SUCCESS!–VB on Linux!
OK, so the time has finally come. VB on Linux… OFFICIALLY!
First, let me discuss the hardware:
An HP MediaSmart Server circa 2007 upgraded to 1GB of ram and 13TB of storage.
Second, the OS:
After researching the various distributions, I’ve decided to go with Debian. I’ve installed the x64 version of Debian 9.1.
Third, the Core:
[].NET Core 2.0](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/index) was released a bit ago; however, running it for the first time on Windows the templates for VB were still MIA. I can happily confirm that installing .NET Core 2.0 on the Debian presents the following templates available for VB.
- Console Application
- Class Library
- Unit Test Project
- xUnit Test Project
I’d like to see templates for some of the others, such as ASP.NET Core Web API (among others – hint, hint); however, having those that are currently available is a very positive start.
To get started, create a folder to house the files and then (from within that folder)…
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# dotnet new console –lang VB
Yes, that is a mouthful; however, it works like a charm. To get it to run, you can “jump ahead” and…
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# dotnet run
Most documentation states that you would do a dotnet build before the dotnet run; however, my experience results in dotnet run will detect that a build is needed and automatically do so.
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# nano Project.vb
As I’m using a very trimmed down Debian install (console only); I’m using nano` as the editor. It seems like a relatively decent editor for those new to Linux (as I am – to some degree).
I have some projects in mind where having this environment setup will come in handy; I’ll keep everyone posted as I move forward. If you’d like to ask me any questions, feel free to send them my way and I’ll be happy to reply.