microsoft / microsoft/aspire.dev
[GitHub Discussions] Developer Experience & Tooling gaps
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@IEvangelist is already working on this.
Since Feb 18, 2026.
external feedback
- Dominant language
- MDX
- Stars
- 193
- Forks
- 87
- Avg merge
- 1d 22h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 73
Description
Summary
Based on analysis of 820 GitHub discussions from dotnet/aspire.
Question counts:
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| DevEx/Tooling | 60 total |
| Performance/Slow | 15+ |
| Debugging | 10+ |
| IDE Issues | 10+ |
| CLI | 15+ |
Critical Gaps
1. ❌ Debugging Guide (CRITICAL)
Discussions:
- https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/discussions/12561: Allow running and debugging a Linux-only project on aspire
- https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/discussions/12039: .Net Aspire Single Service Nvim Debugging
- https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/discussions/9846: Is this a bug?
Customer Questions:
- Debugging specific services
- Selective debugging (debug some, not others)
- Linux-only project debugging
- Non-VS debugging (Neovim, etc.)
Action Items:
- Debugging guide (all IDEs)
- Selective service debugging
- Linux debugging patterns
- Non-VS IDE debugging
2. ❌ Performance/Slow Startup (15+ questions)
Discussions:
- https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/discussions/12518: Why are Aspire projects taking so long to be restored? It's more than 2 mins every single time
- https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/discussions/13840: Optimizing app host start up time
Customer Questions:
- NuGet restore taking too long
- App host startup optimization
- Container pull slowness
Action Items:
- Performance optimization guide
- NuGet restore troubleshooting
- Startup optimization patterns
3. ⚠️ IDE-Specific Issues
Discussions:
- https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/discussions/10168: Using GH Copilot in Aspire in Rider and other IDEs
- Rider, VS Code extension issues mentioned across discussions
Customer Questions:
- Rider integration
- VS Code extension issues
- GitHub Copilot integration
Action Items:
- IDE comparison guide
- Rider-specific documentation
- VS Code troubleshooting
4. ⚠️ Watch Mode / Hot Reload
No dedicated discussions, but Discord shows high demand (42 questions)
Action Items:
- Watch mode current status
- Hot reload limitations
- Workarounds
Data Source
- GitHub Discussions: 820 total
- DevEx-related: 60 discussions
- Date range: Project inception - February 2026
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Assessment
This issue has not been assessed yet.