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.