Dotnet-format not running in Github Action due to missing assembly

Question

I've created a Github action to run dotnet format --verify-no-changes as part of our CI to check for formatting errors. Since to latest update of the Windows server from

OS Version: 10.0.20348 Build 1668
Image Version: 20230508.3

to

OS Version: 10.0.20348 Build 1726
Image Version: 20230517.1

the job fails with following error:

Run dotnet format --verify-no-changes
  dotnet format --verify-no-changes
  shell: C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.EXE -command ". '{0}'"
Warnings were encountered while loading the workspace. Set the verbosity option to the 'diagnostic' level to log warnings.
Unhandled exception: System.Reflection.ReflectionTypeLoadException: Unable to load one or more of the requested types.
Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeModule.GetTypes(RuntimeModule module)
   at System.Reflection.Assembly.GetTypes()
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerFinderHelpers.<>c.<LoadAnalyzersAndFixers>b__0_0(Assembly assembly)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SelectManySingleSelectorIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.OfTypeIterator[TResult](IEnumerable source)+MoveNext()
   at System.Collections.Generic.LargeArrayBuilder`1.AddRange(IEnumerable`1 items)
   at System.Collections.Generic.EnumerableHelpers.ToArray[T](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableArray.CreateRange[T](IEnumerable`1 items)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerFinderHelpers.LoadAnalyzersAndFixers(IEnumerable`1 assemblies)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerReferenceInformationProvider.GetAnalyzersAndFixers(Project project)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary.<>c__DisplayClass9_0`3.<ToImmutableDictionary>b__0(TSource element)
   at System.Linq.Utilities.<>c__DisplayClass2_0`3.<CombineSelectors>b__0(TSource x)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SelectIListIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary`2.AddRange(IEnumerable`1 items, MutationInput origin, KeyCollisionBehavior collisionBehavior)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary`2.AddRange(IEnumerable`1 pairs, Boolean avoidToHashMap)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary`2.AddRange(IEnumerable`1 pairs)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary.ToImmutableDictionary[TSource,TKey,TValue](IEnumerable`1 source, Func`2 keySelector, Func`2 elementSelector, IEqualityComparer`1 keyComparer, IEqualityComparer`1 valueComparer)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary.ToImmutableDictionary[TSource,TKey,TValue](IEnumerable`1 source, Func`2 keySelector, Func`2 elementSelector)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerReferenceInformationProvider.GetAnalyzersAndFixers(Solution solution, FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger logger)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerFormatter.FormatAsync(Solution solution, ImmutableArray`1 formattableDocuments, FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger logger, List`1 formattedFiles, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.CodeFormatter.RunCodeFormattersAsync(Solution solution, ImmutableArray`1 formattableDocuments, FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger logger, List`1 formattedFiles, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.CodeFormatter.FormatWorkspaceAsync(FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger logger, CancellationToken cancellationToken, String binaryLogPath)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.FormatCommandCommon.FormatAsync(FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger`1 logger, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Commands.RootFormatCommand.FormatCommandDefaultHandler.InvokeAsync(InvocationContext context)
   at System.CommandLine.Invocation.InvocationPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass4_0.<<BuildInvocationChain>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass16_0.<<UseParseErrorReporting>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass11_0.<<UseHelp>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass21_0.<<UseVersionOption>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass18_0.<<UseTypoCorrections>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c.<<UseSuggestDirective>b__17_0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass15_0.<<UseParseDirective>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c.<<RegisterWithDotnetSuggest>b__4_0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass7_0.<<UseExceptionHandler>b__0>d.MoveNext()
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'
 ---> System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.<InternalLoad>g____PInvoke|47_0(NativeAssemblyNameParts* pAssemblyNameParts, ObjectHandleOnStack requestingAssembly, StackCrawlMarkHandle stackMark, Int32 throwOnFileNotFound, ObjectHandleOnStack assemblyLoadContext, ObjectHandleOnStack retAssembly)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.InternalLoad(AssemblyName assemblyName, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, AssemblyLoadContext assemblyLoadContext, RuntimeAssembly requestingAssembly, Boolean throwOnFileNotFound)
   at System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext.LoadFromAssemblyName(AssemblyName assemblyName)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.DefaultAnalyzerAssemblyLoader.DirectoryLoadContext.Load(AssemblyName assemblyName)
   at System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext.ResolveUsingLoad(AssemblyName assemblyName)
   at System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext.Resolve(IntPtr gchManagedAssemblyLoadContext, AssemblyName assemblyName)
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'
 ---> System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.6.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.<InternalLoad>g____PInvoke|47_0(NativeAssemblyNameParts* pAssemblyNameParts, ObjectHandleOnStack requestingAssembly, StackCrawlMarkHandle stackMark, Int32 throwOnFileNotFound, ObjectHandleOnStack assemblyLoadContext, ObjectHandleOnStack retAssembly)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.InternalLoad(AssemblyName assemblyName, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, AssemblyLoadContext assemblyLoadContext, RuntimeAssembly requestingAssembly, Boolean throwOnFileNotFound)
   at System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext.LoadFromAssemblyName(AssemblyName assemblyName)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.DefaultAnalyzerAssemblyLoader.DirectoryLoadContext.Load(AssemblyName assemblyName)
   at System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext.ResolveUsingLoad(AssemblyName assemblyName)
   at System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext.Resolve(IntPtr gchManagedAssemblyLoadContext, AssemblyName assemblyName)
Error: Process completed with exit code 1.

It was working before the update of the running image and it does run locally without any problems.

So far, the only thing I could find out is that Microsoft.Component.CodeAnalysis.SDK 17.6.33605.316 was updated from 17.5.33306.270.

Manually installing the NuGet package Microsoft.CodeAnalysis 4.6.0 for my solution did not help.

Can this problem actually come from the latest update or is there anything else wrong?

For reference, here is the code for my action:

# Name of this action
name: Format check on pull request

# Event triggers on push or pull_request
on:
  push:
    branches:
      - master
      - development
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - master
      - development

jobs:
  # ID of the job
  dotnet-format:

    # Name of the job as ist will be displayed in GitHub
    name: Check Code Formatting
    
    # Machine which this action will be run on.
    runs-on: windows-latest
    
    # Steps this jobs must take to complete
    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      
      - name: Add dotnet-format problem matcher
        uses: xt0rted/dotnet-format-problem-matcher@v1

      - name: Restore dotnet tools
        uses: xt0rted/dotnet-tool-restore@v1      
          
      - name: Run dotnet format
        run: dotnet format --verify-no-changes

Answer 1

Answer was provided in this link.

@ViktorHofer the root cause here is that this repo didn't flow dependencies correctly. That meant it missed a version bump for the Roslyn compiler. As such it was referencing Microsoft.CodeAnalysis at version 4.4.0. That means on startup dotnet format was effectively pulling in Microsoft.CodeAnalysis at 4.4.0 into the primary AssemblyLoadContext. Many analyzers in the SDK had moved to reference 4.5.0 though and when such an analyzer was loaded into dotnet format the compiler saw the version mismatch and rejected the analyzer.

The reason this doesn't always happen is different analyzers come into play for different project types. This bug does not reproduce on a console app but will reproduce on pretty much every razor app. The reason being that they bring in different sets of analyzers.

The problem will likely be fixed in a coming update expected to drop in CW25.