Microsoft has released Windows Package Manager 1.3, a new stable version package manager. It is one of those applications for advanced users “inspired” by the Linux ones that the Redmond giant has produced recently.

And the thing is, Microsoft’s approach to Linux since Satya Nadella took the executive command has been explicit, and some gurus say that Windows of the future will end up being an emulation layer in Linux, built under the Linux kernel, but retaining its user interface. , internal tools and system applications.

Perhaps it is too bold, but there are several signs that Windows and Linux are getting closer, starting with the bombardment of the Linux subsystem for Windows, the centralized Windows Terminal console, or the one that concerns us in this article.

Windows Package Manager 1.3

If you remember, this is an open source tool developed independently of Windows, although it is also included in some versions of it, such as Windows 11. It aims to help developers and users download and install more powerful and flexible applications than the typical install from the app store or the usual double-click we use on an executable file in Windows.

Once installed, you can launch any Windows command line tool including Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal and use this winget get a list of commands that let you do things like install, update or uninstall software, list all installed packages, or modify settings, among other things. Although this is a command-line tool, if the managed application has a graphical installer, it will open and guide the user through the rest of the process.

The big news of the new stable version is portable application support, which do not require installation and can be used from external storage drives. When developers move these portable apps to storage, winget adds the appropriate registry entries so they can be run, managed, and uninstalled like any other Windows app.

Other new features of the version are:

• The “winget –info” command now displays information about the CPU architecture, OS version, and Windows Package Manager version.
• Winget show will now display all available documentation about the package.
• Adding “verbose-logs” to any command will send additional information to your logs for troubleshooting or analysis.

Download and more information | GitHub