How do I change the build directory that MSBuild uses under Team Foundation Build?

Question

I'm getting the following error when trying to build my app using Team Foundation Build:

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\Microsoft.Common.targets(1682,9): error MSB3554: Cannot write to the output file "obj\Release\Company.Redacted.BlahBlah.Localization.Subsystems. Startup_Shutdown_Processing.StartupShutdownProcessingMessages.de.resources". The specified path, file name, or both are too long. The fully qualified file name must be less than 260 characters, and the directory name must be less than 248 characters.

My project builds fine on my development machine as the source is only two folders deep, but TF Build seems to use a really deep directory that is causing it to break. How do I change the folders that are used?

Edit: I checked the .proj file for my build that is stored in source control and found the following:

<!--  BUILD DIRECTORY
 This property is included only for backwards compatibility. The build directory used for a build 
 definition is now stored in the database, as the BuildDirectory property of the definition's 
 DefaultBuildAgent. For compatibility with V1 clients, keep this property in sync with the value 
 in the database.
-->
<BuildDirectoryPath>UNKNOWN</BuildDirectoryPath>

If this is stored in the database how do I change it?

Edit: Found the following blog post which may be pointing me torward the solution. Now I just need to figure out how to change the setting in the Build Agent. http://blogs.msdn.com/jpricket/archive/2007/04/30/build-type-builddirectorypath-build-agent-working-directory.aspx

Currently my working directory is "$(Temp)\$(BuildDefinitionPath)" but now I don't know what wildcards are available to specify a different folder.

Solution

You need to edit the build working directory of your Build Agent so that the begging path is a little smaller. To edit the build agent, right click on the "Builds" node and select "Manage Build Agents..."

I personally use something like c:\bw\$(BuildDefinitionId). $(BuildDefinitionId) translates into the id of the build definition (hence the name :-) ), which means you get a build path starting with something like c:\bw\36 rather than c:\Documents and Settings\tfsbuild\Local Settings\Temp\BuildDefinitionName

Good luck,

Martin.

Comments

[Luke]

See clarification on question.

[Martin Woodward]

The questioner sounds like he is using TFS 2008. This suggestion is the right answer for TFS 2005.

[Simon]

for future reference the original value us $(SystemDrive)\Builds\$(BuildAgentId)\$(BuildDefinitionPath)

[Simon]

and another good resource blogs.msdn.com/b/aaronhallberg/archive/2007/06/20/…