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Build Requirements

Required:
  • Visual Studio 2015 Community Edition or later
  • .NET Framework 3.5 or 4.0
  • C# 8.0 language features support
Recommended:
  • Visual Studio 2019 or 2022 Community Edition
  • Windows SDK for target OS version
Seatbelt is built against .NET Framework 3.5 and .NET Framework 4.0 by default.Both versions are compatible with:
  • Windows 7 and later
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 and later
Seatbelt uses C# 8.0 features including:
  • Nullable reference types
  • Pattern matching enhancements
  • Using declarations
  • Static local functions

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Compilation Steps

1

Clone or Download Source

Obtain the Seatbelt source code:
git clone https://github.com/GhostPack/Seatbelt.git
2

Open Solution

Open Seatbelt.sln in Visual Studio:
  • Navigate to the project directory
  • Double-click Seatbelt.sln
  • Or open through Visual Studio: File → Open → Project/Solution
3

Select Configuration

Choose the build configuration:
  • Configuration: Select Release (recommended for deployment)
  • Platform: Select Any CPU or target architecture (x86/x64)
4

Build Project

Compile the project:
  • Menu: Build → Build Solution
  • Keyboard: Ctrl + Shift + B
  • Command: dotnet build (if using .NET CLI)
5

Locate Binary

Find the compiled executable:
.\Seatbelt\bin\Release\Seatbelt.exe

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Build Configurations

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Release vs Debug

  • Release
  • Debug
Recommended for operational useOptimizations:
  • Code optimization enabled
  • Debug symbols removed
  • Smaller binary size
  • Better performance
Output: .\Seatbelt\bin\Release\Seatbelt.exe

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Changing Target Framework

To change the target .NET Framework version:
1

Open Project Properties

  • Right-click on the Seatbelt project in Solution Explorer
  • Select Properties
2

Modify Target Framework

  • Navigate to the Application tab
  • Under Target framework, select desired version:
    • .NET Framework 3.5
    • .NET Framework 4.0
    • .NET Framework 4.5+
3

Rebuild Project

  • Save changes
  • Build → Rebuild Solution
Framework Selection Guidance:
  • .NET 3.5 - Maximum compatibility with older Windows systems
  • .NET 4.0 - Better performance, still broadly compatible
  • .NET 4.5+ - Modern features, requires Windows 8+ / Server 2012+

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Build from Command Line

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Using MSBuild

# Navigate to solution directory
cd path\to\Seatbelt

# Build release configuration
msbuild Seatbelt.sln /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform="Any CPU"

# Build for specific framework
msbuild Seatbelt.sln /p:Configuration=Release /p:TargetFrameworkVersion=v3.5

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Using .NET CLI

# Restore dependencies
dotnet restore

# Build release
dotnet build --configuration Release

# Publish standalone
dotnet publish --configuration Release --self-contained false

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Build Optimization Options

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Performance Optimizations

For operational use, consider these optimizations: 
<PropertyGroup>
  <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
  <Optimize>true</Optimize>
  <DebugType>none</DebugType>
  <DebugSymbols>false</DebugSymbols>
</PropertyGroup>

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Obfuscation Considerations

For operational security, consider:
  • Renaming the output binary
  • Using obfuscation tools (ConfuserEx, .NET Reactor)
  • Stripping metadata and debug information
  • Packing/compressing the executable

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Customization Before Building

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Adding Custom Commands

1

Use Template

Copy the command template:
.\Seatbelt\Commands\Template.cs
2

Create Command

Implement your custom command class:
namespace Seatbelt.Commands
{
    class MyCustomCommand : CommandBase
    {
        public override string Command => "MyCustom";
        // Implementation here
    }
}
3

Add to Project

  • Place in appropriate .\Seatbelt\Commands\ subdirectory
  • Add file to project in Solution Explorer
  • Rebuild project

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Modifying Command Groups

Edit command group definitions in the source: 
// Define custom command group
public static readonly string[] CustomGroup = new string[]
{
    "OSInfo",
    "LocalUsers",
    "Processes"
};

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Common Build Issues

Error: “The target framework version is not supported”Solution:
Error: “Feature ‘X’ is not available in C# 7.3”Solution: Update language version in project file:
<PropertyGroup>
  <LangVersion>8.0</LangVersion>
</PropertyGroup>
Error: “The type or namespace name ‘X’ could not be found”Solution:
  • Restore NuGet packages: Right-click solution → Restore NuGet Packages
  • Or: Tools → NuGet Package Manager → Restore
Warning: “Platform target warning”Solution: Set platform target explicitly:
  • Project Properties → Build → Platform target → Any CPU
  • Or set to x64/x86 as needed

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Build Artifacts

After successful compilation: 
.\Seatbelt\bin\Release\
├── Seatbelt.exe          # Main executable
├── Seatbelt.exe.config   # Configuration file
└── [dependencies]        # Any required DLLs
Binary Size:
  • Release build: ~400-600 KB
  • Debug build: ~800 KB - 1 MB
  • Size varies based on .NET version and optimizations

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Post-Build Steps

1

Test Build

Verify the executable works:
.\Seatbelt.exe --help
.\Seatbelt.exe OSInfo
2

Sign Binary (Optional)

For organizational use, consider code signing:
signtool sign /f certificate.pfx /p password Seatbelt.exe
3

Prepare for Deployment

  • Copy executable to deployment location
  • Rename if desired for OPSEC
  • Document version and build date

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Build Scripts

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Automated Build Script

# build.ps1
param(
    [string]$Configuration = "Release",
    [string]$Framework = "net40"
)

Write-Host "Building Seatbelt..." -ForegroundColor Green

# Restore packages
dotnet restore

# Build project
msbuild Seatbelt.sln /p:Configuration=$Configuration /p:TargetFrameworkVersion=$Framework

if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
    Write-Host "Build successful!" -ForegroundColor Green
    Write-Host "Output: .\Seatbelt\bin\$Configuration\Seatbelt.exe"
} else {
    Write-Host "Build failed!" -ForegroundColor Red
    exit 1
}

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Batch Build Script

@echo off
echo Building Seatbelt...

cd /d "%~dp0"

REM Restore packages
dotnet restore

REM Build release
msbuild Seatbelt.sln /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform="Any CPU"

if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
    echo Build successful!
    echo Output: .\Seatbelt\bin\Release\Seatbelt.exe
) else (
    echo Build failed!
    exit /b 1
)

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Troubleshooting

For faster builds:
  • Disable parallel builds if experiencing issues
  • Use SSD for source code location
  • Close unnecessary Visual Studio extensions
  • Increase Visual Studio memory allocation
Security software may interfere with compilation:
  • Add project directory to AV exclusions
  • Temporarily disable real-time protection
  • Use Windows Defender exclusions for development folder

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Next Steps

Usage Guide

Learn how to use Seatbelt

Command Reference

Explore available commands

Customization

Create custom modules

GitHub Issues

Report build problems

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Additional Resources