"apt-get" for Windows

I've been thinking - the apt-get feature for Linux is really nice as it updates all your programs on your machine. If there was a way to do this on Windows, that would be really cool.

So I've been thinking - you know when you right-click on an application and there's a summary tab which lists information like the Title, Subject, Author, etc.? What if Microsoft added a field which pointed to a spot on the Internet where the most recent version could be downloaded - either an actual file or a "database" file containing a list of files? So that way, developers could copy their most up-to-date version to a specific location (with the same name each time), or just list all versions in the "database".

I did notice the "Source" field - maybe something like this already exists.

But what do you guys think about this?

I don't know, that sounds a little weird. It sounds great on Linux with all of the folders scattered across the machine like somebody spilled their M&Ms. In Windows I don't think it would be necessary because of the automation of Windows Updates and the simpleness of installation (double-click and the InstallShield runs).

What kind of application would you see in the Apt-Get Windows Database? Windows updates? Commercial tryouts? download.com's archive? Freeware? Open source applications (like Linux)?

I don't think there are THAT many open source applications for Windows, but I could be wrong!

Plus the really cool thing about apt-get is that it fills in dependency voids, at which I don't think Windows has a problem with at all. As opposed to linux where package depedencies are a big thing.

One the contrary, I have several gigabytes of free software on my computer (see sourceforge.net). Basically any software that can be made with Visual Studio could use this feature.

Yea I don't know what problems this could cause with dependencies - maybe they could have another field.

But don't you guys think this would be really handy?

Is apt-get like emerge on a Gentoo box?

I guess it sounds ok, but it's probably unecessary as Kleid-0 pointed out.

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Originally Posted by Kleid-0

What kind of application would you see in the Apt-Get Windows Database? Windows updates? Commercial tryouts? download.com's archive? Freeware? Open source applications (like Linux)?

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how about pretty much every application on your system

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Originally Posted by Kleid-0

I don't think there are THAT many open source applications for Windows, but I could be wrong!

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how very wrong you are: http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/t...p?form_cat=418

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Win2K (Microsoft Windows 2000) (5325 projects)
WinXP (Microsoft Windows XP) (5602 projects)

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I've often thought the same thing - the only thing I can come up with is that microsoft would have to work with other (competing) projects to get it working, not to mention build an entire (open) network for people to put their projects into. Imagine microsoft making it easier for users to find and install openoffice?

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I've often thought the same thing - the only thing I can come up with is that microsoft would have to work with other (competing) projects to get it working, not to mention build an entire (open) network for people to put their projects into. Imagine microsoft making it easier for users to find and install openoffice?

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My thoughts exactly. Although I do think it would be nice for windows updates or driver upgrades. Heck, it would be nice for anything on Windows' site (like the .NET framework, and many fixes for programs like Office).

Come to think of it, it might be better to put this information in the installer file so it get's added to the installed programs list instead of the actual executable.

I don't think this is unnecessary. I'm out of country now, and when I get back I'll have to download updates to all the programs on my computer and manually run the installers. It would be nice if I could just have a (graphical) program that automatically check for updates and let me check which ones to update, along with a list of changes. Then I could just click Update and everything would be updated. It could even be automatic at say 3:00 in the morning.

The update files for these programs could even be "special" installers that do not use a wizard, but instead simply use the same exact options you selected when you first ran the wizard and installed the application.

I seriously think Microsoft should do this, but what are the odds that they would even listen? And you're probably right - they wouldn't because it would pave the road for more open source software.

How hard would it be to make a plugin to the Windows program list/database that would just hold this information?

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Originally Posted by major_small

how very wrong you are: http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/t...p?form_cat=418

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Wow I was way off lol

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Originally Posted by major_small

how about pretty much every application on your system

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Full versions of Macromedia Studio MX, Adobe Photoshop CS 2, Adobe Premiere Pro, WarCraft III, and UT 2004? Not every application will be on there for obvious reasons. And what about download.com's archive? They're full of spam goodiness.

But yeah Microsoft is not going to do this, and would probably rather have a third party group to create this sort of application. So you would double-click on APT_GET and then you would be able to search through repositories of available software that would would be updated through this `APT_GET group', just like how Debian deals with their packages. That sounds like a sweet plan now that I really think about it!

I might actually look into making something like this. Think of how much it would affect everything.

So, does anyone know how Windows stores its information about installed program (e.g., where the database is stored and how it's stored), and does anyone know of a way to add information to it?

Try searching in the registry. It may be in a secret database in the System/ folder.

Like try going to START->Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs
Find a titles of the applications
Search for those applications in the registry by going:
START->Run...
regedit [ENTER]
Edit->Search...
And plug in some titles of applications and see if you can find a database full of the names of the applications.

That's where I would start, just to see.