NuGet Package missing error when trying to use TFS Servcice

Question

I'm hoping someone can help diagnose whats going wrong with my build. I'm using Visual Studio 2012, NuGet 2.7, & TFS Service (git). I've been unable to get around the following error:

"C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc\RecipeDb.Mvc.csproj (361): This project references NuGet   package(s) that are missing on this computer. Enable NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317567."

I've enabled the package restore feature (but it think i've heard with nuget 2.7 it doesn't matter). Anyways i found a helpful blog about this problem at : Blog Article

Here is my current build script:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0"
         DefaultTargets="Build" 
         xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutDir>$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)bin</OutDir>
    <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
    <ProjectProperties>
        OutDir=$(OutDir);
        Configuration=$(Configuration);
    </ProjectProperties>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Solution Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)src\*.sln" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <Target Name="RestorePackages">
    <Exec Command="&quot;$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)src\.nuget\NuGet.exe&quot; restore &quot;%(Solution.Identity)&quot;" />
  </Target>

  <Target Name="Clean">
    <MSBuild Targets="Clean"
             Projects="@(Solution)"
             Properties="$(ProjectProperties)" />
  </Target>

  <Target Name="Build" DependsOnTargets="RestorePackages">
    <MSBuild Targets="Build"
             Projects="@(Solution)"
             Properties="$(ProjectProperties)" />
  </Target>

  <Target Name="Rebuild" DependsOnTargets="RestorePackages">
    <MSBuild Targets="Rebuild"
             Projects="@(Solution)"
             Properties="$(ProjectProperties)" />
  </Target>

</Project>

and here is my build log:

Build started 9/27/2013 1:01:14 AM.
Project "C:\a\src\build.proj" on node 1 (default targets).
RestorePackages:
  "C:\a\src\src\.nuget\NuGet.exe" restore "C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.sln"
Project "C:\a\src\build.proj" (1) is building "C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.sln" (2) on node 1 (Build target(s)).
ValidateSolutionConfiguration:
  Building solution configuration "Release|Any CPU".
Project "C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.sln" (2) is building "C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc\RecipeDb.Mvc.csproj" (3) on node 1 (default targets).
C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc\RecipeDb.Mvc.csproj(361,5): error : This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Enable NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317567.
Done Building Project "C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc\RecipeDb.Mvc.csproj" (default targets) -- FAILED.
Project "C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.sln" (2) is building "C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests.csproj" (5) on node 1 (default targets).
C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests.csproj(144,5): error : This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Enable NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317567.
Done Building Project "C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests.csproj" (default targets) -- FAILED.
Done Building Project "C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.sln" (Build target(s)) -- FAILED.
Done Building Project "C:\a\src\build.proj" (default targets) -- FAILED.

Build FAILED.

"C:\a\src\build.proj" (default target) (1) ->
"C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.sln" (Build target) (2) ->
"C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc\RecipeDb.Mvc.csproj" (default target) (3) ->
(EnsureBclBuildImported target) -> 
  C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.M
vc\RecipeDb.Mvc.csproj(361,5): error : This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Enable NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317567.


"C:\a\src\build.proj" (default target) (1) ->
"C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.sln" (Build target) (2) ->
"C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests.csproj" (default target) (5) ->
  C:\a\src\src\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests\RecipeDb.Mvc.Tests.csproj(144,5): error : This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Enable NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317567.

    0 Warning(s)
    2 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:09.21

So i copied his build log and just changed the path where nuget.exe is. Nuget.exe command seems to be running but apparently its not downloading the packages. Of course building locally works fine (even if i delete the packages directory.

Answer 1

As I can see in the link in the error message line you posted:

There is an improvement in Nuget 2.7 as below:

The Improvement

We’ve updated Microsoft.Bcl.Build to use a different approach. The new version will use a conditional import similar to what NuGet’s automatic import feature does. This will always allow the project to load in Visual Studio.

However, Microsoft.Bcl.Build also adds a target to your project that will run after the build is finished. This target checks whether the current build restored packages and if so fail the build with an actionable error message:

The build restored NuGet packages. Build the project again to include these packages in the build. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317568.

Building a second time will fix this error. Please note that this error will only appear if packages were missing so it’s not like you always have to build twice.

However, below that it says that it will not address build server/continuous integration (CI) scenarios and it needs a solution as specified in the following excerpt from the article:

This solution doesn’t address build server / continuous integration (CI) scenarios. In order to successfully use package restore on the build server, you have two options:

1. Check-in the .targets file.
2. Explicitly run NuGet package restore prior to building your project/solution.

Hope the issue you are facing is also because of this only.