[Package Issue]: Python.Python override causes installer to ignore scope

[github-account1111]

Please confirm these before moving forward

• I have searched for my issue and not found a work-in-progress/duplicate/resolved issue.
• I have not been informed if the issue is resolved in a preview version of the winget client.

Category of the issue

Installation issue.

Brief description of your issue

Using overrides makes it impossible to install Python system-wide.

Steps to reproduce

winget install --id Python.Python.3.11 --scope machine --override '/quiet'

Actual behavior

Python is installed in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs.

Expected behavior

Python is installed in %PROGRAMFILES% .

Environment

Windows Package Manager v1.7.11261
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Windows: Windows.Desktop v10.0.19045.4412
System Architecture: X64
Package: Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller v1.22.11261.0

Winget Directories
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Logs                               %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\DiagOutputDir
User Settings                      %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\settings.json
Portable Links Directory (User)    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WinGet\Links
Portable Links Directory (Machine) C:\Program Files\WinGet\Links
Portable Package Root (User)       %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WinGet\Packages
Portable Package Root              C:\Program Files\WinGet\Packages
Portable Package Root (x86)        C:\Program Files (x86)\WinGet\Packages
Installer Downloads                %USERPROFILE%\Downloads

Links
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Privacy Statement   https://aka.ms/winget-privacy
License Agreement   https://aka.ms/winget-license
Third Party Notices https://aka.ms/winget-3rdPartyNotice
Homepage            https://aka.ms/winget
Windows Store Terms https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/storedocs/terms-of-sale

Admin Setting                             State
--------------------------------------------------
LocalManifestFiles                        Disabled
BypassCertificatePinningForMicrosoftStore Disabled
InstallerHashOverride                     Disabled
LocalArchiveMalwareScanOverride           Disabled

Screenshots and Logs

No response

[SpecterShell]

The scope is controlled by the InstallAllUsers switch from the installer, which would be overrode by your own installer switches by using the --override switch from WinGet.

winget-pkgs/manifests/p/Python/Python/3/11/3.11.9/Python.Python.3.11.installer.yaml

Lines 36 to 42 in 713c274

	- Architecture: x86
	Scope: machine
	InstallerUrl: https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.11.9/python-3.11.9.exe
	InstallerSha256: AF19E5E2F03E715A822181F2CB7D4EFEF4EDA13FA4A2DB6DA12E998E46F5CBF9
	InstallerSwitches:
	InstallLocation: DefaultAllUsersTargetDir=<INSTALLPATH>
	Custom: InstallAllUsers=1 PrependPath=1

It is recommended to use the --silent switch from WinGet for silent (without progress) installation.

[github-account1111]

\quiet was just for a minimum reproducible example. The full command is as follows:

/quiet AssociateFiles=0 CompileAll=0 PrependPath=1 Shortcuts=1 Include_doc=0 Include_debug=0 Include_dev=0 Include_exe=0 Include_launcher=0 Include_lib=1 Include_pip=1 Include_symbols=0 Include_tcltk=0 Include_test=0 Include_tools=0'

--silent alone simply isn't enough. What is the reason it is recommended?

Also, am I understanding correctly that simply using the --override switch negates the --scope switch entirely, even though I am not using any overrides that conflict with scope?

[SpecterShell]

Sorry, I thought you were looking for a way to install it silently.

Take the x86 installer as an example. The --scope switch chooses which entry to use between the following two entries, the user one and the machine one:

winget-pkgs/manifests/p/Python/Python/3/11/3.11.9/Python.Python.3.11.installer.yaml

