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Guide · Open source

How to use dotnet: find .NET open source projects on GitHub

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The microsoft/dotnet repository is the official .NET Home on GitHub. It is a directory that points to Microsoft and community .NET open source projects, release notes and documentation, rather than the .NET product itself. This guide shows you how to navigate it, clone it and decide which linked projects to explore.

dotnetmicrosoft/dotnet · ★ 15.1k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Open the repository. Go to github.com/microsoft/dotnet in your browser to read the README.
  2. 2Clone it if you want a local copy. Run git clone https://github.com/microsoft/dotnet in a terminal.
  3. 3Pick a section. Use the In this repository list or the Finding .NET Open Source Projects section to choose a category.
  4. 4Follow a project link. Open the GitHub repository for a project that matches your interest, such as ASP.NET Core or Entity Framework Core.
  5. 5Report issues in the right place. File product problems in the main project repository, since this repo is not an official support location.

What microsoft/dotnet is and is not

The repository is a starting point for learning about .NET and its open source projects. It links to repositories rather than containing the .NET runtime.

The README states that this repository is not an official .NET or .NET Framework support location. Product issues should be filed in the main project repositories listed in it.

  • It is a map of repositories, not a library or installable program.
  • It has no install step or releases, according to the README.
  • It may still respond to issues filed there as best it can.

Clone the repository to your computer

If you want a local copy of the README and the linked Markdown files, clone the repository with git. The README gives this single command.

git clone https://github.com/microsoft/dotnet

Navigate the sections of the directory

The README's In this repository list points to several Markdown files: .NET Framework Release Notes, .NET Framework Documentation, .NET Open Source Developer Projects, .NET Open Source Consumer Projects and Free Services & Tools for Open Source .NET Projects.

The Finding .NET Open Source Projects section groups repositories under headings such as .NET, .NET Docs, .NET Framework, Xamarin and Community. Each entry links directly to a GitHub project.

  • .NET: core runtime and language repos such as dotnet/core, dotnet/aspnetcore, dotnet/efcore, dotnet/fsharp and dotnet/roslyn.
  • .NET Docs: documentation repos such as dotnet/docs and dotnet/AspNetCore.Docs.
  • .NET Framework: dotnet/docs and microsoft/referencesource, a read-only subset of the source.
  • Xamarin: archived-style links to xamarin-android, xamarin-macios and Xamarin.Forms, plus the Mono Project.
  • Community: third-party projects such as Orleans, JSON.NET, MonoGame, ReactiveUI and MVVM Cross.

Find community lists for more projects

The README points to three community-maintained lists: Awesome .NET, Awesome .NET MAUI and Awesome Blazor. These are useful when you want a broader set of libraries than this directory covers.

For templates, the README links to the Available templates for dotnet new wiki page, which is the place to look for templates you can use with the dotnet new command.

  • Awesome .NET: github.com/quozd/awesome-dotnet
  • Awesome .NET MAUI: github.com/jsuarezruiz/awesome-dotnet-maui
  • Awesome Blazor: github.com/AdrienTorris/awesome-blazor

Contribute and learn from the projects

The README asks readers to contribute to this repository through pull requests. The projects it links to are open for use and contribution, and the README encourages readers to contribute to them too.

The .NET Foundation page lists many .NET open source projects, and the README mentions a Discord server and a discussions area for questions.

  • Open a pull request against this repository for changes to the directory.
  • File product bugs in the individual project repositories, not here.
  • Join the .NET Foundation Discord to ask questions and follow conversations.

What people use it for

  • A new .NET developer finds where ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework Core and Roslyn are developed.
  • A student studies how large .NET projects organize their repositories and documentation.
  • A developer browses community libraries such as JSON.NET, ReactiveUI or Orleans to study their code.
  • A contributor locates the repository for a .NET project they want to help improve.

Frequently asked questions

Is microsoft/dotnet the .NET runtime I can install?

No. The README describes the repo as a starting point and directory of .NET open source projects. It does not contain the .NET runtime and has no install step or releases.

What is the install command for dotnet from this repo?

The README gives one command: git clone https://github.com/microsoft/dotnet. This copies the repository files to your computer, which is useful for reading the linked Markdown documents.

Where should I report .NET bugs?

The README says product issues should be filed in the main project repositories linked from it. This repo is not an official .NET or .NET Framework support location, though the maintainers will respond to issues as best they can.

Is the dotnet repository free and what is its licence?

The repository is licensed under the MIT license, as stated in its License section. The individual projects it links to have their own licences.

What are good alternatives to this directory?

The README itself recommends Awesome .NET, Awesome .NET MAUI and Awesome Blazor. These community-maintained lists cover more libraries and frameworks.

Does this repo give me a library to add to my project?

No. It is a list of many projects, not a single library. Choose a specific project from the list and follow its own documentation to use it.

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Our verdict

Use microsoft/dotnet if you are new to .NET and want a map of where its open source projects live, or if you are looking for community libraries to study. Skip it if you need installable software, official product support or a single library to add to a project, since the README directs those needs elsewhere.

Install options & downloads