ASP.NET 5 not running in development mode

Question

I have updated my ASP.NET 5 project to beta 8, and we are now supposed to the following web command

"commands": {
    "web": "Microsoft.AspNet.Server.Kestrel"
},

Now i have updated my project with the environment variables.

This has also updated my launchSettings.json file, as so

{
  "profiles": {
    "web": {
      "commandName": "web",
      "environmentVariables": {
        "ASPNET_ENV": "Development"
      }
    }
  }
}

But for some reason, every time I run the command dnx web it says that the hosting environment is Production. Why is it not starting in development mode?

Answer 1

The settings in launchSettings.json are only used by VS. If you run from a console, you have to set that environment variable manually.

CMD:

set ASPNET_ENV=Development
dnx web

PS:

$env:ASPNET_ENV=Development
dnx web

Answer 2

Adding to @Victor Hurdugaci answer, you could also avoid "messing" with current environment by passing needed variables on command line.

Inside project.json file, say that you have a web-dev command specific for development environment:

"commands": {
  "web-dev": "Microsoft.AspNet.Server.Kestrel 
    --ASPNET_ENV Development --Hosting:Environment Development 
    --config hosting.Development.json",
},

where you can see how both ASPNET_ENV, Hosting:Environment are set, as well as invoking a specific hosting.json configuration.
NOTE: command is split on several lines just for readability, join again before actually pasting in JSON file.