NuKeeper

Automagically update NuGet packages in all .NET projects.

Note: This project was originally archived. See Why is NuKeeper Archived for context.

What's New in v0.36

• Modernized to .NET 10 - Now targets the latest .NET runtime
• Improved async patterns - Added ConfigureAwait(false) throughout for better performance
• Enhanced error handling - Consistent error reporting across all platform providers
• Updated dependencies - All NuGet packages updated to latest versions

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Requirements

• .NET 10 SDK or later
• Git installed and available in PATH
• Platform-specific access token (GitHub, Azure DevOps, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Gitea)

Note: For updating legacy .NET Framework projects on Linux/macOS, Mono is required.

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Installation

As a Global Tool (Recommended)

dotnet tool install nukeeper --global

Verify Installation

nukeeper --version

Update to Latest Version

dotnet tool update nukeeper --global

Uninstall

dotnet tool uninstall nukeeper --global

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Quick Start

1. Inspect Local Projects for Updates

Check what packages can be updated without making changes:

nukeeper inspect /path/to/your/solution

2. Update Local Projects

Apply package updates to your local project:

nukeeper update /path/to/your/solution

3. Create Pull Requests for a Repository

Automatically create PRs for a GitHub repository:

nukeeper repo https://github.com/owner/repo --token YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN

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Commands

inspect - Check for Available Updates

Scans local projects and reports available NuGet package updates without making changes.

# Inspect current directory
nukeeper inspect

# Inspect specific path
nukeeper inspect /path/to/solution

# Output as CSV
nukeeper inspect --output csv

# Only show major version updates
nukeeper inspect --change Major

update - Apply Updates Locally

Applies NuGet package updates to local projects.

# Update all packages in current directory
nukeeper update

# Update specific path
nukeeper update /path/to/solution

# Limit number of updates
nukeeper update --maxpackageupdates 5

# Only apply patch updates (safest)
nukeeper update --change Patch

# Update specific package only
nukeeper update --include PackageName

repo - Create PRs for a Single Repository

Creates pull requests with package updates for a single repository.

# GitHub
nukeeper repo https://github.com/owner/repo --token ghp_xxxxx

# Azure DevOps
nukeeper repo https://dev.azure.com/org/project/_git/repo --token pat_xxxxx

# GitLab
nukeeper repo https://gitlab.com/owner/repo --token glpat_xxxxx

# Bitbucket
nukeeper repo https://bitbucket.org/owner/repo --token xxxxx

# Gitea
nukeeper repo https://gitea.example.com/owner/repo --token xxxxx

Common Options:

# Limit PRs created
nukeeper repo URL --token TOKEN --maxpackageupdates 3

# Target specific branch
nukeeper repo URL --token TOKEN --targetbranch develop

# Only update specific packages
nukeeper repo URL --token TOKEN --include Newtonsoft.Json

# Exclude packages from updates
nukeeper repo URL --token TOKEN --exclude Microsoft.Extensions.*

# Add labels to PRs
nukeeper repo URL --token TOKEN --label dependencies --label automated

# Set PR reviewers (Azure DevOps)
nukeeper repo URL --token TOKEN --reviewer [email protected]

org - Create PRs for an Organization

Creates pull requests for all repositories in a GitHub organization.

nukeeper org MyOrganization --token ghp_xxxxx

# Limit to specific repos
nukeeper org MyOrganization --token TOKEN --include repo1,repo2

# Exclude repos
nukeeper org MyOrganization --token TOKEN --exclude legacy-repo

global - Create PRs for All Accessible Repositories

Creates pull requests for all repositories the token has access to.

nukeeper global --token ghp_xxxxx

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Configuration Options

Change Level

Control which types of updates to apply:

Level	Description	Example
Major	Major version updates	1.0.0 → 2.0.0
Minor	Minor version updates	1.0.0 → 1.1.0
Patch	Patch version updates	1.0.0 → 1.0.1
None	No updates	-

nukeeper update --change Patch

Age Threshold

Only update packages that have been published for a certain period (reduces risk from newly published packages):

# Only update packages published at least 14 days ago
nukeeper update --age 14

Package Filters

# Include only specific packages
nukeeper update --include Newtonsoft.Json,Serilog

# Include packages matching pattern
nukeeper update --include Microsoft.*

# Exclude specific packages
nukeeper update --exclude EntityFramework

# Exclude packages matching pattern
nukeeper update --exclude *.Preview

Consolidation

Update the same package across all projects in a solution to the same version:

nukeeper update --consolidate

Verbosity

nukeeper update --verbosity Detailed
nukeeper update --verbosity Quiet

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Platform Support

Project Types

Project Type	Supported
.NET 8/9/10	Yes
.NET Core 3.1+	Yes
.NET Standard	Yes
.NET Framework	Yes
Private NuGet Feeds	Yes

Git Platforms

Platform	Supported	Token Type
GitHub	Yes	Personal Access Token
Azure DevOps	Yes	Personal Access Token
GitLab	Yes	Personal Access Token
Bitbucket Cloud	Yes	App Password
Bitbucket Server	Yes	Personal Access Token
Gitea	Yes	Access Token

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Docker

Run NuKeeper in a container:

# Pull the image
docker pull nukeeper/nukeeper:latest

# Run inspection
docker run --rm -v /path/to/solution:/repo nukeeper/nukeeper inspect /repo

# Create PRs
docker run --rm nukeeper/nukeeper repo https://github.com/owner/repo --token TOKEN

Build Docker Image Locally

docker build -t nukeeper -f Docker/SDK10.0/Dockerfile .

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Building from Source

Prerequisites

• .NET 10 SDK

Build

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/NuKeeperDotNet/NuKeeper.git
cd NuKeeper

# Build
dotnet build

# Run tests
dotnet test

# Create NuGet package
dotnet pack NuKeeper/NuKeeper.csproj -o ./artifacts

# Install local build
dotnet tool install nukeeper --global --add-source ./artifacts

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Examples

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions

- name: Update NuGet Packages
  run: |
    dotnet tool install nukeeper --global
    nukeeper repo ${{ github.repository }} --token ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

Azure Pipelines

- script: |
    dotnet tool install nukeeper --global
    nukeeper repo $(System.TeamFoundationCollectionUri)$(System.TeamProject)/_git/$(Build.Repository.Name) --token $(System.AccessToken)
  displayName: 'Update NuGet Packages'

Private NuGet Feeds

# Use custom NuGet source
nukeeper update --source https://nuget.example.com/v3/index.json

# Multiple sources
nukeeper update --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json --source https://nuget.example.com/v3/index.json

Scheduled Updates

Create a scheduled job to check for updates weekly:

# Cron job example (every Monday at 9am)
0 9 * * 1 /usr/local/bin/nukeeper repo https://github.com/owner/repo --token TOKEN --maxpackageupdates 5

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Unable to find package"

• Ensure you have access to the NuGet feed
• Check if the package requires authentication

"401 Unauthorized"

• Verify your token has the correct permissions
• For GitHub: needs repo scope
• For Azure DevOps: needs Code (Read & Write) scope

"No updates found"

• Try with --verbosity Detailed to see what's happening
• Check your --change level setting
• Verify packages aren't excluded by age threshold

Debug Mode

nukeeper update --verbosity Detailed --logfile nukeeper.log

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Licensing

NuKeeper is licensed under the Apache License

Dependencies

• LibGit2Sharp - MIT
• Octokit - MIT
• NuGet.Protocol - Apache 2.0
• McMaster.Extensions.CommandLineUtils - Apache 2.0

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Acknowledgements

Logos by area55, licensed under CC BY 4.0.