5 ms·
A number of the apps that appear to be pre-installed on Windows actually aren't. They simply show up in the start menu, and it installs it on the first time you
by nwah1 4y ago
A number of the apps that appear to be pre-installed on Windows actually aren't. They simply show up in the start menu, and it installs it on the first time you click to run the program.
There are quite a lot of important dev-friendly programs that can be easily installed through the store such as Windows Terminal, Powershell 7, WSL, and WinGet. Indeed, most of those can only be installed through the store (or equivalent APPX powershell commands).
Even notepad and friends now auto-update through the store.
WinGet is the new Windows Package Manager, and it is basically just apt-get or pacman for Windows. It is an APPX bundle that you can get through the store. You definitely want it.
Leave the darn store on. If you don't trust Microsoft, then don't use Windows.
A lot of people go the other direction and want to restrict to only use the store for downloads. It gives you the added security peace of mind that you would get on a phone, and for Windows-on-ARM it may be your only realistic option.
- rahkiin 4y agoIt is a sad day discovering corporate IT blocks the use of any package manager and has custom, limited, store content.
- yjftsjthsd-h 4y ago> Leave the darn store on. If you don't trust Microsoft, then don't use Windows Having legacy apps doesn't mean you trust MS.
- nwah1 4y agoBut having the store doesn't prevent legacy apps from installing, and the store provides a number of developer-friendly tools that will improve your ability to support legacy apps.
- fyloraspit 4y agoBut people can and will use their computers how they wish to
- maverickmax90 4y agoWow telling people what to do ..must work well for you I suppose.
- PrimeMcFly 4y agoThere is no need for the store at all, and the dev-friendly programs you mention can all be installed without it.
- nwah1 4y agoThat is just not true in the case of WinGet, WSL, or the Windows Terminal. They are open source, and in theory could be compiled, but they only provide APPX-packaged binaries. WSL itself is avaiable in the Features area, alongside the store. But all WSL distributions that I know of are packaged only for the store. I did say that the equivalent Add-AppxPackage command could install these without the store, if you really wanted to.
- PrimeMcFly 4y agoIt absolutely is true, at least for WSL and Windows Terminal. I installed both without having the store. Their github pages either tell you how or tell you where you can find a standalone installer. It's not hard at all. Google is your friend.
- nwah1 4y agoIf you ran the command from this blog post, the msixbundle files that are provided on the github page for Windows Terminal absolutely will not simply install. You may be able to run powershell commands to install it. The program called App Installer that allows easy installation of bundles is itself primarily available via... the store. The point of this blog post was to remove everything from Windows that is not simply using the base Win32 API. Windows Terminal uses XAML and is a modern application that is using the new WinUI, and staying current with the most up to date versions of it will be difficult without... the store. Or WinGet. WinGet will be using the store as the source. If you manually installed msixbundle files from github, then you are still downloading something from a Microsoft-owned server, but just inconveniently. If you don't trust what I'm saying then post the link to this non-msixbundle standalone installer, and prove to others that you are correct.
- t0bia_s 4y ago"If you don't trust Microsoft, then don't use Windows." I'd like to, but cannot because I need Adobe for work. Linux is unfortunatelly not an option.