Now in its full release, Windows Package Manager v1.0 is a command-line program that instructs Windows to find an app and install it.
Winget facilitates automating app management by allowing you to install, upgrade, configure, and uninstall apps. But, before we get to how you can use winget for these tasks, let’s make sure you have the Windows Package Manager installed correctly.
How to Install Winget
There is more than one way to install Windows 10 package manager’s stable version. Microsoft will soon begin to deliver winget via an automatic update on devices running Windows 10, version 1809 or later.
Meanwhile, let’s look at how you can install winget manually.
Using the Microsoft Store: Search for App Installer in the Microsoft Store to install winget. Using release file from GitHub: Download the latest release file from the Microsoft Windows Package Manager GitHub. Double click on the . appxbundle file and follow the install wizard’s prompts.
How to Use Winget
You can get winget’s current list of available commands by running it in Command Prompt or PowerShell. Alternatively, you can download Windows Terminal and use that, too.
Type winget in the command line and hit Enter. This should present a list of all winget commands. Let’s look at a few winget commands and see what they do for us.
1. Search for Apps
Winget can find apps that you want to install by referring to the information in the metadata fields, such as name and tags. To search for an app, you’ll need to use the search command. For instance, if you wanted to install Firefox, you’d use the following command:
2. Get Package Information
If you want to check any additional information, such as the app’s version or its description, you can use the winget show “Id” command. Here, you’ll need to look up the ID by using winget search and then run the winget show command. For instance, if we wanted more information on Firefox, we would run the following command:
3. Install and Upgrade Apps
You can install apps using winget or check if your currently installed packages have any upgrades available. You can use the following commands for installation or upgrades, respectively:
If you’d like to upgrade all the packages installed, you can use the following command:
You can even choose to run your package installation in the background with the following command:
4. Uninstall Apps
If you’ve made up your mind to clean up your PC and want a list of installed apps, you can use the following commands to get the list and uninstall an app, respectively:
You Can Now Kiss Microsoft Store Goodbye (Almost)
It could happen that an app you’re looking for doesn’t exist on the Windows Package Manager. However, you can request Microsoft to add that package so others can find it. You can download the Windows Package Manager Manifest Creator—i.e., winget create—from GitHub. You’ll need to locate the installer’s link and provide it for Microsoft to review.
The introduction of winget’s stable version means there’s one less difference between Windows and Linux that causes envy among Windows users. Nevertheless, several differences still remain between the two popular operating systems.
