As a Windows enthusiast who's managed countless systems, I know the appeal of Linux-style package managers. While third-party tools like Chocolatey excel via command line, Windows 10 introduced PackageManagement—formerly OneGet—a native solution. Announced by Microsoft's Garrett Serack, it leverages PowerShell and NuGet for seamless install, uninstall, and update operations, with full Chocolatey support.
Note: With Windows 10 RTM, OneGet was renamed PackageManagement.
This guide draws from hands-on experience to show you how to efficiently manage multiple packages and integrate Chocolatey.
For those new to package managers, they simplify installing, updating, and uninstalling software from centralized repositories. Enter a command, and packages download and install automatically—updates too, when available in the repo.
PackageManagement stands out as a manager of package managers. It supports multiple sources like Chocolatey (CLI powerhouse) and NuGet (Microsoft dev tools). One command pulls from any.
Launch PowerShell as admin. View commands with Get-Command -Module PackageManagement (see feature image).
Run:
Get-PackageSource
Typically, you'll see the built-in PowerShellGet. Next, add Chocolatey if missing.
Run:
Install-PackageProvider -Name Chocolatey -Force
Confirm with Enter. Verify with Get-PackageSource. Set as default:
Set-PackageSource -Name chocolatey -DefaultSource
Search directly: Find-Package Chrome.
Install, e.g., Install-Package AdblockPlusChrome -ProviderName Chocolatey.
Confirm Yes to proceed.
Notably, PackageManagement lacks a direct update command—a GitHub-reported issue since 2014 technical previews. Use Chocolatey's choco upgrade all instead.
Pro Tip: Level up your command line skills with these Command Prompt keyboard shortcuts.
Dive into more commands and params. If PackageManagement falls short, stick with standalone Chocolatey.
Also See: 3 Command Prompt Alternatives That Outshine the Default
