ArcGIS Pro Support for Windows Package Manager

JoshuaBixby

I can't say it any better than Microsoft ( Windows Package Manager | Microsoft Learn😞

Windows Package Manager is a comprehensive package manager solution that consists of a command line tool (WinGet) and set of services for installing applications on Windows devices.
Windows Package Manager is a helpful tool for:
Developers who want to manage their software applications using the command line.
Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) who want to distribute software.
Enteprise organizations who want to automate device set up and maintain a secure work environment.

Package management hasn't been a strength of the Windows operating system since the beginning, but Windows Package Manager is a positive step forward. I have been pleasantly surprised by how many organizations are supporting it, and I would now say Esri stands out for not supporting it for ArcGIS Pro.

GuusKlaas1 · ‎08-01-2024

Honestly, considering the amount of automation that is going into Windows-tier software, and the rapid CI/CD-style update cycle of the dependencies (even Esri themselves mention that keeping the .Net desktip runtime up-to-date is highly recommended), I'd strongly be in favour of having the majority of Esri windows-based applications be available in this manner:

It could significantly ease the amount of effort in deploying "volatile"-style machines, which now have to resort to complicated DSC-style configurations as those on Deploy an ArcGIS Pro Concurrent Use · Esri/arcgis-powershell-dsc Wiki · GitHub
It could significantly ease update management as even ArcGIS and its dependencies move to package management/always-up-to-date software

Considering the licensing is already done by other means, I significantly doubt there'd be much of an obstacle in providing deployment in this manner.