic package restore.

I've successfully deployed an a Team Services Build Agent (the new mechanism for builds) and all seemed to go well until the build task to Restore NuGet packages failed.

The failure was due to custom/private package source not being picked up from the installed VS configuration, so those packages could not be found. The traditional packages from the default NuGet package feed did restore without issue.

How do I specify the additional package sources for NuGet to use when using an agent?

EDIT: vcastro asked about the NuGet Installer build step and defining paths in the configuration of that build step. The above is using the Visual Studio Build step and the integrated option to have NuGet restore packages. Refer this image for reference:

Best Answer

Alternatively you could also add a NuGet Installer build step before the Visual Studio Build step in your build configuration to restore all NuGet packages.

There you can pass the location of your private repo as argument to nuget.exe:

-source "https://www.nuget.org/api/v2/;http://mynugetserver"

Related Solutions

Specify NuGet sources for build server to use with NuGet Package Restore

With the current version of NuGet it's possible to specify custom repositories in the solution's NuGet.config file and enable package restore during a build. Having this NuGet.config file allowed us to automatically restore packages from internal repository under a TFS build without any other actions in the build definition:

<configuration>
  <solution>
    <add key="disableSourceControlIntegration" value="true" />
  </solution>

  <packageSources>
    <add key="Internal" value="http://MyInternalRepository/nuget" />
  </packageSources>

  <packageRestore>
    <add key="enabled" value="True" />
  </packageRestore>

</configuration>

Note: TFS2013's default Build Process Templates already implements NuGet Package Restore workflow without any special configuration as stated here: http://docs.nuget.org/docs/reference/package-restore-with-team-build

TFS 2013 Build Controller Not Respecting NuGet Package Restore

To enable restore NuGet package with TFS build, please follow steps below. Check this blog for the details.

In VS IDE, go to Tools -> Options -> NuGet Package Manager -> enable Allow NuGet to download missing packages.
Delete NuGet.exe and NuGet.targets files from .nuget folder. Be these two files are deleted from version control as well.
Remove the following tags from .proj file:

    1. <RestorePackages>true</RestorePackages>

    2.<Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\nuget.targets" />  

    3. <Target Name="EnsureNuGetPackageBuildImports" BeforeTargets="PrepareForBuild">  
        <PropertyGroup>
            <ErrorText>This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Enable NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, 
    see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=322105. The missing file is {0}.</ErrorText>
        </PropertyGroup>
        <Error Condition="!Exists('$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\NuGet.targets')" Text="$([System.String]::Format('$(ErrorText)', '$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\NuGet.targets'))" />
    </Target>

For your another issue about can't find the TfvcTemplate.12.xaml process template, you can first create a new team project in VSO, download the process file and check it in to Version Control. Then edit the build definition, click the New button on the Process tab, browse the process file in the version control.

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