Windows Package Manager

Windows users are in for a significant surprise. Microsoft surprised users Windows worldwide by announcing a new package manner on Tuesday. Essentially, the package manager is a command-line tool that gives developers and users the ability to install apps using simple commands. If you have manually wiped a Windows device clean and reset it, you will know how time-consuming it was. Well, users never have to endure the pain of finding download links and reinstalling ever again. Let us take a look at what the new package manager brings with it, and how it helps!

Windows Manager to the Rescue

The Windows Package Manager will remove the hurdles associated with reinstalling and resetting your devices. It is a platform to create simple scripts that will allow you to install apps you want. While the Windows Store should have been the go-to location for all applications, that wasn’t the case. Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform ensured that useful win32 apps were not a part of the Store. Therefore, users had to individually download and install these apps, as and when they needed them. However, this system ended after the launch of Windows 10, but developers still didn’t consider the Store their go-to place. Most users downloaded apps from online or used managers like Chocolatey to set up their machines. 

Why It Is Important

But now, Microsoft has come out with its own Windows Package Manager. The winget works as a command-line tool, allowing you to install apps quickly and conveniently. For instance, just go to command prompt and input “winget install Steam,” to install Valve’s latest Steam app on your system. While Zoom, Steam, Logitech Remote, and WinRAR are absent on the Store, they are accessible through the manager. The manager helps you save time and prevents frustration by automating the process of getting apps installed on your machine. All developers have to do is specify what they want installed, and the manager installs the latest version. As of now, the Manager’s preview is available from a GitHub repository- https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli. You can also get the Manager by joining any Windows Insider rings. Another way to get your hands on it is by sending your Account details to feedback@microsoft.com and request for access.

Preview Phase

Since the manager has been around only for a day, it doesn’t have all the apps you need just yet. A lot of the apps found on the Windows Store haven’t found their way onto the winget. However, Microsoft is setting up a repository of validated apps, and so app support will come as a future update. Also, since the project is open-source, developers will be able to leverage other packages and use the manager as a distribution channel. However, using the manager requires you to trust Microsoft, as they are the ones validating the apps. Microsoft uses SmartScreen, hash validation, static analysis, and certain other processes to check for malicious software, and prevent its entry into your system. 

Wake-Up Call for the Windows Store

These managers help developers build their own dev box by adding and installing their favorite apps. The Windows Store messes this up by not creating a sustainable repository, with most users complaining that their library is empty. The Windows Package Manager will help developers personalize their dev box, and it also serves as a wake-up call for the Windows Store, which isn’t working as well as it should. 

Soon enough, we might see the Manager and Store working in tandem to provide developers everything they need. This would make it a lot easier for developers to access the desktop apps that they need, and do so with ease!