Windows 10: Decent Software Package manager

Hi there

I know this is a WINDOWS Forum but if there are decent things to take from other OS'es shouldn't Windows at least look at them.

One thing that Windows perhaps could look at is to devise a SENS IBLE software package manager for installing Software -- forget the STOOOOOPID STORE !!!!.

Most Linux distros have a set of "Repositories" from which software can be managed and installed. Windows could do similar --certainly would make for easy installs and also if a version doesn't work you can install the previous version.

All the silly STORE type of stuff does is screw you up royally if an update doesn't work or if you want to roll back to an earlier release / version. I'm sure zillions of you out there owning Android phones for example have often experienced a failing or unsatisfactory APP update and there's no way of getting the previous version back again.

The Linux distros usually keep the repositories available for a few releases so you can get a previous version back again. The package manager also tells you ALL the software updates etc --unlike the Windows Update History which only records Ms products.

I HATE THE STORE type of system -- it might work for Apple but it's a disaster for anything else. Even Google are beginning to find out with the "Play store".

Cheers
jimbo

:)

 

idea about fixing my update problem.....

meh

i never have a problem with uninstalling pre-packaged software and installing what i want.

it's kinda therapeutic actually.

now i'm eying PCBSD.

they've been really busy since i last checked in on them.

for me, it's mostly a matter of importing my WMP playlists to something (yes, i can convert them to .m3us).........

and waiting on the community for some decent video-editing software (WLMM).

 

How to make Nokia suite read the firmware

I have downloaded the firmware from Nokia data package manager software, coz pc suite was not providin me the option to reinstall the device software. so I have the product package and now I want to use it to reinstall the device software.

 

Windows has this, it's called OneGet. Kari has written up a number of articles on this.

 

There is a difference between having to get items from a store and simply downloading from a site,
That I know of windows is the only platform where you can do both :/

Although I have seen Linux version downloads of programs in some sites not free versions mind you but the software manager isn't much different from a store just everything is free ?

Microsoft likes the thought of extra revenues from a store like apple and google enjoy
Last I checked the Microsoft store is pretty lacking in any real apps or anything I was interested in paid or free.
Will that change who knows *Smile
I find it more simplistic to go to a site and download a program if I wish to than scrolling through a list or using the stores search.

 

Hi there

Linux doesn't preclude you from installing from anywhere or even compiling the application from source - however having sensible repositories means that the package manager makes it really easy to handle your software, uninstall it if you want and ensure that usually the application will run on the release and hardware you are using.

You can see lists of repositories, packages, what the package has, dependencies etc etc. If something breaks its easy to remove or find out the problem component.

Windows really should have something similar -- maybe not as sophisticated as most users want to install something and if it doesn't work so be it - but for anybody maintaining systems these types of package managers work really well.

Using the YUM extender on CENTOS 7 -- the YUM extender is simply a GUI for the main CLI software manager YUM.

cheers
jimbo

 

Again, Jimbo... Windows *DOES* have something similar in WIndows 10. It's called OneGet.

Look at Kari's tutorials.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...mand-line.html

 

Hi there

It's a good tutorial but I think probably far more complex than a typical user could do -- whereas all I have to do on the Linux system is either from the menu start the yum extender or run from the command line.

Anyway point taken - it's a good start.

Cheers
jimbo

 

I don't think Install-Package -Name AdobeReader is any harder than sudo yum install AdobeReader ( or sudo apt-get install xxx or sudo pacman -Syu xxx or whatever). I'm not sure how up to date Chocolatey packages are though as it is dependent on the authors providing the latest versions and it has a problem with updates How to automatically keep all locally installed Chocolatey Packages up to date? - Stack Overflow

I'd quite like it if desktop programs could be installed from the store (and would update themselves). Then you could just go to my apps in the store and tick the ones you wanted. There was some chatter about this at the beginning of the preview but it seems to have fallen away.

 

It's still in development, there will be GUI's for it, in fact Chocolatey already has a GUI (though not sure if it works with OneGet).

 

I don't understand why people have this tinfoil hat reaction to the Store.

I think its great that its there. I'm not saying it doesn't need improving, but why the hate? It isn't hurting you in any way.

 

Hi there

Tthe MEGA issue with any of these type of Store apps (just take the Google play store for instance) is that if an app updates itself and it doesn't work there's no way of rolling back or installing the previous version.

Many times on Android for example I've had an app that either doesn't work after an update or I don't like the new version but there's NO WAY of retrieving the previous versions. I'm sure users of Android phones have had similar experiences with "updating apps".

There should be a little more MANUAL selection in the process --dumbing down everything to 1-click installs might seem OK when they work but if something goes wrong it's usually HORRENDOUSLY difficult to fix if not impossible without doing a complete image restore.

The other problem with "The Store" type of concept is either it's so full of rubbish that it's hard to find anything worthwhile or so Locked down (Apple for example) that it's also hard for smaller decent independent Software developers to get their applications into the mix.

I still find the best way is to either download or have a link to the software you are interested in and then install manually. That way you can re-install a PREVIOUS version if the new one doesn't work or you don't like it.

Cheers
jimbo

 

Its easy to turn off automatic updates

 

The store concept for Windows is only for Metro apps. The desktop apps you get at any download site or purchase at Best Buy. Typically Metro apps are apps not complex and perform one task. They are basically a template over web browser. Desktop apps tend to be more complex and have options to do multiple complex things. Example of a Metro app i like if NFL Sunday ticket for DirecTV. The Metro app allows you to launch it and go right to a listing of the games and you click and the game comes up. Doing this on the desktop (which doesn't have a desktop app) you goto the DTV site then you have to find NFL Sunday ticket and login then you select your game. The Metro apps are approved by MS while the desktop apps aren't and most freeware have crapware that installs if you don't answer the question properly. The whole difference is Linux developers are doing as a hobby and Windows are doing to make a living. Even free software packages fins ways to get revenue (ads and crapware).

 

It's worth to remember that Chocolatey as an independently working Windows package manager / repository and as a package provider for PowerShell OneGet are two different things.

Chocolatey can also be used in Windows 10, if the user prefers Command Prompt approach over PowerShell and OneGet. Chocolatey tutorial at our sister site the Eight Forums: Chocolatey - Install Apps from Command Line.