Windows Packages This really feels like Linux!


Windows Packages! New way to install your applications, which does not include searching in the ocean of internet, downloading then installing and forgetting you downloaded an executable which occupying the space in drive like me. With this new Windows Packages user can install any application they need (should present in the Package repository) by running a command in the Command prompt, similar to Linux.


We use Apt, Yum, RPM or DPKG in Linux shell to install packages, whereas here we use "winget' command to install the packages.
Let's see how we can install Telegram Desktop with Windows Package manager.

Simply by running 

winget install telegram

as you can see in the below screen shot.
PS: Seriously Microsoft, limiting username to 5 letters is very bad idea.

How to get this?

Windows packages is still an implementing feature to future Windows 10 builds. But you can get this feature working by registering so called "Microsoft Package Manager Insiders Program". 
Follow this GitHub link for more info on registration and use.

This Feature does not need your PC to be running an Insider Build of Windows 10, That's actually good news as WSL2 is only available for Insider Ring. Anyway, it is not only a great feature for IT world in which one can install all the client apps with cscript in ISO not by grouping apps in to customized ISO, but also a good way for people to utilize this tool for handful of things that i am going to describe.

How this makes sense?

With Windows packages, you can install all your apps in a click.(No! not really there is a work around)

Consider this example, you are running hardcore application like VirtualBox in an average hardware caused a system crash and you have to reimage you machine. Your data is already backed up and still it is a heartbreak. This really happened to me.

So I created a script that exports a .cmd file by taking list of Application names file.

#!/bin/sh
num=$(wc -l < install_list)
num=$((num+1))
i=0
while [ $i -lt $num ]
do
echo "winget install" >> repeated
i=$((i+1))
done
paste repeated install_list > temp
:> installer.cmd
sed 's/\t/ /g' temp > installer.cmd
rm repeated
rm temp
tmstmp=$(date)
echo "\necho 'Generated on $tmstmp'" >> installer.cmd

Here is the link for the files you need.

You have to query out (search the name or id of the applications) and list them out in install_list file. By running Create_cmd.sh a linux script(you should be running WSL in your Windows) will create a cmd which you can possibly achieve one click mechanism with following command in Command Prompt Adminstrator.

installer.cmd > output.log

Hiccups

  • Cannot add multiples words in single line in install_list file.
  • Need WSL to be running which you can follow this guide.

Finally

With WSL2 and Windows Packages, Windows is getting better and better. Most of the packages are already present in the Package Manager including New Edge and Chrome(out dated as of the day of posting this blog, some microsoft things) and more are coming in future if they are not present till date.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chrome OS by Neverware v72 Installation and Overview

Image
Chrome OS is one of the popular Operating System next to Mac OS and Windows 10. It getting nicer and nicer with timely updates. As all of us know a low end PC will struggle running Windows 10 or any other old versions of Windows. If you consider Chrome OS with one, you will surprise with the results. Well, with My Lenovo 80XH Intel Core i3 - 6006U CPU clocked at 2 GHz running Windows 10, I've Disabled Cortana, removed most of Indexing utilities, disabled Startup activities and Increased Virtual RAM, But still a Lag City. So, I just wanna try this Chrome OS in my PC. Sadly Chromebooks are the only pc's equipped with Chrome OS. But, you can try Chrome OS with Same Chromium build by Neverware. It is Official Unofficial Chrome OS with all of existing features with some extra slices. Now the Installation Guide, you need USB stick with minimum 8GB storage to create Installation media, i suggest 16GB to give a shot. Ensure you know your BIOS menu to boot from USB. It is
Read more

I Tried Disabling Digital Wellbeing

Image
Several reports about pixel phones crashing because of the Digital Wellbeing Application, i tried to disabling it too. I haven't seen a drastic change after all. The only difference between them and my Nokia 6.1 was only additional security chip. Pixels are powered by Titan M Encryption chip with usual main CPU and GPU's. But the meant to provide additional AI, Image processing and RAM Management. May be it is a software glitch without proper optimization. Reports saying the effects has already seen in Original Pixel 3 along with new Pixel 3a line up. Source
Read more

[Updated] Google Chrome 74 finally here with Dark Mode for Windows 10

Image
Updated on 3rd May 2019 Complete Dark mode roll out started on 3 May 2019 Originally posted on 24 April 2019 The title, I put on to this post is true but is actually not. Google Chrome 73 released a week  ago supposed to have dark mode for all platforms but given to only MacOs. Now Chrome 74 rolled out started with unfinished dark mode to market. Let's see how to get it.... Google rolled out the dark mode for limited number of users as they stated. But with some tweaks you can still get dark mode. First ensure that you are running Windows 10 v1809 aka October 2018 update and with dark as default app mode. Update the Google Chrome to latest version by navigating to 3 dot menu > Help > About Google Chrome. In case you already got the dark mode, you are lucky to go. If that doesn't give any result, keep scrolling. Search Google Chrome in the Windows Search and find the Application, Right Click on it and click on open file location.
Read more