Habitat Application Manager

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New Application Manager
As of Habitat Build 1.0.1.44, we have replaced the older Chocolatey 3.5 code base and updated to the Chocolatey for Automate 3.7 code base. This includes easier management and distribution of workloads and improved automated package installations, updates, and removals. In this version, we have added support for WinGet and Chocolatey to coexist inside your RMM environment, and to be configured at the client level, allowing you to control which package manager is used for each client.

Backwards Support
Habitat's New Application Manager is not compatible with its predecessor and will install a new set of database tables, scripts, groups, and searches as part of the update. You will need to reconfigure "Approved Applications" at both the global and client levels and re-enable any clients that were previously enabled. There are too many changes between versions to ensure a proper transition without making assumptions about the client needs. Therefore, we decided to require a reconfiguration of the clients to allow you to configure these parameters.

Windows Package Manager Support
Habitat offers you two package managers that work on Windows Agents. Chocolatey from Chocolatey.org and Microsoft's WinGet service. Either can be configure as the default package manager to use for any client under managerment. The approved packages controlers can be used for both package managers. Only approve client level applications that match you package manager.

For those that want to know, here's a basic comparison between Chocolatey and WinGet:

Chocolatey
• Developer: Community-driven, started by Rob Reynolds in 2011.
• Installation: Uses .nupkg files for packaging.
• Capabilities: Can run PowerShell scripts, allowing for more complex installation processes. Supports installing software from community repositories and custom repositories2.
• Permissions: Typically requires administrative privileges to install software.
• Community Support: Large and mature community with thousands of packages available.
• GUI: Has a graphical user interface (GUI) version in addition to the command-line tool.

WinGet
• Developer: Developed by Microsoft, introduced in 2020.
• Installation: Uses .msix files for packaging.
• Capabilities: Primarily focuses on installing software from the Microsoft Store and a winget-specific community repository. Does not support running PowerShell scripts for installation4.
• Permissions: Generally, does not require administrative privileges for installation.
• Community Support: Growing community, but not as extensive as Chocolatey's.
• GUI: Only available as a command-line tool.

Key Differences
• Flexibility: Chocolatey offers more flexibility with its ability to run PowerShell using the agent service, making it suitable for more complex installations.
• Ease of Use: WinGet is simpler to use for basic installations, especially for software available in the Microsoft Store.
• Permissions: Chocolatey often requires admin rights, while WinGet does not. WinGet must run as the user logged into console.
• Community and Packages: Chocolatey has a larger and more established community with a vast repository of packages but may impose bandwidth limits where WinGet has a smaller repo size but should not have any limits imposed.


WinGet Windows Server Support
Yes, **WinGet can run on Windows Server**, but there are some considerations to keep in mind:

1. Windows Server 2025: WinGet is officially included in Windows Server 2025 as part of the App Installer. You can use WinGet to install, update, and uninstall applications on this version.

2. Windows Server 2022 and Earlier: WinGet is not officially supported on Windows Server 2022 or earlier versions. However, it can be installed manually in experimental mode. You may need to resolve dependencies manually, such as VCLibs 14 and UI.Xaml.2.7.

3. Server Core: WinGet is not supported on Windows Server Core. It requires the Desktop Experience feature to be installed.

If you're using Windows Server 2025 or later, you should be able to use WinGet without any issues. For older versions, you might need to manually install and configure WinGet.