dotnet-cross-platform

Cross-Platform Patterns

Prefer .NET APIs over shelling out

Use System.Diagnostics.Process and System.Net.NetworkInformation before reaching for ps, lsof, wmic, or netstat. Only shell out when no .NET API exists.

Need	.NET API	Don't use
List processes	Process.GetProcesses()	ps aux
Process name	Process.ProcessName	ps -o comm=
Start time	Process.StartTime	ps -o lstart=
CPU time	Process.TotalProcessorTime	—
Memory	Process.WorkingSet64	—
Thread count	Process.Threads.Count	—
Port in use	IPGlobalProperties.GetActiveTcpListeners()	lsof -i

Isolate platform-specific code

When you must shell out, put ALL platform calls in a single static class PlatformHelper with:

• A RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform() check
• macOS and Windows branches
• A private RunShell() helper for process execution
• try/catch returning empty string on failure

This keeps platform-specific code to one place instead of scattered throughout.

Things that still need platform calls

• Command-line args of another process: ps -o args= (macOS) / wmic (Windows)
• Parent PID: ps -o ppid= (macOS) / wmic (Windows)
• Port listener details: lsof -i (macOS) / netstat -ano (Windows)

Process property access on macOS

Process.StartTime, TotalProcessorTime, and WorkingSet64 may throw on macOS due to sandboxing or permissions. Always wrap in try/catch and show "N/A" on failure.