Microsoft finally has a package manager for Windows, meet winget.

[AlexGoesHigh]

 

Yesterday Microsoft began its all online Build 2020 conference, one of the announcements is that Windows is getting a package manager, the Windows package manager aka winget is a package management application meant to manage windows applications.

 

It is being released as alpha software, so it only has basic features, atm it can only install and show applications that are present in the repository, uninstalling applications is not supported ATM, it does supports all the installer formats, .exe, .msi and .msix installers, but there is the exception of Microsoft stores app, winget can't install store apps but it is a feature planned for the future before 1.0.

 

The repository works differently from your standard package management in *nix systems, rather that Microsoft hosting all the software in the repository server, winget looks for a manifest file in a comunity repository that describes where to obtain the application, it basically points the package manager to the official URL you would download the application from. Developers can submit applications to the repository through the community repository repository (That's a mouthful English) instruction on how to do so can be found in the community repository.

 

Quote

How do I get it?

We have provided three different ways for you to get your hands on the Windows Package Manager. If you are a Windows Insider, you may already have it. First, you can head over to the open source GitHub repository for the client. Second, you can join any of the Windows Insider rings. Third, you can join the Windows Package Manager Insider program by providing your Microsoft Account (MSA) to Windows Package Manager Insider Program and request to be included in the preview. Either of the Insider programs will ensure you automatically receive updates as we progress from preview to general availability. After you have joined either Insider program, head over to the Microsoft Store and get the App Installer. The Windows Package manager will be available after you get the update.

Why not contribute to another open source package manager?

We looked at several other package managers. There were several reasons leading us to create a new solution. One critical concern we had was how to build a repository of trusted applications. We are automatically checking each manifest. We leverage SmartScreen, static analysis, SHA256 hash validation and a few other processes to reduce the likelihood of malicious software making its way into the repository and onto your machine. Another key challenge was all the changes required to be able to deliver the client program as a native Windows application.

Which versions of Windows will be supported?

Windows Package Manager will support every Windows 10 version since the Fall Creators Update (1709)! The Windows Package Manager will be delivered with the Desktop App Installer when we ship version 1.0. If you are building software to run on Windows 10 you will have a simple way for your customers to install your software on billions of machines.

You don't necessarily need to be an insider, you can get it from the releases page in the source repository but this method won't support automatic updating, you will have to manually download and reinstall the application in order to upgrade.

 

it is worth mentioning that in the last 24 hours, the community repo already has a bunch of the most popular desktop apps available including Steam, Zoom, Brave, Google Chrome, Rufus, PuTTY, qbittorrent, and more so developers have been busy submitting apps

 

Source: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/windows-package-manager-preview/

Winget repository: https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli

Community repository of currently available apps: https://github.com/microsoft/winget-pkgs/tree/master/manifests

 

I have to say that it was about damn time, i installed it to test it and used it to install Rufus for testing and works fine for being alpha software, will be interesting what features they have planned, but they really need to add the ability to uninstall application sooner rather that later IMO.

 

Update 1: The developer of the tweeten app made a web front end for it called wininstall.app, so you can browse the repository and create a batch script without having to type anything in a console, just copy and paste.

[suicidalfranco]

finally a better way to install software onto Windows

[Arika]

Thats actually quite cool. Some of the more obscure programs are on so many of those freeware websites (softpedia, CNET etc) it's hard to find the official one. 

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

FINALLY HOW DID THIS TAKE SO LONG

[duncannah]

Does it have commandline software (eg. Nodejs, Python)?

[AlexGoesHigh]

6 minutes ago, duncannah said:

Does it have commandline software (eg. Nodejs, Python)?

it does actually, node and python are already submitted to the community repo.

[LAwLz]

That sounds great! But wasn't this the point of NuGet and Chocolatey? Seems like they are reinventing the wheel, but hopefully it will work out. 

 

Copy and pasting a command is so much easier and faster than hunting down installation files on websites. 

[Guest]

This might seem complicated for the average user. If only there was something like this but with a GUI, available on all Windows computers.

[FirehawkV21]

15 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

That sounds great! But wasn't this the point of NuGet and Chocolatey?

Chocolatey, sure. But NuGet is for delivering libraries to projects. Plus, winget supports EXEs, MSIs and MSIXs as the installation file. Choco really intimidates me with how I need to set up a NuGet to upload. It's a lot easier to make an MSIX package in my experience (you can simply set up a Windows Package project on the solution and write a script to automate the packaging).

[FirehawkV21]

4 minutes ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

They already did it once: OneGet. Failed spectacularly.

Boy, That's one manager I've never heard of in years. Did they ever use it all? Or even provide documentation?

