RDP script does not work - ObjectNotFound: (Get-NetIPAddress:String) when executing enable-rdp.ps1

[GitMensch]

per https://www.appveyor.com/docs/how-to/rdp-to-build-worker/ I've added

 $blockRdp = $true; iex ((new-object net.webclient).DownloadString('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/appveyor/ci/master/scripts/enable-rdp.ps1'))

To my build config for failures, it is actually downloaded and executed (as it was before) but now fails to execute:

$blockRdp = $true; iex ((new-object net.webclient).DownloadString('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/appveyor/ci/master/scripts/enable-rdp.ps1'))
iex : The term 'Get-NetIPAddress' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program.
Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
At C:\Users\appveyor\AppData\Local\Temp\1\1fn9k92dyi.ps1:6 char:20
+ ... dp = $true; iex ((new-object net.webclient).DownloadString('https://r ...
+                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Get-NetIPAddress:String) [Invoke-Expression], CommandNotFoundException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.InvokeExpressionCommand
 
Command exited with code 1

So either the documentation needs an update or the script... or both.

[FeodorFitsner]

I wasn't able to reproduce the issue on Visual Studio 2019 and Visual Studio 2017 images. Here is some of the tests: https://ci.appveyor.com/project/FeodorFitsner/simple-console/builds/39903719

There could be some changes into PowerShell environment during the build. Could you, perhaps, do a simple repro in a public repository?

[GitMensch]

Just rechecked, that was running on PS Core, possibly this is the reason?

[FeodorFitsner]

I've checked with PS Core and it worked as well. Did it work for you with Windows PowerShell?

[GitMensch]

To tests that I've used a working environment and added the following in appveyor.yml:

on_success:
- pwsh: $blockRdp = $true; iex ((new-object net.webclient).DownloadString('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/appveyor/ci/master/scripts/enable-rdp.ps1'))

Result in all environments of that build with

image:
- Visual Studio 2015
- Visual Studio 2017

Is the message above, it does work in the VS2019 image (while it previously also worked in the older ones).

What do we do with this information now?

[FeodorFitsner]

Try using ps instead of pwsh for RDP script.

[GitMensch]

OK, ps is "Powershell" and pwsh is "Powershell Core". The script works with both in the VS2019 image but for the others only in "Powershell".

So I assume that the cmdlet Get-NetIPAddress was added later and the two "older" images have an older version of ps-core that does not support this.

Options:

• Ideally: there is an alternative cmdlet that can be used in both older and new ps scripts (good for portability)
• Otherwise the docs and file may should explicit say that this only works with recent ps-core, older environments may always need to use ps.

What do you think?

[FeodorFitsner]

Actually, all examples in RDP KB use ps prefix. Indeed, VS 2015 and VS 2017 images have outdated PS Core, so use ps which guaranteed has that cmdlet.

[GitMensch]

Hm, would the default workers used for public repos work with $nonat set? In this case #3692 would solve it.

[FeodorFitsner]

$nonat is never set by build workers (I'm not even sure why that variable was introduced at all, maybe for BYOC scenarios), so that fix won't help to the fact that pre 7.x PS Core does not have Get-NetIPAddress cmdlet.

[GitMensch]

The idea was to set $nonat, if this would work. Guess it wouldn't...