TFS 2010 Build - Do I need to install Visual Studio 2010 on TFS 2010 Build Server

Question

I have the following error on the build server for code that compiles and passes tests fine locally.

(150): The imported project "C:\\Program Files\\MSBuild\\Microsoft\\VisualStudio\\v10.0\\WebApplications\\Microsoft.WebApplication.targets" was not found. Confirm that the path in the declaration is correct, and that the file exists on disk.

I've added the WebApplications folder from my local machine to the appropriate path on the build server but I'm still getting the same error on build.

I believe the recommended approach with TFS2008 was to install VS2008 in it's entirety on the build server. Is this still the case with TFS2010 and VS2010 accordingly? aka Sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Answer 1

Pretty much, especially if you plan on using other features like MSTest. You can try just adding the targets file but you'll probably still have some missing dependencies. You could go through the whole process of fixing the dependencies as you go along but it's probably easier just to install VS 2010 and be done with it.

Answer 2

This blog post seems to describe a way to do what you want without having to install additional software on the build server, if all you need is the .net compilers. It does not cover C++ compiler setup.

Answer 3

I discovered that if you're going to do just "standard" (i realize that's open to interpretation) web apps and non-web apps (eg services), you can get away with installing just Visual Studio 2010 Shell, plus Visual Studio 2010 SP1 on the build server. That will get you the missing .targets files.

Since a full VS install is required for advanced features, does anyone know if the build-server-install license cost is waived?