You can extend the configured agent by exporting an AIContextProviderFactory with the same agent name so you can provide the same context (instructions/tools/messages) augmentation provided by the framework via the AIContextProvider. Tweak the config and keep testing your agent live!

I built a while ago a config-driven agent thinghy but now that #Microsoft is finally out with a proper solution, I migrated my stuff on top and it works like a charm.

Devlooped.Agents.AI (for now) provides configuration-driven auto-reloading agents with one AddAgents() call to your host builder.

Build step (includes restore). It's consistently crap (3x or more) in every project and every build

I talk with him on X 😉

Right. But why can't that just be nuget.org?

Perhaps you have a free version and additional premium paid features, or entirely commercial distribution of otherwise OSS source (see OSMF opensourcemaintenancefee.org)

Not the DNX of old, it's the npx of @dotnet