WinGet for PackageManagement

WinGet for PackageManagement facilitates installing WinGet packages from any compatible repository. The provider is heavily influenced by the work of the ChocolateyGet project.

Requirements

Your machine must have at least Windows 10 1709 or Windows 11 and either PowerShell 5.1+ or PowerShell 7.0.1+, and the WinGet CLI utility installed. It may be already installed on your machine, but if not, Microsoft's recommended method for installing WinGet is via the Microsoft Store as part of the App Installer package.

The WinGet Package Management Provider does not install the WinGet CLI utility. Please make sure the WinGet CLI utility is functional before attempting to use the WinGet PackageManagement provider!

Install WinGet

Install-PackageProvider WinGet -Force

Note: Please do not use Import-Module with Package Management providers, as they are not meant to be imported in that manner. Either use Import-PackageProvider or specify the provider name with the -Provider argument to the PackageManagement cmdlets, such as in the examples below:

Sample usages

Search for a package

Find-Package OpenJS.NodeJS -Provider WinGet

Find-Package Mozilla.Firefox -Provider WinGet -Detailed

Find all available versions of a package

Find-Package Mozilla.Firefox -Provider WinGet -AllVersions

Install a package

Find-Package OpenJS.NodeJS -Provider WinGet | Install-Package -Force

Install-Package Git.Git -Provider WinGet -Force

Get list of installed packages (with wildcard search support)

Get-Package Microsoft.* -Provider WinGet

Uninstall a package

Get-Package OpenJS.NodeJS -Provider WinGet | Uninstall-Package

Uninstall-Package Git.Git -Provider WinGet

Manage package sources

Register-PackageSource privateRepo -Provider WinGet -Location 'https://somewhere/out/there/cache'
Find-Package OpenJS.NodeJS -Provider WinGet -Source privateRepo | Install-Package
Unregister-PackageSource privateRepo -Provider WinGet

The WinGet PackageManagement provider integrates with WinGet.exe to manage and store package source information.

DSC Compatibility

Fully compatible with the PackageManagement DSC resources

Configuration MyNode {
	Import-DscResource PackageManagement,PackageManagementSource
	PackageManagement WinGet {
		Name = 'WinGet'
		Source = 'PSGallery'
	}
	PackageManagementSource WinGetPrivateRepo {
		Name = 'privateRepo'
		ProviderName = 'WinGet'
		SourceLocation = 'https://somewhere/out/there/cache'
		InstallationPolicy = 'Trusted'
		DependsOn = '[PackageManagement]WinGet'
	}
	PackageManagement NodeJS {
		Name = 'OpenJS.NodeJS'
		Source = 'privateRepo'
		DependsOn = '[PackageManagementSource]WinGetPrivateRepo'
	}
}

Keep packages up to date

A common complaint of PackageManagement/OneGet is it doesn't allow for updating installed packages, while WinGet does. In order to reconcile the two, WinGet has a reserved keyword 'latest' that when passed as a Required Version can compare the version of what's currently installed against what's in the repository.

PS C:\Users\ethan> Get-Package OpenJS.NodeJS -Provider WinGet

Name                           Version          Source           Summary
----                           -------          ------           -------
OpenJS.NodeJS                  16.0.0           winget

PS C:\Users\ethan> Get-Package OpenJS.NodeJS -Provider WinGet -RequiredVersion latest
Get-Package : No package found for 'OpenJS.NodeJS'.

PS C:\Users\ethan> Install-Package OpenJS.NodeJS -Provider WinGet -Force

Name                           Version          Source           Summary
----                           -------          ------           -------
OpenJS.NodeJS                  17.2.0           winget

PS C:\Users\ethan> Get-Package OpenJS.NodeJS -Provider WinGet -RequiredVersion latest

Name                           Version          Source           Summary
----                           -------          ------           -------
OpenJS.NodeJS                  17.2.0           winget

This feature can be combined with a PackageManagement-compatible configuration management system (ex: PowerShell DSC LCM in 'ApplyAndAutoCorrect' mode) to regularly keep certain packages up to date:

Configuration MyNode {
	Import-DscResource PackageManagement
	PackageManagement WinGet {
		Name = 'WinGet'
		Source = 'PSGallery'
	}
	PackageManagement NodeJS {
		Name = 'OpenJS.NodeJS'
		RequiredVersion = 'latest'
		ProviderName = 'WinGet'
		DependsOn = '[PackageManagement]WinGet'
	}
}

Please note - Since PackageManagement doesn't support passing source information when invoking Get-Package, the 'latest' functionality will not work if the default WinGet package source is removed as a source and multiple custom sources are defined.

Furthermore, if both the default WinGet package source and a custom source are configured, the custom source will be ignored when the 'latest' required version is used with Get-Package.

Example PowerShell DSC configuration using the 'latest' required version with a custom source:

Configuration MyNode {
	Import-DscResource PackageManagement,PackageManagementSource
	PackageManagement WinGet {
		Name = 'WinGet'
		Source = 'PSGallery'
	}
	PackageManagementSource WinGetPrivateRepo {
		Name = 'privateRepo'
		ProviderName = 'WinGet'
		SourceLocation = 'https://somewhere/out/there/cache'
		InstallationPolicy = 'Trusted'
		DependsOn = '[PackageManagement]WinGet'
	}
	PackageManagementSource WinGetRepo {
		Name = 'WinGet'
		ProviderName = 'WinGet'
		Ensure = 'Absent'
		DependsOn = '[PackageManagement]WinGet'
	}
	# The source information wont actually be used by the Get-Package step of the PackageManagement DSC resource check, but it helps make clear to the reader where the package should come from
	PackageManagement NodeJS {
		Name = 'OpenJS.NodeJS'
		ProviderName = 'WinGet'
		Source = 'privateRepo'
		RequiredVersion = 'latest'
		DependsOn = @('[PackageManagementSource]WinGetPrivateRepo', '[PackageManagementSource]WinGetRepo')
	}
}

A working example PowerShell DSC script with automatic package updates can be found here.

If using the 'latest' functionality, best practice is to either:

• use the default WinGet source
• unregister the default WinGet source in favor of a single custom source

Known Issues

WinGet is still in a preview period, with many features not implemented that are required for a PackageManagement provider to be fully implemented.

Unsupported features currently include:

• Passing install arguments to packages
• Saving a package

Legal and Licensing

WinGet is licensed under the MIT license.