End of Support for .NET 6
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This week, we have important news from the .NET world. The long-term support (LTS) version 6 of the Microsoft .NET Framework will officially reach its end of support on 12 November 2024.
- Yes, these news are also for you .NET 4 users.
Let`s dive in!
After this date, .NET 6 will no longer receive any security updates or technical support from Microsoft.
This marks a significant shift, as continued use of .NET 6 after this deadline will leave your applications potentially exposed to security vulnerabilities.
To maintain support and ensure ongoing protection, Microsoft strongly advises upgrading to .NET 8, the latest LTS version, which will be supported until November 2026.
why upgrade to .NET 8 ??
Upgrading to .NET 8 is crucial for maintaining a secure and up-to-date application environment. .NET 8, released in November 2023, is designed to be the next LTS version and will be supported until November 2026.
This support includes security patches, updates, and technical assistance, ensuring your applications remain protected against new vulnerabilities. While .NET 6 applications will continue to operate after the end of support, they will be increasingly susceptible to unpatched security issues.
Moving to .NET 8 not only extends your support window but also benefits from the latest improvements and features offered by the framework.
how to upgrade ??
Transitioning from .NET 6 to .NET 8 involves a few essential steps. The primary task is to update the TargetFramework property in your project files to net8.0. Microsoft has made this process easier with the upgrade-assistant tool, which is open-source and designed to facilitate the upgrade.
This tool helps analyse your application code, updates project files, and checks for compatibility issues. It also performs some automatic code fixes but may require developers to make manual adjustments to address any remaining issues.
Detailed instructions for upgrading can be found in Microsoft's official guide on how to move to a new .NET version.
developer community reactions
The pace of .NET releases has sparked diverse opinions within the developer community. Some developers express concern over the rapid release cycle and the limited overlap between versions, feeling that it creates unnecessary pressure.
In contrast, others argue that the process of updating to a new LTS version every two years is manageable and a minor inconvenience compared to the benefits of staying up-to-date. According to Microsoft’s telemetry data from May 2024, .NET 6 remains the most utilised version, making up 39% of installations, while .NET 8 is used in 26% of cases.
This reflects both the continued reliance on .NET 6 and the growing adoption of .NET 8.
visual studio compatibility
Starting January 2025, .NET 6 will be marked as out of support in Visual Studio 2022 versions 17.8, 17.10, and 17.12. This change means that developers using these versions of Visual Studio will encounter build warnings when targeting .NET 6.
To avoid these warnings and ensure compatibility with supported versions, it is advisable to retarget your projects to .NET 8 or a later version. Developers can also use the “remove out of support components” option in Visual Studio to remove .NET 6 from their installations, thereby preventing confusion and potential build issues.
enterprise Linux support
For those using .NET on enterprise Linux distributions, support is governed by the policies of the respective distribution providers. Red Hat and Canonical (Ubuntu) offer support in line with their own lifecycle policies.
Red Hat supports .NET according to the standard .NET life cycle, while Canonical’s Ubuntu Pro support plans provide five years of standard support and ten years of security coverage for packages in the Ubuntu LTS main and universe components. This ensures that .NET remains a viable option for enterprise Linux users as long as they adhere to these support frameworks.
what to do next
If you are currently using .NET 6, it is essential to begin planning your upgrade to .NET 8. Reach out to the developer or vendor of your software to determine if an updated version that uses .NET 8 is available.
Upgrading to a supported version will not only help maintain the security and stability of your applications but also ensure that you receive the latest features and improvements offered by the .NET framework. Taking these steps now will help avoid potential disruptions and security risks as support for .NET 6 comes to an end.
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