protobuf-net.Core does not work with System.Collections.Immutable version 8.0.0 when targeting .NET Framework

[mrubacky]

We have a project targeting .NET Framework 4.7.1 that now depends on System.Collections.Immutable >= 8.0.0

We get a runtime error loading System.Collections.Immutable version 7.0.0.0 which no longer exists in our project as the dependency has been updated to version 8.0.0.0

System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'ProtoBuf.Serializers.RepeatedSerializers' threw an exception. ---> System.IO.FileLoadException: Could not load file or assembly 'System.Collections.Immutable, Version=7.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' or one of its dependencies. The located assembly's manifest definition does not match the assembly reference. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131040)
   at ProtoBuf.Serializers.RepeatedSerializers..cctor()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at ProtoBuf.Serializers.RepeatedSerializers.TryGetRepeatedProvider(Type type, Hashtable externalProvders)
   at ProtoBuf.Meta.RuntimeTypeModel.TryGetRepeatedProvider(Type type, CompatibilityLevel ambient) in /_/src/protobuf-net/Meta/RuntimeTypeModel.cs:line 1512
   at ProtoBuf.Meta.RuntimeTypeModel.<GetServicesSlow>g__GetServicesImpl|88_0(RuntimeTypeModel model, Type type, CompatibilityLevel ambient) in /_/src/protobuf-net/Meta/RuntimeTypeModel.cs:line 1022
   at ProtoBuf.Meta.RuntimeTypeModel.GetServicesSlow(Type type, CompatibilityLevel ambient) in /_/src/protobuf-net/Meta/RuntimeTypeModel.cs:line 999
   at ProtoBuf.Meta.RuntimeTypeModel.GetServices[T](CompatibilityLevel ambient) in /_/src/protobuf-net/Meta/RuntimeTypeModel.cs:line 975
   at ProtoBuf.Meta.RuntimeTypeModel.GetSerializer[T]() in /_/src/protobuf-net/Meta/RuntimeTypeModel.cs:line 962
   at ProtoBuf.Meta.TypeModel.TryGetSerializer[T](TypeModel model) in /_/src/protobuf-net.Core/Meta/TypeModel.cs:line 1485
   at ProtoBuf.Meta.TypeModel.SerializeImpl[T](State& state, T value) in /_/src/protobuf-net.Core/Meta/TypeModel.cs:line 375
   at ProtoBuf.Serializer.Serialize[T](Stream destination, T instance, Object userState) in /_/src/protobuf-net/Serializer.Serialize.cs:line 33
   at ProtoBuf.Serializer.Serialize[T](Stream destination, T instance) in /_/src/protobuf-net/Serializer.Serialize.cs:line 20

[mgravell]

This is a classis "assembly binding redirect" scenario; you need to configure your app to tell it to allow this; see https://nickcraver.com/blog/2020/02/11/binding-redirects/

[mrubacky]

Thanks for the quick response! I believe you're right and the automatic redirect wasn't being generated for one of the assemblies we're building. Going to investigate that further, thanks for the help and the link