Microsoft.Windows.SDK.Buildtools.MSIX will still try to generate the .appsym even AppxSymbolPackageEnabled="false"

[zhuxb711]

Describe the bug

Nuget: Microsoft.Windows.SDK.Buildtools.MSIX | Version: 1.7.251221100
Location: Microsoft.Windows.SDK.BuildTools.MSIX.Packaging.targets

Target _GenerateAppxSymbolPackage will not check AppxSymbolPackageEnabled and will always being executed

<Target Name="_GenerateAppxSymbolPackage" Condition="Exists ('$(MsPdbCmfExeFullpath)') And '@(PDBPayload)' != ''" Inputs="$(MSBuildAllProjects);@(PDBPayload);@(FinalAppxManifest)" Outputs="$(AppxSymbolPackageOutput)" DependsOnTargets="_EnsurePdbCmfExeFullPath">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <ReconstituteFastlinkPdbs Condition="'$(ReconstituteFastlinkPdbs)' == ''">true</ReconstituteFastlinkPdbs>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <WinAppSdkGenerateAppxSymbolPackage MsPdbCmfExeFullpath="$(MsPdbCmfExeFullpath)"
                             InputPdbs="@(PDBPayload)"
                             ProjectName="$(MSBuildProjectName)"
                             StripPrivateSymbols="$(StripPrivateSymbols)"
                             IntermediateSymbolRoot="$(AppxSymbolIntermediateDir)"
                             ReconstituteFastlinkPdbs="$(ReconstituteFastlinkPdbs)"
                             AppxSymbolPackageOutput="$(AppxSymbolPackageOutput)"
                             VsTelemetrySession="$(VsTelemetrySession)">
    <Output TaskParameter="OutputPdbs" ItemName="OutputPdbFiles" />
  </WinAppSdkGenerateAppxSymbolPackage>

  <ItemGroup>
    <FinalAppxSymbolPackageItem Include="$(AppxSymbolPackageOutput)" />
    <PackagingFileWrites Include="@(FinalAppxSymbolPackageItem)" />
    <FileWrites Include="@(OutputPdbFiles)" />
    <PackagingDirectoryWrites Include="$(AppxSymbolIntermediateDir)" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <Message Text="$(MSBuildProjectName) -> $(AppxSymbolPackageOutput)" />
</Target>

Another similar Target _GenerateAppxUploadSymbolPackage will check the AppxSymbolPackageEnabled

<Target Name="_GenerateAppxUploadSymbolPackage"
        Condition="'$(AppxSymbolPackageEnabled)' == 'true' and 
                   '@(PDBUploadPayload)' != '' and 
                   '$(BuildAppxUploadPackageForUap)' == 'true'"
        Inputs="$(MSBuildAllProjects);@(PDBUploadPayload);@(FinalAppxManifest)"
        Outputs="$(AppxUploadSymbolPackageOutput)">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <ReconstituteFastlinkPdbs Condition="'$(ReconstituteFastlinkPdbs)' == ''">true</ReconstituteFastlinkPdbs>
    <MsPdbCmfExeFullpath Condition="'$(MSBuildExtensionsPath64)' != ''">$(PdbCmfx64ExeFullPath)</MsPdbCmfExeFullpath>
    <MsPdbCmfExeFullpath Condition="'$(MSBuildExtensionsPath64)' == ''">$(PdbCmfx86ExeFullPath)</MsPdbCmfExeFullpath>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <WinAppSdkGenerateAppxSymbolPackage MsPdbCmfExeFullpath="$(MsPdbCmfExeFullpath)"
                             InputPdbs="@(PDBUploadPayload)"
                             ProjectName="$(MSBuildProjectName)"
                             IntermediateSymbolRoot="$(AppxUploadSymbolIntermediateDir)"
                             StripPrivateSymbols="$(StripPrivateSymbols)"
                             ReconstituteFastlinkPdbs="$(ReconstituteFastlinkUploadPdbs)"
                             AppxSymbolPackageOutput="$(AppxUploadSymbolPackageOutput)"
                             VsTelemetrySession="$(VsTelemetrySession)">
    <Output TaskParameter="OutputPdbs" ItemName="OutputPdbUploadFiles" />
  </WinAppSdkGenerateAppxSymbolPackage>

  <ItemGroup>
    <FinalAppxUploadSymbolPackageItem Include="$(AppxUploadSymbolPackageOutput)" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackagingFileWrites Include="@(FinalAppxUploadSymbolPackageItem)" />
    <FileWrites Include="@(OutputPdbUploadFiles)" />
    <PackagingDirectoryWrites Include="$(AppxUploadSymbolIntermediateDir)" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <Message Text="$(MSBuildProjectName) -> $(AppxUploadSymbolPackageOutput)" />

</Target>

It's very confusing, I'm wondering did _GenerateAppxSymbolPackage is duplicated with _GenerateAppxUploadSymbolPackage? If yes, please remove it. Or at least _GenerateAppxSymbolPackage should check whether AppxSymbolPackageEnabled is false and should never being executed

Steps to reproduce the bug

Build the application in SideloadOnly/StoreUpload/CI

Expected behavior

Once AppxSymbolPackageEnabled set to false, no appsym related task should be executed

Screenshots

No response

NuGet package version

Windows App SDK 1.8.4: 1.8.260101001

Packaging type

Packaged (MSIX)

Windows version

Windows 11 version 24H2 LTSC (26100, June Update)

IDE

Visual Studio 2022

Additional context

No response

[zhuxb711]

@Scottj1s Hi Jones, would you please help CC the owner of Microsoft.Windows.SDK.Buildtools.MSIX? Thanks~

[Scottj1s]

@zhuxb711 Thanks for reporting this, the owning team has been notified. Can you help us understand the result of this issue for you?

[zhuxb711]

@Scottj1s

Start from Windows App SDK v1.8, my application could not generate the symbol package as expected because mspdbcmf.exe will exit with code 1106. I tried to bypass this phase by setting AppxSymbolPackageEnabled to false. However, due to the issue I mentioned above. It will still try to generate the pdb and use mspdbcmf.exe which breaks my CI flow.

That's the reason why I notice _GenerateAppxSymbolPackage do not respect the AppxSymbolPackageEnabled

Currently the only way to bypass _GenerateAppxSymbolPackage is make the path about mspdbcmf.exe invalid.

  <PropertyGroup>
    <MsPdbCmfExeFullpath>None</MsPdbCmfExeFullpath>
  </PropertyGroup>

I also reported the defect to visual studio team.
https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/t/mspdbcmfexe-failed-with-exit-code-1106/11037870