[rcmaehl]

If it doesn't support the moo parameter I'm gonna riot

[SpaceGhostC2C]

 

32 minutes ago, FirehawkV21 said:

Chocolatey, sure. But NuGet is for delivering libraries to projects. Plus, winget supports EXEs, MSIs and MSIXs as the installation file. Choco really intimidates me with how I need to set up a NuGet to upload. It's a lot easier to make an MSIX package in my experience

 

But if you are bundling everything in an EXE, doesn't it defeat the purpose of a package manager? Or will this finally mean we get lean EXEs, and "VS C++ Redistributable" and what not is managed by the package manager, and obtained from its own source if needed as a dependency?

It's not like the advantage of a package manager is typing "sudo install trashware" and hope it finds it  

[GoodBytes]

1 hour ago, RorzNZ said:

This might seem complicated for the average user. If only there was something like this but with a GUI, available on all Windows computers.

It is not meant to replace the Store or for the average user. This is mostly for developers and IT.

 

This is also nice for us, who is interested in installing many programs from a script, helping setup a new install.

[Techstorm970]

So Microsoft wants us to wing it?

...

...

Spoiler

 

NOW WINGET

INTO SHAPE

SHAPE IT UP

GET STRAIGHT

GO FORWARD

GO AHEAD

"BAD INSTALLATION"

IT'S NOT TOO LATE

TO WINGET

WINGET GOOD!!!

[GoodBytes]

10 minutes ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

Is it? Msys2 is way more useful for tools. Chocolatey have been working on it for many many years and is way more reliable than MSFT that abandon projects regularly.

Say what you will, but already it has been jam packed with programs.

 

Chocolatey has security concerns which were never fixed. Microsoft one includes multiple security features resolving these concerns.

[GoodBytes]

8 minutes ago, PacketMan said:

give me something without a Windows/Microsoft account and I'll buy it, the main reason I always disable the Microsoft store is because I don't want to put any account there to download a single program

The account is used so that you need to repurchase a purchased app, and allows you to install a purchased app up to 10 systems simultaneously, and not have to rebuy it each time.

[GoodBytes]

30 minutes ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

Yup. Its just another clone of chocolatey, oneget, scoop, and a bad one at that. I've asked why they don't just create a CLI for the Store and use it to distribute the software (as they already install command like tools like Python) and they basically said "it's on the backlog".

Chocolatey has security concerns, OneGet is really Chocolatey but PowerShell lengthy command language (designed for IT, where everything is spelled out, and avoids simple argument which may make one look at a doc to know what it does. Fine for learning and doing one time things, annoying when actively working with it)

[Kilrah]

Same as every other app store.

[LAwLz]

13 minutes ago, PacketMan said:

The thing is, if you buy any app there okay, I understand you need to put your account there, but for free apps?

You don't have to login to download free apps from the store. It will try to trick you into signing in, but if you just close the login pop-up and click install again it will work from my experience. 

[StDragon]

31 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

You don't have to login to download free apps from the store. It will try to trick you into signing in, but if you just close the login pop-up and click install again it will work from my experience. 

Shhhhh  Don't let MS know or they will fix that "problem"

[elfensky]

I wonder how that'll affect Chocolatey and the others. I imagine most developers will be glad to have an officially supported package manager and will get on board quick, but I fast and good the support for more esoteric things will be.

[Sauron]

Cool, it only took them 25 years.

11 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

Chocolatey has security concerns

That happens when a multibillionaire corporation can't be arsed to curate its own repositories. It's no less secure than scouring the internet for random installers afaik.

11 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

It is not meant to replace the Store or for the average user.

Maybe it should. The store is a crapshoot and has almost nothing people actually want.

16 hours ago, AlexGoesHigh said:

uninstalling applications is not supported ATM

Wow, good job microsoft. You'd think installing and uninstalling would be bare minimum functionality for a package manager.

[AlexGoesHigh]

8 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Wow, good job microsoft. You'd think installing and uninstalling would be bare minimum functionality for a package manager.

TBF is alpha but yeah, even in this state not being able to use it to uninstall stuff is annoying.

[LAwLz]

10 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Wow, good job microsoft. You'd think installing and uninstalling would be bare minimum functionality for a package manager.

Hopefully it will get better. It doesn't really sound like a package manager though because it sounds like it won't be able to do things like install and track dependancies either. It's mostly just a quick and easy way to download and automatically/silently run installer files. Not really a full blown package manager 

[suicidalfranco]

Just now, LAwLz said:

It doesn't really sound like a package manager though because it sounds like it won't be able to do things like install and track dependancies either.

welp that became useless pretty fast