Do I have to install .NET on server?

Question

I created a Console application, and want it to run on our server. But I get the following message:

To run this application, you first must install one of the following versions of the .NET Framework: .NETFramework, Version=4.5

Do I really have to install .NET on my server? Can't all necessary stuff be included in the application as a .dll or something?

Thanks.

Answer 1

You have to install the .NET Framework. You can't include it "in a dll or something".

Answer 2

Can't all necessary stuff be included in the application as a .dll or something?

No.

Do I really have to install .NET on my server?

Yes you must.

You could of course simply target a version of the framework that is already there - for example, it is entirely possible that .NET 2.0 is already installed, and it is entirely possible that your project will compile for .NET 2.0 without changes (just change the target framework in the project properties).