Unable to get startup parameters when windows service starts

[vicq23]

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Describe the bug

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After deploying the asp.net core project as a windows service, I started the project with (Get-Service "ServiceName").Start(@("--tag=dev")), but the args parameter in the Program.Main method is not. Get "--tag=dev", what is the reason?

To Reproduce

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Using this version of ASP.NET Core '...'
2. Run this code '....'
3. With these arguments '....'
4. See error

Expected behavior

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Additional context

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Include the output of dotnet --info

[davidfowl]

Arguments aren't supported, this isn't something that works with the current windows service support.

@okman523 Can you fill in the other information please? Like version information?

cc @glennc @Tratcher

[glennc]

How are you verifying that you don't get the args in Program.Main?

[davidfowl]

I believe OnStart has args. They don’t get passed into main

[Tratcher]

So it does:
https://github.com/aspnet/Extensions/blob/1112d7bcb46fb5848f29a84cb3f906f75c07c8bc/src/Hosting/WindowsServices/src/WindowsServiceLifetime.cs#L64
The trouble is that we've already built and 'started' the app, it's just paused waiting for the go signal. At best you could give some kind of reloadable config provider, but most components don't check for config changes.

[vicq23]

@davidfowl I need to get the command line parameters in Main, as the parameters needed for the program initialization, it is too late to get the parameters in OnStart, it means nothing to me.

[vicq23]

@Tratcher Yes, this is not reasonable, it is right to get the parameters when the program starts.

[Tratcher]

Here's an interesting thread:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1488851/how-to-pass-a-parameter-to-a-windows-service-once-and-for-all-at-install-instead

There are two places to put parameters:

1. In the image path: myapp.exe options. These get passed to Main
2. In StartService, these get passed to ServiceBase.OnStart.

There's nothing for us to do here, this is just how Windows Services work. Can you try the image path approach?

[analogrelay]

Closing this as we haven't heard from you and generally close issues with no response after ~7 days. Please feel free to comment if you're able to get the information we're looking for and we can reopen the issue to investigate further!