NAME

wingit – a package manager that just wings it

SYNOPSIS

wingit install PACKAGE [--exact] [--silent]
wingit upgrade --all
wingit search TERM
wingit uninstall PACKAGE

DESCRIPTION

wingit installs software on Windows from the command line. If wingit can't find the exact package you asked for, it installs the one whose name sounds most similar. If there are several matches, wingit makes a spontaneous decision. If there are none, wingit installs 7-Zip.

Every installation runs in three phases: download, install, and the User Account Control prompt. The prompt always appears on the other monitor, behind another window, while you're getting coffee.

COMMANDS

install PACKAGE

Installs PACKAGE or something like it. With --exact, only the exact package is installed. wingit takes that personally and takes longer.

upgrade --all

Updates every program at once, including the one you're presenting from. Unsaved changes are treated as suggestions.

search TERM

Searches the package sources and finds 400 results. 380 of them are variants of 7-Zip and 19 are programs called "Notepad++ (Official)".

uninstall PACKAGE

Mostly removes the package. Registry entries, a folder in AppData and an icon in the Start menu remain as keepsakes.

OPTIONS

--silent

Installs without asking. User Account Control still asks, just more quietly.

--accept-everything

Accepts license terms, cookies, toolbars, a new home page and a credit card offer.

--no-restart

Noted.

EXAMPLES

Install Python:

PS C:\Warehouse> wingit install python
Installing Python …
Microsoft Store has been opened.
PS C:\Warehouse> python --version
Microsoft Store has been opened.
PS C:\Warehouse> python3 --version
Microsoft Store has been opened. Again.

Install a browser:

PS C:\Warehouse> wingit install firefox
Found: Fairfax County Library App [Fairfax.Library]
Similarity to "firefox": 61%. Close enough.
Successfully installed.

Update everything at once, right before your presentation:

PS C:\Warehouse> wingit upgrade --all
11 upgrades available.
Upgrading Microsoft Teams …
Upgrading Microsoft Teams (the other one) …
Upgrading Microsoft Teams (classic, new) …
Progress: ######---------- 37%
Your device will restart in 5 minutes. Your presentation has 40 minutes to go.

Get rid of a browser:

PS C:\Warehouse> wingit uninstall edge
Microsoft Edge cannot be uninstalled.
Would you like to make Microsoft Edge your default browser instead? [Y/Y]

EXIT STATUS

0

Something was installed. Not necessarily the right thing.

1

Nothing was installed.

0x8A15000F

An error code that appears in no documentation. Not even this one. The only hit online is a forum post from 2021 with the reply "never mind, solved it".

BUGS

Since version 1.5, package names are no longer resolved by similarity but by gut feeling. The hit rate hasn't changed.

SEE ALSO

ipconfuse(W), left-bad(3), pseudo(8), chocolatey-fondue(W)