Lines 22 to 49 in 713c274

	Installers:
	- Architecture: x86
	Scope: user
	InstallerUrl: https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.11.9/python-3.11.9.exe
	InstallerSha256: AF19E5E2F03E715A822181F2CB7D4EFEF4EDA13FA4A2DB6DA12E998E46F5CBF9
	InstallerSwitches:
	InstallLocation: DefaultJustForMeTargetDir=<INSTALLPATH>
	Custom: InstallAllUsers=0 PrependPath=1
	ProductCode: '{b047d2a0-fe22-4d51-ae4c-4fc15fb14b31}'
	AppsAndFeaturesEntries:
	- DisplayName: Python 3.11.9 (32-bit)
	DisplayVersion: 3.11.9150.0
	ProductCode: '{b047d2a0-fe22-4d51-ae4c-4fc15fb14b31}'
	UpgradeCode: '{C2007350-35A9-53B8-9AC1-4EB4C04802E2}'
	- Architecture: x86
	Scope: machine
	InstallerUrl: https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.11.9/python-3.11.9.exe
	InstallerSha256: AF19E5E2F03E715A822181F2CB7D4EFEF4EDA13FA4A2DB6DA12E998E46F5CBF9
	InstallerSwitches:
	InstallLocation: DefaultAllUsersTargetDir=<INSTALLPATH>
	Custom: InstallAllUsers=1 PrependPath=1
	ProductCode: '{b047d2a0-fe22-4d51-ae4c-4fc15fb14b31}'
	AppsAndFeaturesEntries:
	- DisplayName: Python 3.11.9 (32-bit)
	DisplayVersion: 3.11.9150.0
	ProductCode: '{b047d2a0-fe22-4d51-ae4c-4fc15fb14b31}'
	UpgradeCode: '{C2007350-35A9-53B8-9AC1-4EB4C04802E2}'
	ElevationRequirement: elevatesSelf

If one would like to install it in machine scope by specifying --scope machine, WinGet will choose the second one and apply the installer switches described in this entry, including the one InstallAllUsers=1 which asks the installer to install machine-wide. And if the --override WinGet switch is used, all these installer switches will be discarded.

[github-account1111]

No I should be sorry, I wasn't clear in explaining my intent in the initial example.

Thanks very much for the explanation, this makes much more sense now. Is there a technical reason winget discards Custom switches when --overrides is used? Can't they be appended? At the very least, a dialog before proceeding with the install informing the user that the --scope machine part of the install command will be discarded would be helpful.

[SpecterShell]

No I should be sorry, I wasn't clear in explaining my intent in the initial example.

Thanks very much for the explanation, this makes much more sense now. Is there a technical reason winget discards Custom switches when --overrides is used? Can't they be appended? At the very least, a dialog before proceeding with the install informing the user that the --scope machine part of the install command will be discarded would be helpful.

It not only discards the Custom switch, but also all other switches, including the InstallLocation switch above, the pre-defined Silent switch (/quiet /norestart in this case), the pre-defined SilentWithProgress switch (/passive /norestart) and the pre-defined Log switch (/log "<LOGPATH>"). All of them will be overrode by --override.

The --custom WinGet switch will only override the custom switch. Since this switch has already been used for forcing the scope for the installer and will be overrode by --custom, you need to manually include InstallAllUsers=1 in your switches.

So the final command line would be like

winget install --id Python.Python.3.11 --scope machine --silent --custom 'InstallAllUsers=1 AssociateFiles=0 CompileAll=0 PrependPath=1 Shortcuts=1 Include_doc=0 Include_debug=0 Include_dev=0 Include_exe=0 Include_launcher=0 Include_lib=1 Include_pip=1 Include_symbols=0 Include_tcltk=0 Include_test=0 Include_tools=0' 

[Trenly]

The --custom WinGet switch will only override the custom switch.

Actually, it doesn't! --custom will only append the value

• Add --custom argument for passing additional installer arguments winget-cli#2832
• https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli/blob/2979fd81dedd79f06bb0061159f6764b4ac70a9a/src/AppInstallerCLICore/Workflows/ShellExecuteInstallerHandler.cpp#L129-L144

2024-05-17 10:07:01.168 [CLI ] WinGet invoked with arguments: 'install' '-m' 'C:\Users\WDAGUtilityAccount\Desktop\SandboxTest\3.12.3' '--verbose-logs' '--ignore-local-archive-malware-scan' '--dependency-source' 'winget' '--custom' '/quiet'
|
| Truncated for readability
|
2024-05-17 10:07:04.732 [CLI ] Starting: 'C:\Users\WDAGUtilityAccount\AppData\Local\Temp\WinGet\Python.Python.3.12.3.12.3\python-3.12.3-amd64.exe' with arguments '/passive /norestart /log "C:\Users\WDAGUtilityAccount\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\DiagOutputDir\WinGet-Python.Python.3.12.3.12.3-2024-05-17-10-07-04.731.log" InstallAllUsers=0 PrependPath=1 /quiet'

[Trenly]

@github-account1111 - try using --custom instead of --override to add parameters to the install without erasing any of the ones defined in the manifest

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

Hello @github-account1111,

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 3 days of this comment.

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