I'm getting the following error when using the new Web Deployment Project 2008. The build logs shows the following:

 C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\aspnet_compiler.exe -v /DuncanAndTodd.iTrust.Web.csproj -p "C:\Work\Duncan & Todd\iTrust\Source\Web" -u -f -d .\TempBuildDir\
Running aspnet_merge.exe.
C:\Program Files\MSBuild\Microsoft\WebDeployment\v9.0\Microsoft.WebDeployment.targets(586,9): error MSB6004: The specified task executable location "bin\aspnet_merge.exe" is invalid.
Done building project "DuncanAndTodd.iTrust.Web.Deploy.wdproj" -- FAILED.

  This is the line in the Microsoft.WebDeployment.targets file is:

    <Target Name="AspNetMerge" Condition="'$(UseMerge)' == 'true'" DependsOnTargets="$(MergeDependsOn)">
        <AspNetMerge
          ExePath="$(FrameworkSDKDir)bin"
          ApplicationPath="$(TempBuildDir)"
          KeyFile="$(_FullKeyFile)"
          DelaySign="$(DelaySign)"
          Prefix="$(AssemblyPrefixName)"
          SingleAssemblyName="$(SingleAssemblyName)"
          Debug="$(DebugSymbols)"
          Nologo="$(NoLogo)"
          ContentAssemblyName="$(ContentAssemblyName)"
          ErrorStack="$(ErrorStack)"
          RemoveCompiledFiles="$(DeleteAppCodeCompiledFiles)"
          CopyAttributes="$(CopyAssemblyAttributes)"
          AssemblyInfo="$(AssemblyInfoDll)"
          MergeXmlDocs="$(MergeXmlDocs)"
          ErrorLogFile="$(MergeErrorLogFile)"
          />
 

Not sure if changing ExePath="$(FrameworkSDKDir)bin" would help. Havn't tried it yet.

Any ideas guys?
 

Doing some more digging, it seems the aspnet_merge.exe is not being shipped with the new Web Deployment Project. I check the previous version for path it contained

 <AspNetMerge
          ExePath="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\WebDeployment\v8.0"

Updating the new Microsoft.WebDeployment.targets with the above fixes the problem but this is obviously a hack. Anyone from ASP.NET team like to expand on this?

 

Note that when you do this, you need to close your solution and re-open it.

It's a really bad hack. Hopefully this is fixed in the RTM version

The new version of aspnet_merge.exe is shipped as part of Windows SDK which is installed together with VS2008 RTM. Eg.:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\bin\aspnet_merge.exe

Do you have Windows SDK and this exe on your machine?

 

There's also a newer version (6.1):

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=74dd6e2d-89c6-4e1e-af00-fc7d70f15439&displaylang=en

 

I got the same issue on one of my computer (I still don't understand what was different on that one...) and installing SDK 6.1 fixed it up. BUT be aware that: 1) this SDK might take significant amount of time to download and install (I have a DSL at 600 kb/s) 2) If you change your mind and "cancel" the installation in the middle of the process. Your visual Studio might have been already hooked up to this new SDK and this is NOT rolled back by the "CANCEL" action. (***!) 3) I noticed that the content of the "bin" folder of my old SDK 6.0A was gone after I "removed" the SDK 6.1 (using the setup.exe of SDK 6.1 of course...); I have strong suspicions that the "remove" from SDK-6.1 also did wipe out my older SDK-6.0A... fortunately everything turned out okay after I reinstalled the 6.1