Agent skill

Build Dotnet Agent

by newrelic in newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent

Build the New Relic .NET agent locally and validate that code changes compile.

Apache-2.0Auto-check passedDevelopment

Install Build Dotnet Agent

skills CLI

$ npx skills add newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent --skill build-dotnet-agent -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent build-dotnet-agent --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent .claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "build-dotnet-agent" agent skill from https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent/tree/main/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent into .claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "build-dotnet-agent", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent/tree/main/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent --skill build-dotnet-agent -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent build-dotnet-agent --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent .agents/skills/build-dotnet-agent && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "build-dotnet-agent" agent skill from https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent/tree/main/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent into .agents/skills/build-dotnet-agent/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "build-dotnet-agent", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent --skill build-dotnet-agent -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent build-dotnet-agent --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent .cursor/skills/build-dotnet-agent && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "build-dotnet-agent" agent skill from https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent/tree/main/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent into .cursor/skills/build-dotnet-agent/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "build-dotnet-agent", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent.git --path .claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent --skill build-dotnet-agent -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent build-dotnet-agent --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent .gemini/skills/build-dotnet-agent && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "build-dotnet-agent" agent skill from https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent/tree/main/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent into .gemini/skills/build-dotnet-agent/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "build-dotnet-agent", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent build-dotnet-agent

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent --skill build-dotnet-agent -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent .github/skills/build-dotnet-agent && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "build-dotnet-agent" agent skill from https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent/tree/main/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent into .github/skills/build-dotnet-agent/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "build-dotnet-agent", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent --skill build-dotnet-agent -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent build-dotnet-agent --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent .opencode/skills/build-dotnet-agent && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "build-dotnet-agent" agent skill from https://github.com/newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent/tree/main/.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent into .opencode/skills/build-dotnet-agent/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "build-dotnet-agent", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: build-dotnet-agent
GitHub stars: 117
Token cost: ~871 tokens
SKILL.md length: 293 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 7
Repo updated: Oct 8, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: Apache-2.0

At a glance

Build the New Relic .NET agent locally and validate that code changes compile.

Tasks that involve Performance optimization
SKILL.md covers Rules and Agent home directories
Calls dotnet

What it does

Build Dotnet Agent is an agent skill from newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent. Build the New Relic .NET agent locally and validate that code changes compile. Use this whenever you are about to build the agent, need to confirm your edits compile, need to refresh the agent home directories (newrelichome) before running tests, or find yourself reaching for dotnet build / msbuild on any project in this repo. Always build the full solution from the CLI in Debug -- never a single project. Covers that command and the traps that waste time (building individual projects, Release config, building the…

Its SKILL.md is about 870 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Development, covering Performance optimization. It works with .NET and New Relic. The repository describes itself as: The New Relic .NET language agent. The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

Tasks that involve Performance optimization

Example prompts

“/build-dotnet-agent”

Requirements

Docker

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit aca7658. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
- dotnet
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Build Dotnet Agent loads about 871 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 151 tokens; SKILL.md has 293 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~151
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~871

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent at commit aca7658, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© newrelic). 293 words, ~871 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: build-dotnet-agent
description: Build the New Relic .NET agent locally and validate that code changes compile. Use this whenever you are about to build the agent, need to confirm your edits compile, need to refresh the agent home directories (newrelichome_*) before running tests, or find yourself reaching for `dotnet build` / `msbuild` on any project in this repo. Always build the full solution from the CLI in Debug -- never a single project. Covers that command and the traps that waste time (building individual projects, Release config, building the profiler by hand, dragging preview SDKs into build tools).

Building the .NET agent

To validate edits or refresh agent home dirs, build the full solution yourself from the repo root:

bash

dotnet build FullAgent.sln

Debug is default -- never pass -c Release. It's slow; run in background or tee to a file and read the tail. The user builds in VS; that's their path, not yours -- you use the CLI.

Rules

Never build a single .csproj. Core.csproj and its dependents have a post-build step (ILRepack + AssemblyModifier.exe) whose ordering only the solution provides. Building one project alone yields AssemblyModifier.exe not found, exit code 3, or $(SolutionDir)/*Undefined* errors.
Debug, never Release (Release is for CI/releases).
IntegrationTests.sln / UnboundedIntegrationTests.sln build with VS MSBuild, not the dotnet build above; the dotnet SDK cannot build their legacy ASP.NET FW web apps. Invocation and required flags: tests/CLAUDE.md.

