Shared Hosting Setup Guide

This guide explains how to set up .NET on shared hosting environments where you can't install software globally but can upload files.

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📋 Method 1: Upload Pre-Downloaded .NET SDK

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Step 1: Download .NET SDK Locally

1. Visit [.NET Download Page](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download)

2. Download the appropriate SDK for your hosting platform:

- Linux x64: dotnet-sdk-8.0.xxx-linux-x64.tar.gz

- Linux ARM64: dotnet-sdk-8.0.xxx-linux-arm64.tar.gz

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Step 2: Extract and Prepare SDK

Extract the downloaded SDK
tar -xzf dotnet-sdk-8.0.xxx-linux-x64.tar.gz
This creates a folder with the SDK contents
Rename it to 'dotnet-sdk' for consistency
mv dotnet-sdk-8.0.xxx-linux-x64 dotnet-sdk

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Step 3: Upload to Your Hosting

1. Upload the dotnet-sdk folder to your project root

2. Upload your Node.js project files

3. Your hosting directory should look like:

your-project/
├── package.json
├── index.js
├── setup.js
├── run-dotnet.js
├── dotnet-sdk/           
← Your uploaded .NET SDK
│   ├── dotnet           
← Main executable
│   ├── sdk/
│   ├── shared/
│   └── ...
└── node_modules/

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Step 4: Set Execute Permissions

If your hosting supports SSH access:

SSH into your hosting
ssh your-username@your-host.com
Navigate to your project
cd path/to/your/project
Set execute permission on dotnet binary
chmod +x dotnet-sdk/dotnet
Verify it works
./dotnet-sdk/dotnet --version

##

Step 5: Run Your Application

Install Node.js dependencies
npm install
Setup will automatically detect the local SDK
npm run setup
Start your application
npm start

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📋 Method 2: Manual Environment Setup

If the automatic detection doesn't work, you can manually set environment variables:

##

In your hosting's control panel or startup script:

export DOTNET_ROOT=/path/to/your/project/dotnet-sdk

export PATH=$DOTNET_ROOT:$PATH

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Or modify your Node.js startup:

Create a start.sh script:

#!/bin/bash

export DOTNET_ROOT="$(pwd)/dotnet-sdk"
export PATH="$DOTNET_ROOT:$PATH"
node index.js

Make it executable and run:

chmod +x start.sh

./start.sh

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🔍 Troubleshooting

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Permission Issues

If you get permission denied:
chmod +x dotnet-sdk/dotnet
chmod +x dotnet-sdk/sdk/8.0.xxx/dotnet
For all files in SDK (if needed):
find dotnet-sdk -type f -name "dotnet*" -exec chmod +x {} \;

##

Architecture Mismatch

If you get "cannot execute binary file":

1. Check your hosting architecture: uname -m

2. Download the correct SDK version:

- x86_64 → use linux-x64

- aarch64 → use linux-arm64

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Path Issues

Verify the SDK is detected:

Check if dotnet is found
which dotnet
Check version
dotnet --version
Check SDK location
dotnet --info

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🚀 Hosting-Specific Tips

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Shared cPanel Hosting

1. Use File Manager to upload the dotnet-sdk folder

2. Use Terminal (if available) to set permissions

3. Add environment variables in .htaccess or startup scripts

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Node.js Hosting (Heroku, Railway, etc.)

1. Include the dotnet-sdk folder in your git repository

2. Add a Procfile or startup command:

web: DOTNET_ROOT=./dotnet-sdk PATH=./dotnet-sdk:$PATH node index.js

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VPS/Dedicated Hosting

1. Upload via SCP/SFTP: scp -r dotnet-sdk user@host:/path/to/project/

2. Set permissions via SSH

3. Update shell profile if needed

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✅ Verification

Your setup is working if:

1. ✅ dotnet --version returns a version number

2. ✅ npm run setup completes without errors

3. ✅ The web interface shows ".NET is available"

4. ✅ The sample Web API starts successfully

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📊 File Size Considerations

- .NET SDK is approximately 200-300MB

- Consider hosting limits on file uploads

- Some hosting providers have file count limits

- ZIP the SDK for faster upload, then extract on server

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🔒 Security Notes

- The uploaded .NET SDK contains your application runtime

- Ensure proper file permissions (don't make everything executable)

- Consider hosting provider security policies

- Monitor resource usage (CPU/Memory) limits

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Need help? Check the main README.md for additional troubleshooting steps!

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