Remote Debugging with ASP.net 2.0 / 3.0

So far, remote debugging has been cumbersome - connecting to a remote server failed with weird errors, software had to be installed on servers (yes, also our IT admins didn't like that at all !) and i was thus expecting the worst, or maybe a slight improvement in Visual Studio 2005.

By default, remote debugging would still not work, as the Server wouldn't run the Debug Monitor, which is perfectly fine and understandeable. But VS 2005 would now tell me, that the monitor is simply not running on the server, and would not just fail either silently or with some odd message that it not at all appropriate ! Cool !

After finding out how exactly that Monitor needs to be started/installed, this (german) MSDN article explains how to start the process on the server and guess what: You don't need to install ANYTHING on the server, no VS 2005, not even parts of it as the article clearly points out that the monitor can even be started from a network share ! This is awesome - so you just connect to your server through remote desktop (with drive sharing enabled), open the shares that RDP creates that point to your local PC (where VS 2005 is installed) and start MSVSMON from your local PC's hard drive on the server - no installation, a GUI, and clear messages, and even a debug mode that needs no authentication whatsoever (be sure though that this mode is only for corporate or private networks, as it's unsafe and MS clearly tells you so).

Thanks Microsoft, this is for once a really cool step forward !