Global tools in the .NET ecosystem are command-line applications that can be installed and run from any location on your system. If you no longer need a global tool, you can easily uninstall it using the .NET Command Line Interface (CLI). This guide will walk you through the steps to uninstall a global tool using the CLI.

What is a Global Tool?

A global tool is a .NET Core application that is installed globally on your machine, allowing you to run it from any command prompt or terminal window. Global tools are useful for various tasks, such as code generation, project management, and other development utilities. They are installed using the dotnet tool install command and can be uninstalled using the dotnet tool uninstall command.

How to Uninstall a Global Tool

To uninstall a global tool using the CLI, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Your Command Line Interface

Open your terminal (macOS/Linux) or command prompt (Windows).

Step 2: Use the dotnet tool uninstall Command

Use the following command to uninstall a global tool:

dotnet tool uninstall --global ToolName

In this command, replace ToolName with the name of the global tool you want to uninstall. For example, to uninstall the dotnet-ef tool, which is used for managing Entity Framework Core migrations and database updates, you would run:

dotnet tool uninstall --global dotnet-ef

After executing this command, the dotnet-ef tool will be removed from your system.

Step 3: Verify the Uninstallation

To verify that the global tool has been uninstalled successfully, you can run the following command:

dotnet tool list --global

This command will display a list of all global tools installed on your system. You should no longer see dotnet-ef listed among the installed tools.

Example of Uninstalling a Global Tool

Here’s a complete example of uninstalling the dotnet-ef tool:

dotnet tool uninstall --global dotnet-ef

After running this command, you should see output indicating that the tool has been uninstalled successfully. You can then verify the uninstallation by listing the global tools again.

Conclusion

Uninstalling a global tool using the CLI is a straightforward process that helps you manage the tools available on your system. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily remove global tools that you no longer need, keeping your development environment clean and organized. Understanding how to manage global tools is essential for any .NET developer looking to leverage the full capabilities of the .NET ecosystem.