Install and use aspnet_merge.exe without installing the Windows SDK?

Question

I used web site deployment projects but I discovered that the aspnet_merge.exe utility is not on my build server. This prevents me from being able to build. In order to get this utility I have to install the Windows SDK which comes as an ISO file and is over 1gb. I do not want to install this entire thing when I all I need is that one assembly. But I am not sure if that file depends on anything else in that installer. I also do not understand why a web tool is buried in the Windows SDK. I would prefer to have it include in some web tools installer.

Has anyone just copied this assembly to the FrameworkSDKDir and just made it work that way?

Related: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/28765/using-visual-studio-2008-web-deployment-projects-getting-an-error-finding-aspne

Answer 1

It looks like aspnet_merge.exe can be found in the Web Deployment Projects install. I don't have a clean box to test on, but if I recall correctly, you could put this on a build server without installing VisualStudio or the Windows SDK.

Answer 2

I downloaded the "web" version of the SDK because the setup is only 500KB and it prompts you for which components to install and only downloads and installs the ones you choose. I unchecked everything except for ".NET Development Tools". It then downloaded and installed about 250MB worth of stuff, including aspnet_merge.exe and sgen.exe

You can download the winsdk_web.exe setup for Win 7 and .NET 3.5 SP1 here.