Azure WebSite remote debug with asp.net core: Symbol not loading

Question

I am trying to debug my Asp.net Core apps running in Azure Website. It's a net452 app (because it uses some of the nuget packages that have not yet built for .net core). I am currently using VS2015 (dev14) update 3 with the latest Azure SDK (2.9.1).

I use a the cloud explorer to attach the VS2015 debugger to the azure web api. It successfully attached the page but my all of my breakpoints are not hit because no symbol was loaded. So far here is what I have tried:

• Stop and start the web app multiple times
• Publish the website in debug profile (Debug - X86 profile)
• Double check if the VS is attached to the right process (in my case, WebApplication1.exe)
• Also attach to the wp3 process
• Manually attach the VS debugger to azure website
• Look at the module window, and see no module listed (this may be interesting)

Any ideas on how to get it work?

Thanks,

Nam

Answer 1

So I figure it out. Apparently, when VS hooks up the debugger, it chooses the binary type to be .net core. However, the binary I have is actually Managed 4.5. So the fix is to change the binary type in the attach to process window to managed 4.5.

Answer 2

VS remote debug attaches to the w3wp.exe process. However we need use dnx.exe in Asp.net core app. After starting the debugging through the cloud explorer, please go to VS menu Debug > Attach to Process , select the App Service instance from the "Qualifer" drop down and then select the dnx.exe process and attach to it. See more at this article: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/webdev/2016/03/21/remote-debug-aspnet-core-on-azure/, Especially the video.