Host Your Own NuGet Server

Hello Dev, if you’re a developer who frequently works with .NET Framework, you must have heard about NuGet. It’s a package manager that makes it easy to discover, install, and use third-party libraries and tools in your projects. However, did you know that you can host your own NuGet server instead of relying on public repositories like NuGet.org? In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of setting up and using your own NuGet server.

What is a NuGet server?

Before we dive into the details of setting up a NuGet server, let’s first understand what it is. A NuGet server is a repository that hosts NuGet packages, allowing other developers in your organization to access them. It can be a public or private server, depending on your needs. By hosting your own NuGet server, you can ensure that your team is using the approved and tested versions of packages and avoid the risk of dependencies breaking due to package updates.

Why you need a NuGet server?

Now that we know what a NuGet server is let’s discuss why you might want to host your own server.

Setting up a NuGet server

Requirements

Before we proceed with the setup, let’s get familiar with the requirements.

Steps

Now let’s get started with the steps to set up your NuGet server.

Step 1: Create a new website in IIS

The first step is to create a new website in IIS.

1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. Right-click on the ‘Sites’ folder and select ‘Add Website’.
3. Enter a name for your website and set the physical path for the website.
4. Select a port number and IP address for the website, or leave it as the default.
5. Check the ‘Create a new application pool’ option and enter a name for your application pool.
6. Select ‘.NET CLR version’ to ‘No Managed Code’.
7. Click ‘OK’ to create the website.

Step 2: Install NuGet.Server package

The next step is to install the NuGet.Server package in your website.

1. Open Visual Studio and create a new project.
2. Select ‘NuGet Package’ and search for ‘NuGet.Server’.
3. Install the package in your project.
4. Build your project and copy the ‘App_Data’ and ‘bin’ folders to your website’s physical path.

Step 3: Configure your NuGet server

Now that we have installed the NuGet.Server package, let’s configure it.

1. Open the ‘web.config’ file in your website’s physical path.
2. Search for the ‘‘ tag and add the packages you want to host in your server.
3. Save the ‘web.config’ file.

Step 4: Test your NuGet server

The final step is to test your NuGet server.

1. Open Visual Studio and create a new project.
2. Select ‘Manage NuGet Packages’ and click on the ‘Settings’ icon.
3. Add your NuGet server URL to the package sources.
4. Search for the packages you added in step 3 and install them in your project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I host my NuGet server on Linux?

No, NuGet.Server is a .NET Framework package and requires Windows and IIS to run.

Q2. Can I use a database other than SQL Server for my NuGet server?

Yes, NuGet.Server supports other databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL.

Q3. Can I host public packages in my NuGet server?

Yes, you can host both public and private packages in your NuGet server.

Q4. How can I manage access control in my NuGet server?

You can use IIS authentication to manage access control in your NuGet server.

Q5. Do I need to install NuGet on my server to host packages?

No, NuGet packages are self-contained and do not require NuGet to be installed on the server.

That’s it Dev, you’re now ready to host your own NuGet server. Enjoy the benefits of having full control over your packages and improved productivity.