Push a NuGet package to VSTS with .NET CLI

Question

I'm trying to publish a NuGet package to a private VSTS feed. I'd like to achieve that using only .NET CLI and without creating or modifying a nuget.config file.

I've tried to do:

dotnet nuget push <PackageName> --source https://XXX.pkgs.visualstudio.com/_packaging/YYY/nuget/v3/index.json --api-key <VSTS UserName>:<PersonalAccessToken>

I get: error: Unable to load the service index for source https://XXX.pkgs.visualstudio.com/_packaging/YYY/nuget/v3/index.json. error: Response status code does not indicate success: 401 (Unauthorized).

I can see in Fiddler that .NET CLI sends only a GET request to https://XXX.pkgs.visualstudio.com/_packaging/YYY/nuget/v3/index.json without any authorization token. That request ends with 401.

Solution

The NuGet package credential and API key should be added in the NuGet.config file.

So before using the dotnet nuget push command, you should add the credential and API key in NuGet.config as below two commands:

nuget sources Add -Name "mysource" -Source "https://XXX.pkgs.visualstudio.com/_packaging/YYY/nuget/v3/index.json" -username name -password PAT
nuget setapikey mykey -source mysource

Then push the NuGet package through the dotnet nuget push command:

dotnet nuget push packagename.nupkg --source mysource --api-key mykey

Comments

[Jakub Binkowski]

Thanks. I was looking for an option that: a) doesn't require to store the keys in NuGet config as I wanted to check in the file to repository b) doesn't require nuget.exe But I guess, it can't be done (yet?)

[Marina Liu]

Yeah, it can not be done. The credentials should be searched in nuget.config file as the description docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/tools/dotnet-nuget-push says: "The dotnet nuget push command pushes a package to the server and publishes it. The push command uses server and credential details found in the system's NuGet config file or chain of config files. "

[Alex Mullans]

Note that you won't need either the setapikey line or the --api-key parameter when pushing to VSTS Package Management. Otherwise though, the answer is correct. You can manually construct a NuGet.config without using nuget.exe, if you'd like. There's a reference here that can help: docs.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/schema/…

[Andre Soares]

You have used mykey and PAT. I suppose they do not represent the same value. How then can I generate this mykey?

[KimCM]

@Andre Soares: Yes, mykey and PAT do not represent the same value: "The NuGet client's push command requires an API key. [With VSTS Package Server] You can use any non-empty string you want". Source: docs.microsoft.com/en-us/vsts/package/nuget/publish?view=vst‌​s

[Konrad]

@MarinaLiu-MSFT is nuget setapikey mykey needed? when you use --api-key mykey

[Konrad]

"Saves an API key for a given server URL into NuGet.Config so that it doesn't need to be entered for subsequent commands."

[Konrad]

It would mean that I don't need to use --api-key mykey then

[Konrad]

oh nevermind I didn't read all comments, it was answered by Alex

[christopher clark]

I'm convinced none of microsofts shitty vsts tasks work for nuget. Every avenue we try there are issues.

[Ricardo stands with Ukraine]

In my case had to push a package to GitHub Package Registry so did: nuget setapikey <github-token-with-repo-permissions> -source github. It added some gibberish to %appdata%\NuGet\NuGet.Config and then could push the package.