Show current sources of packages: winget source list However, having those in a central place is preferable and easier to manage. Yes, tools have their own ways to inform the user about new versions.

The last benefit I want to mention here is the centralized notification about updates. Doing this with winget is way easier than scripting everything by hand. However, winget also supports downloading such lists. Yes, this could also be done with downloads from the tool’s websites. They only have to execute the script to set up their working environment. For example, a software development team could assemble a list of applications usually used in the team to allow a quick onboarding of new team members. Also, this is the reason only trusted sources should be added to a package manager.Īnother benefit of a package manager is that it can be used easily in scripts. That eliminates the danger of googling a malicious website and downloading malware instead of the intended tool. However, with a package manager, all applications are downloaded from one trusted source. Of course, applications can be installed by downloading the installer and manually executing it.

Microsoft scans every package for malware which offers a basic security protection. This command line based package manager is developed by Microsoft as open source ( CLI and repository) and offers the same features as, for example, apt-get in Ubuntu: software can be installed, updated and removed via command line.ĭevelopers of applications can register their software in the “Windows Package Manager Community Repository” from where other developers can install them as “packages” using the CLI. Recently, a colleague told me about the new winget feature in Windows 10.

Best package manager for windows