I struggle with all the alternate 'installation managers' for Windows. Microsoft has already done this with their MSI system (Although even they have basically abandoned it in favour of the APPX stuff). MSI was a good format, and could be installed silently with the right switches (/q/b), support alternate installation options via MST files, and even patches via MSP files. Even the specific DLL dependencies ('DLL Hell') got fixed via manifest files/attributes. Microsoft published the MSI specification early on, and encouraged everyone to support it.<p>However, the core problem with Windows software is there isn't a primary software repository for all approved and tested software, like there is for *nix platforms. Ideally that's what needs to be fixed first before yet more client-end installers get created.<p>To fix this, based on the current landscape, all third-party client-end installers need to support all existing third-party repositories. Even better, everyone agrees on a standard JSON format (or whatever) for their repository manifest and all third-party installers understand that. Then just like Linux et al. all you have to do is add the new repository URL to your installers config, and all the packages advertised within are immediately available.<p>It seems really simple to fix - but people have to co-operate.
Reading the headline made of think of installing Windows via the command-line (say via imagex). Which is actually very useful in certain tricky situations when you mess up an install.<p>Once I didn't have enough space on a flash drive to install Windows via an ISO...but I did have a liveboot ubuntu system and 2 spare drives. Interestingly enough imagex and WIM tools were ported to linux, and it was a surprisingly easy experience.
you can use windows build-in powershell feature "Install-Package" with package provider "chocolatey" just like this on a fresh windows install:<p><pre><code> Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted
Get-PackageProvider -name chocolatey
Install-Package chromium
Install-Package 7zip
...</code></pre>
I've been exclusively using Linux/*BSD (Slackware/Gentoo/Arch) for personal use since upgrading from my K6-2 500 to an AMD Barton 2600+ because finding, installing and managing "trustworthy" software is easier.<p>Linux has hardware compatibility challenges and software with bugs, but so does Windows. I don't, however, have to search through monstrosities like Download.com. I don't have to figure out what software may have a new release that is important to me. Critical dependencies are handled automatically. Every distribution may handle these in slightly different ways but these basics hold true.<p>Every time I've had to use Windows I've spent an enormous amount of time searching for and installing things. Once installed I then discover the software has changed to a limited free trial or some other nonsense that ends in another search, install and disappointment loop.<p>It's tools that have shown up in the last few years like scoop that have made dealing with Windows at least somewhat tolerable.
<i>>>Scoop reads the README for you<<</i><p>I'd rather just have a clear and concise README. Better yet, if vendors distributed their applications as single bundled EXE files like back in the day.<p>Don't take this the wrong way, I haven't used scoop and I have nothing against it. Just wish there weren't a need for it.
Scoop together with a large collection of portable software is a godsend in a corporate environment, where you don't have admin privileges on your work machine and getting up-to-date software approved and installed by your IT department is a royal pain in the ass. I can confidently say that were it not for Scoop, I'd be in order of magnitude less productive at my work due to the lack of necessary software. Scoop is one of those things that makes a potentially unbearable work environment a productive and even enjoyable one. Yes, Scoop is not perfect. Sometimes it breaks and I have to manually fix it (it likes to uninstall outdated packages before downloading and verifying the checksum of the updated ones). But the time spent on fixing it is easily recovered by boost of productivity that it provides.
I realise I can find packages by scouring the GitHub repos[0][1], but I'd also appreciate a web search UI, especially as the number of available packages grows. This could also let me easily discover what version(s) are available etc.<p>I can't seen to find it, but does such a UI already exist?<p>[0] <a href="https://github.com/lukesampson/scoop/tree/master/bucket" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/lukesampson/scoop/tree/master/bucket</a><p>[1] <a href="https://github.com/lukesampson/scoop-extras/tree/master/bucket" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/lukesampson/scoop-extras/tree/master/buck...</a>
My main machine broke two days ago and I had to buy and setup a new one quickly to resume working. I used scoop to install all applications I needed to work. It was easy and all the apps stay organized in their folder inside my home folder. I find scoop very refreshing and easy to use compared to other windows alternatives. I really recommend it to people, specially developers.
This looks pretty good. At the moment I'm using MSYS2 on my work machine (have to use Windows).<p>Any thoughts on this installation method?<p><pre><code> iex (new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://get.scoop.sh')
</code></pre>
I'm not sure IT Security here would be too impressed.
It's easy to add new bucket entries by adding json files. Also if I understand it correctly, their auto update feature allows many apps to be self maintained i.e. you don't have to update the json when a new version comes out.
Why handle windows only? This was posted recently on HN :
<a href="http://gofi.sh" rel="nofollow">http://gofi.sh</a> - Fish - A systems package manager like homebrew but cross-platform
Scoop is about the only thing that works on my stupidly locked work laptop. Unfortunately, McAfee AV just started deleting scoop scripts randomly. God I hate windows.