4 ms·

It makes sense, since exactly the same method is employed by all Linux package managers. The problem with Windows Update though it's too basic compared to other

by xvilka 1y ago

It makes sense, since exactly the same method is employed by all Linux package managers. The problem with Windows Update though it's too basic compared to other alternatives like Chocolatey, Scoop, or WinGet.

amlib 1y ago
And it seems pretty slow. I can't even begin to imagine it needing to update 10x more components and perhaps 10x the amount of data.
- rbanffy 1y ago
  A key aspect of many Linux package managers such as DNF or APT is that the repository is just a static website. The server doesn't need to compute the delta between where the machine is and where it should be - that's done in the client. That, of course, imposes some limits WRT package visibility and other policies you might want to enforce - you can't easily limit a certain set of users to a subset of your repo.
- WorldMaker 1y ago
  Windows Update's slowness is a feature more than a bug. The underlying Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is still such a cool piece of tech even if it has been ages since any web browser let you send low priority downloads to it or an RSS reader was built on top of it. (Both things that existed and were cool, especially in the dialup era where bandwidth was scarce and irregularly connected.) It's designed to prioritize active user needs over pending downloads, throttling itself based on CPU activity and bandwidth usage and download quotas and battery state and expected runtime and now things like estimated energy mixtures (why not download big things when energy is greener?). (It really does download faster when you are not looking, that's what it was designed to do.)
consumer451 1y ago
I am embarrassed about how late I was to learn that WinGet existed. It was only after I came back from years of Ubuntu as a daily driver that I googled "windows package manager" and discovered it.
- nativeit 1y ago
  I am embarrassed for Microsoft with how long it took them to implement WinGet. It still leaves much to be desired, but I guess if you’re used to PowerShell, then weird period-delimited CamelCase package names are probably something that fits your current routine experience anyway. Coming from apt/yum/brew, it feels almost hostile to the user that even the most basic packages must be searched for just to confirm the syntax of their name.
  - miyuru 1y ago
    MS did not implement Winget. They stole code from another app called appget. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23331287 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23331287
    - easton 1y ago
      They 'stole' (brainraped?) the idea and some of the implementation ideas, but the code is entirely separate. winget is implemented in very windows-y C++, appget was C#.
      - aaomidi 1y ago
        brainrape is an awful word and you should stop using it.
- andix 1y ago
  I really prefer Scoop over WinGet. Scoop installs most packages into exactly one folder and sets up shims/links. And it has an unified install/update methodology. WinGet is more or less just downloading the installers and running them, and doesn't properly track the installed applications and isn't always able to update them.
  - metaltyphoon 1y ago
    > doesn't properly track the installed applications and isn't always able to update them. How so? I’ve been using it for years and haven’t had a problem yet updating all applications at once.

by xvilka 1y ago

amlib 1y ago

And it seems pretty slow. I can't even begin to imagine it needing to update 10x more components and perhaps 10x the amount of data.

rbanffy 1y ago
A key aspect of many Linux package managers such as DNF or APT is that the repository is just a static website. The server doesn't need to compute the delta between where the machine is and where it should be - that's done in the client. That, of course, imposes some limits WRT package visibility and other policies you might want to enforce - you can't easily limit a certain set of users to a subset of your repo.
WorldMaker 1y ago
Windows Update's slowness is a feature more than a bug. The underlying Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is still such a cool piece of tech even if it has been ages since any web browser let you send low priority downloads to it or an RSS reader was built on top of it. (Both things that existed and were cool, especially in the dialup era where bandwidth was scarce and irregularly connected.) It's designed to prioritize active user needs over pending downloads, throttling itself based on CPU activity and bandwidth usage and download quotas and battery state and expected runtime and now things like estimated energy mixtures (why not download big things when energy is greener?). (It really does download faster when you are not looking, that's what it was designed to do.)

consumer451 1y ago

I am embarrassed about how late I was to learn that WinGet existed. It was only after I came back from years of Ubuntu as a daily driver that I googled "windows package manager" and discovered it.

nativeit 1y ago
I am embarrassed for Microsoft with how long it took them to implement WinGet. It still leaves much to be desired, but I guess if you’re used to PowerShell, then weird period-delimited CamelCase package names are probably something that fits your current routine experience anyway. Coming from apt/yum/brew, it feels almost hostile to the user that even the most basic packages must be searched for just to confirm the syntax of their name.
- miyuru 1y ago
  MS did not implement Winget. They stole code from another app called appget. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23331287 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23331287
  - easton 1y ago
    They 'stole' (brainraped?) the idea and some of the implementation ideas, but the code is entirely separate. winget is implemented in very windows-y C++, appget was C#.
    - aaomidi 1y ago
      brainrape is an awful word and you should stop using it.
andix 1y ago
I really prefer Scoop over WinGet. Scoop installs most packages into exactly one folder and sets up shims/links. And it has an unified install/update methodology. WinGet is more or less just downloading the installers and running them, and doesn't properly track the installed applications and isn't always able to update them.
- metaltyphoon 1y ago
  > doesn't properly track the installed applications and isn't always able to update them. How so? I’ve been using it for years and haven’t had a problem yet updating all applications at once.