Support for Winget feed

apxltd

Per the discussion above... can you tell me a bit about "we" (i.e. the size/profile of your organization) and describe how you are using winget in your organization? And why did you use WinGet instead of Chocolatey?

Per the discussion above, it does not look like a tool/ecosystem that is usable at scale. I get that it's built in to Windows, but I haven't seen a case study demonstrating a real deployment -- even within teams at Microsoft.

The "central repository" is just a giant mess of files in a GitHub repository and can't reasonably be "proxied" via a connector like other feeds. They apparently have "private repositories", but there's no documentation/guidance on how to create/use private packages for end users, so I don't think many are doing this.

But open to learning more.

Cheers,
Alex

mikes_4196

@apxltd Sorry I missed your reply. We are a company of 50+ developers. We currently use ProGet for npm, nuget, docker and maven. It works great.

We have used Chocolately in the past, but moved to WinGet as it is part of the OS and like how it integrates with Windows more seamlessly. This may have changed, but we didn't like how Chocolately had a separate catalog of what was installed and installed certain items in Chocolately folders. This often caused issues finding where command line utilities were installed as they were not in their "default/google-able" location.

What we would like to have available is download caching. It would be nice have the second and later people installing a multi GB install download it from the LAN vs 50 workstations downloading it from the internet.

apxltd

Thanks for the details @mikes_4196

If you're for any kind of control or oversight into your packages (i.e. typical business use case) as opposed to having everyone just rawdog a bunch of shady installers from the internet, I'd definitely recommend looking into Chocolaty again and talk to their support team.

I can't speak to the issues, but that's what everyone is using... and "no one" is using WinGet outside of hobbyists and "shadow IT" devs. There's a good reason for that.

What we would like to have available is download caching.

This just isn't technically feasible due to their terrible design. Keep in mind that the WinGet "repository" is just a giant Git repository with a bunch of .yaml files that point to installer URLs on random urls on the internet.

https://github.com/microsoft/winget-pkgs/tree/master/manifests

From at technical standpoint, WinGet has no real specifications, no ability to script non-MSI installers, no APIs (unless you count git clone as an API), and worst of all no package files.

Open to having my mind changed here, but WinGet remains untenable for any serious organizational usage and has no future until Microsoft decides to build a private repository use case.

Cheers,

Alex

mikes_4196

@apxltd Thanks for the update. I really appreciate you taking the time

The reason I was looking to see if you supported winget yet is that I was replacing my own machine and I like to rebuild our developer image as I do so. I build our image from a base Windows image that has current Windows. I then run the “winget install” scripts to install the common tool chain.

I understand on your side it doesn’t seem like a workable solution, but I love it. Winget works as if I downloaded and installed all the installs manually. Then I can just run “winget upgrade” to see what needs to be upgraded.

The main benefit is that the upgrade check works even if a developer or I install something without using winget to install it. This is because “winget upgrade” uses Windows installed apps (as seen in appwiz.cpl) for its check.

I hope they cleanup the backend so you could look at this product again.

Jonathan.Engstrom

@apxltd I would like to see this get added. Winget seems to work out of the box and is a windows native tool vs. choco. I get hesitation bringing in a 3rd party versus something that is there right out of the box.

apxltd

@Jonathan-Engstrom suggest asking WinGet team to build support and a use case for private repositories. Currently there is none and thus, it's impossible to use with ProGet.

Until then... WinGet is basically just the Windows Store, except you it run from the Commandline and has a ton of shady, unvetted packages from internet randos

Jonathan.Engstrom

I do believe they have code available for the private repo:
https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli-restsource

and there are a few products out there that have also built something for it as well. But I would rather use an Inedo product for it if I could. Choco is dandy, but it is not a tool built right into the OS. Also, getting certificates to work with the IWS has proven to be time consuming especially when I can setup IIS and get a cert that works in 30 seconds and have to use IIS as a reverse proxy to get ssl to work. I am going to explore a script that another individual has made regarding certs for IWS, but I have to free up some time to do that, never seems to be enough time in the day :)

"except you it run from the Commandline and has a ton of shady, unvetted packages from internet randos"

Aren't those the best kind?!

apxltd

@Jonathan-Engstrom they have some hacky something-or-other, but I'd gauge it's at least a decade or two away from being ready for prime time. At least, given their track record on their PowerShellGet/PowerShellGallery v3 launch plans (pushed to 2027.... maybe??)

There's just no appetite for WinGet in the enterprise space, especially since Chocolatey does everything better and has a significantly more reliable / responsive team behind it.

On our end, it doesn't make to try jumping into such an immature ecosystem, especially one run by Microsoft, who's leadership is currently focused on making their BingAI Copilot relevant and selling more Azure web hosting

Windows barely fits into their strategy, let a lone WinGet. But we'll see... maybe the WinGet team can fight against the current enough and increase adoption.

At this point, WinGet It's not a bet I'm willing to take though

Jonathan.Engstrom

@apxltd Lol, fair enough. I know MS is busy trying to get everyone on the cloud and destroying on prem. Not sure how well that's going for them. Well, let's watch and see what winget does. Maybe it will take off.

ben_0435

I'm checking out Proget for PowerShell module hosting tonight. Seeing the discussion on winget piqued my interest and I thought i'd throw some thoughts out there..

A use case I have is for both Intune managed devices via Nerdio and NinjaOne. Both of these solutions are supporting winget as a central app manager for Windows endpoints. It's built-in and shipping with Windows 11 now, active github community repo... some organizations are starting to bet on it. Anecdotally, I see 'winget' more often now than choco for 'install my app fast' type docs.

The software patching policies within NinjaOne supports winget natively as 'the windows package manager' for software installs, updates, and removal.

Nerdio (even supporting a custom repository https://nmmhelp.getnerdio.com/hc/en-us/articles/26125608840333-Unified-Application-Management-Configure-Repositories) are brining winget front and center for IT work in AVD/Intune as well.

I'm looking for a solution to titrate that scary giant community repo so it can be managed better... I want upstream.. but only select things. I want to publish apps as necessary for the public/private feed.

Nuget/pwsh module proxies have been the answer in the past I think the community will want and need that for winget. I've dabbled with other package managers (nexus oss primarily) and I'm liking ProGet thus far with the ability to browse the feed in browser.

The alignment is similar to choco module repos and powershell module hosting to me. I think a good custom winget repo source and manager is lacking right now in this space.

I do agree on it's been rough 'launch' of winget. It's been years now and still some basics are not done. MS has clearly not put many resources behind the tool. Hosting implementation has been rough from the start. Microsoft doesn't provide any telemetry on package downloads or overall use of winget.

In many ways choco is better as a solution, but in many more cases winget is already on machines under management and it's being built-into the solutions I use.

In the meantime, my hunt for a good self-hosted public/private winget hosting solution continues.

apxltd

Thanks for the additional feedback @ben_0435

Mostly for my notes, in the five months since @Jonathan-Engstrom shared Microsoft's initial efforts at supporting a WinGet private repository (i,e. winget-cli-restsource), it looks like they've already abandoned their efforts.

Last code commit June 26, 2025
Last closed issue July 4, 2025

So at this point, my assessment remans the same: WinGet is basically just the Windows Store, except you it run from the Commandline and has a ton of shady, unvetted packages from internet randos

I feel someone should totally Polymarket whether Microsoft will finish WinGet --or-- just create yet another package manager that's somehow more BingAI friendly.

I'm looking for a solution to titrate that scary giant community repo so it can be managed better... I want upstream.. but only select things. I want to publish apps as necessary for the public/private feed.

I believe that solution is called "Chocolatey"