Although this is the preview version, which means that things are yet to be finalized, .NET 8 Preview 5 introduces some game-changing features for the developer’s convenience. It includes an option to simplify the output path and folder structure for build outputs and includes improvements for the .NET libraries, serialization, and extension libraries. With that, the final, stable release of .NET is expected to be in November 2023. Let us now see what’s new in .NET 8 Preview 5 before moving on to downloading the Runtimes, SDKs, and the ASP.NET Cores.
What’s New in .NET 8 Preview 5
.NET MAUI
.NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI) is a framework used to develop cross-platform applications using the same code base. This means that the developers can now create the same application on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices with the same core code, rather than creating the app from scratch for each platform. .NET 8 Preview 5 is the first of its releases within the .NET 8 family to include .NET MAUI. This update has been published with a plethora of improvements and fixes for .NET MAUI. Here are a few:
iOS Keyboard Scrolling: ContentInsets were added to improve the scrolling behavior of the iOS keyboard. Test Improvements: Various improvements and fixes were made to the tests, including the removal of the skip attribute from a test related to SearchBarHandler. Performance Enhancements: Performance improvements were made to the {Binding} mechanism and the layout performance of labels on Android. Bug Fixes: Several bug fixes were implemented, addressing issues such as gestures in Label Spans, Entry issues with the keyboard, Label truncation on iOS, CollectionView issues, ContentView RTL, and more.
To read more on the bug fixes for .NET MAUI, read these Release Notes. You will also find a detailed guide on how to upgrade your .NET MAUI version here.
Improvements to Metrics APIs
Metrics APIs collect and transport measurements from an example application. Microsoft has now introduced the “IMeterFactory” interface that can be registered in DI containers and used to create Meter objects in an isolated environment. You can find the ways and examples to use the IMeterFactory in this Microsoft post. Additionally, developers can now also create Meters and Instruments with attached key-value pair tags.
Source Link Integration
The .NET 8 Preview 5 SDK now includes Source Link to enhance the IDE experience of the developers when inspecting Sourcelinked NuGet Packages. The goal of this feature is to let anyone build NuGet libraries to provide source debugging for their users with little to no extra effort. Microsoft intends to make more packages automatically provide this information by incorporating Source Link into the SDK rather than requiring a separate PackageReference.
Addition of .NET Library Analyzers
.NET library analyzers are coding partners built into SDK and the IDE that recognize issues and suggest corrections as you write the code. This way, there are fewer chances of debugging and making a mistake along the way. Microsoft has now added a list of different analyzers in .NET 8 Preview 5. However, they had started to include them since the release of Preview 1. You can find a list of analyzers along with the contributors here.
Other Features and Improvements
There is a list of improvements in .NET 8 Preview 5. Click on the given links below to learn more about them:
Linux self-contained Self-contained no longer default Alpine ASP.NET Docker Composite Images Runtime host determines RID-specific assets without RID graph by default Codegen
To learn more about what’s new in .NET 8 Preview 5, read this announcement by Microsoft.
Download .NET 8 Preview 5
Use the direct download links below to download the .NET 8 Preview 5 Runtime, SDKs, and ASP.NET Core matching your operating system and architecture.
Runtime
Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Desktop Runtime for Windows x64 Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Desktop Runtime for Windows x86 Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Desktop Runtime for Windows ARM64 Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Runtime for macOS x64 Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Runtime for macOS ARM64 Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm32 Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm64 Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm32 Alpine Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm64 Alpine Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Runtime Binaries for Linux x64 Download .NET 8 Preview 5 Runtime Binaries for Linux x64 Alpine
SDK
Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 for Windows x64 Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 for Windows x86 Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 for Windows ARM64 Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 for macOS x64 Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 for macOS ARM64 Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 for Linux Arm32 Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Alpine Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Alpine Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux x64 Download .NET SDK 8.0.100 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux x64 Alpine
ASP.NET Core
Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Hosting Bundle for Windows Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 for Windows x64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 for Windows x86 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Binaries for Windows ARM64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Binaries for macOS x64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Binaries for macOS ARM64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Alpine Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Alpine Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux x64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 8 Preview 5 Binaries for Linux x64 Alpine More download and install options for .NET 8 here.
Install .NET 8
You can begin by downloading the right .NET version for you from the links above and then running it to begin the installation process. Here is how: Once you have installed the newer .NET preview version, all your applications will run using the new build as the previous preview version will be replaced. However, if a stable version is installed and running, it will not be replaced. You have now installed the .NET. You may check which .NET version is running by running the following command in Command Prompt: Run the installation package by double-clicking it (in the case of macOS and Windows), and then clicking Install on the installation wizard. The installation will now begin. It does not take much time nor does it require a restart. Click Close once it has been installed successfully.
How to Remove/Uninstall .NET
If you wish to remove a .NET version from your computer, you can simply uninstall it like any other regular application. Here are the steps to following:
Closing Words
.NET 8 will replace .NET 6 in the Long Term Support (LTS) channel which is said to be supported for 3 years after its initial release. Currently, its preview version is available to download which is now Preview 5. The uninstallation wizard will now launch. That said, we suggest that you remain on the stable releases for your production environment while continuing to test out the latest features and improvements in an isolated environment within .NET 8.
