Configuring Winget Client through Microsoft Intune settings catalog

Winget, also known as the Windows Package Manager, is a powerful command-line tool that simplifies application management on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. With Winget, you can discover, install, upgrade, remove, and configure applications seamlessly.

In this post, we’ll explore how to configure Winget using Microsoft Intune’s settings catalog, streamlining the process of managing software across your organization.

What is Winget?

If you`ve had not heard about it yet – lets quickly talk about Winget.

Winget serves as the client interface to the Windows Package Manager service. It allows users to interact with a vast repository of applications, making software deployment and maintenance more efficient. Think of it as the default app store for Windows, but accessible via the command line. Package managers have been a thing for years on linux and since a while there is Winget by Microsoft natively integrated to Windows client os.

The Winget client supports the following tasks:

• Discover Applications: Winget enables you to search for available applications. Whether you need productivity tools, utilities, or specialized software, Winget provides a comprehensive catalog.
• Install and Upgrade: Using simple commands, you can install or upgrade applications effortlessly. No need to navigate complex installers or worry about compatibility.
• Uninstall: When an application is no longer needed, Winget lets you remove it cleanly, avoiding leftover files or registry entries.
• Configuration: Customize application settings directly from the command line. Adjust preferences, enable features, and fine-tune behavior.
• Supported Formats: Winget supports various installer formats, including EXE and MSI files. It’s flexible enough to handle diverse application types.

Behind the Winget client is a Winget repo which stores the files (called manifests) which tell the client what the installer and its commands are. I will cover that in another post where I am also going to tell you about private repository’s and manifest files. So stay tuned.

Configuring the Winget client

But for now lets continue.

This post will tell you how you can configure the Winget client using Microsoft Intune and of course settings catalog profiles. To start we create (or edit any existing) a new policy in Intune:

Select „Windows 10 and later“ and Settings catalog as the profile type:

Give it a name and description that fits your naming convention:

Now lets search for „Desktop App Installer“ and import all settings below it:

Now that we have the settings in our policy, we need to configure them:

What are those options?

• Enable App Installer: Configures if Winget is enabled or disabled. Should be enabled if you want to use Winget packages.

• Enable App Installer Additional Sources: Configure additional repos if you for example want to use a private Winget repo. You can see installed repos on a client with the command „Winget source export“:

• Enable App Installer Allowed Sources: If you want or need to, you can restrict which sources are allowed in your environment.

• Enable App Installer Default Source: You should enable the default source if you plan to use the official community repo from Microsoft. Otherwise disable this.

• Enable App Installer Experimental Features: Enables experimental features in the Winget client. Would not recommend that on production systems.

• Enable App Installer Hash Override: By default Winget checks the hash of installer files when downloading them. If the are not correct it will stop the install – definitely activate this one.

• Enable App Installer Local Manifest Files: Manifest files are the files that tell the client what to do for a package and you can test them locally or install by using local files – but if you use a repo you might not need that.

• Enable App Installer Microsoft Store Source: If you want to use Microsoft Store apps from Winget then you need to enable it as a source provider.

• Enable App Installer ms-appinstaller protocol: The ms-appinstaller is a protocol that allows websites to use Winget for app installs. You might do not need that if you use Intune for app distribution.

• Enable App Installer Settings: Definitely enable this one as it enables the settings which we just configure.

• Set App Installer Source Auto Update Interval In Minutes: If you want to you can adjust the interval that the Winget client checks for new packages in all repos that it knows.

Checking client settings

On a client that now has our policy with the App Installer settings we can run „Winget –info“ to see the configuration of the Winget client:

Conclusion

Winget, integrated with Microsoft Intune’s settings catalog, empowers IT administrators to streamline application management. Whether you’re deploying software, adjusting security settings, or ensuring consistent configurations, Winget simplifies the process. Embrace this powerful tool and enhance your organization’s Windows experience.