Core.UnitTest from the CLI needs SolutionDir (VS sets it, dotnet doesn't), trailing backslash required. Both forms below pass the same value (<repo-root>\):

bash

# bash (Git Bash)
SLN="$(cygpath -w "$PWD")\\"
dotnet build tests/Agent/UnitTests/Core.UnitTest/Core.UnitTest.csproj -f net10.0 -p:SolutionDir="$SLN"

powershell

# PowerShell
$sln = "$((Resolve-Path .).Path)\"
dotnet build tests/Agent/UnitTests/Core.UnitTest/Core.UnitTest.csproj -f net10.0 -p:SolutionDir="$sln"

NewRelic.Agent.Extensions.Tests: dotnet test on the csproj silently no-ops via VSTestTask -- test the built DLL instead (path in root CLAUDE.md).
Profiler (Profiler.sln, src/Agent/NewRelic/Profiler/, only when changing the profiler): build with build.ps1, never raw MSBuild; Debug; Linux build needs Docker Desktop.
Build tools stay on latest LTS (net10.0): build/* tools (ArtifactBuilder, Dotty, etc.) and AssemblyModifier. When evaluating a preview .NET, retarget agent core + tests, not the build tools.

Agent home directories

FullAgent.sln writes these under src/Agent/; all integration/unbounded/container tests read from them, so a stale home dir = "my change isn't taking effect." Rebuild after changing agent/wrapper code. If new instrumentation isn't applied, confirm files exist under <agent-home>/extensions/ (and extensions/netcore/ for .NET Core wrappers).

Framework	OS	Arch	Directory
.NET FW	Win	x64	`newrelichome_x64`
.NET FW	Win	x86	`newrelichome_x86`
.NET Core	Win	x64	`newrelichome_x64_coreclr`
.NET Core	Win	x86	`newrelichome_x86_coreclr`
.NET Core	Linux	x64	`newrelichome_x64_coreclr_linux`
.NET Core	Linux	arm64	`newrelichome_arm64_coreclr_linux`

Files

Just SKILL.md in .claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent of newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit aca7658

Compare with similar skills

Build Dotnet Agent next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Build Dotnet Agent compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Build Dotnet Agent this skillnewrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent	117	—	~871	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	today
Analyzing .NET Performancedotnet/skills	5.6k	3 repos	~3.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
MAUI PR Performance Analysisdotnet/maui	23k	—	~2.4k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
.NET Trimming and Native AOTAaronontheweb/dotnet-skills	1.2k	—	~2.9k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	22 days ago
Dotnet Debuggingnovotnyllc/dotnet-artisan	233	—	~2.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
Asynkron Profilermanagedcode/dotnet-skills	486	—	~1.7k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today

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Works with

Questions about Build Dotnet Agent

What does Build Dotnet Agent do?

Build the New Relic .NET agent locally and validate that code changes compile. Build Dotnet Agent is an agent skill from newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent.NET agent locally and validate that code changes compile.

When should I use Build Dotnet Agent?

Build Dotnet Agent fits situations like: tasks that involve Performance optimization.

How do I install Build Dotnet Agent in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent --skill build-dotnet-agent -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent in newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent) into .claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Build Dotnet Agent in Codex?

Run `npx skills add newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent --skill build-dotnet-agent -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/build-dotnet-agent in newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent) into .agents/skills/build-dotnet-agent in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Build Dotnet Agent in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent --skill build-dotnet-agent -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/build-dotnet-agent, .gemini/skills/build-dotnet-agent, .github/skills/build-dotnet-agent and .opencode/skills/build-dotnet-agent in your project.

What does Build Dotnet Agent need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Build Dotnet Agent needs the command-line tools its instructions call (dotnet). Our summary lists: Docker.

Does Build Dotnet Agent access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Build Dotnet Agent safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Build Dotnet Agent use?

Build Dotnet Agent is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Build Dotnet Agent use?

About 871 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.5k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Build Dotnet Agent?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Build Dotnet Agent: Analyzing .NET Performance (dotnet/skills, 5.6k stars), MAUI PR Performance Analysis (dotnet/maui, 23k stars), .NET Trimming and Native AOT (Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills, 1.2k stars) and Dotnet Debugging (novotnyllc/dotnet-artisan, 233 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Build Dotnet Agent?

newrelic (a GitHub organization) maintains it in newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent, which has 117 GitHub stars. The repository holds 7 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 8, 2026.

Source: newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Build Dotnet Agent

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Requirements

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

Building the .NET agent

Rules

Agent home directories

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from newrelic/newrelic-dotnet-agent

Related

Questions about Build Dotnet Agent