Alternative to Windows Store for Windows - an msi installer for juliaup

[NicholasWMRitchie]

My work computer is forbidden by policy to access the Windows Store. Could there be an alternative source for JuliaUp for Windows as there is for Linux and Mac?

[davidanthoff]

@NicholasWMRitchie Could you try a new install option that avoids the store? Here is how:

• Click on https://install.julialang.org/Julia.appinstaller
• Launch the file that gets downloaded (just "open" it or double click on it in explorer)

Be warned, the version that you are getting there is very much a dev version, and you probably will have to uninstall this and then re-install a more robust version down the road. Right now I'm just trying to figure out whether this option is one that could solve this scenario for us.

[NicholasWMRitchie]

I did as you instructed. It installs a 64-bit instance of Julia 1.7.3 and the instance works as expected.
The juliaup command seems to work though I have not checked it extensively.

[lungben]

Thanks, this is really helpful!

I suggest to add the link to the appinstaller to the Readme file of this repo so that it is easier to find for other users.

[davidanthoff]

I suggest to add the link to the appinstaller to the Readme file of this repo so that it is easier to find for other users.

For now it is an experiment, as soon as we decide that we want to have that option permantely I'll put a link in the README. Oh, and we need to change code signing from my personal cert to the JuliaComputing one as well before we really declare this done.

[NicholasWMRitchie]

Is there a reason that the "juliaup self update" is not implemented on this version or is this just one of those things that you still need to complete?

I just reinstalled Julia.appinstaller to get the latest 1.8.0-rc4 version as it wasn't available on the initial test version.

[davidanthoff]

Is there a reason that the "juliaup self update" is not implemented on this version or is this just one of those things that you still need to complete?

Yep, that still needs to be implemented. I think in theory this appinstaller distributed version should auto-check for new versions, and then auto-update in the background, but there might be delays in that. Once I implement the juliaup self update thing that should force-trigger that.

I also plan to change how Juliaup in general learns about new Julia versions, at that point the delays should be minimal.

[bilderbuchi]

I think in theory this appinstaller distributed version should auto-check for new versions, and then auto-update in the background, but there might be delays in that.

Is there some way to detect/confirm that? I installed the appinstaller 1.7.20 version a couple of days ago -- worked flawlessly on a machine without admin rights or a useful Windows Store 🥳 . However, even after a reboot juliaup is still at that version (and therefore does not see the julia 1.8.0 release).

[oheil]

Just did an update on my work PC via Julia.appinstaller
For me this is the currently the most convenient way of getting/updating Julia on Windows. Typically I don't have any problems with other ways of installing Julia, but for the general Julia users my guess is, this is the best, even in this early stage.
As I don't have any issues which aren't already known or anything unexpected this is just meant as an encouraging note and a general WELL DONE! Thank you for your great work.

[DilumAluthge]

@ViralBShah Can you give this approach a try?

[MatthijsBlom]

@davidanthoff I tried the Julia.appinstaller as well, and this is the result (immediate uppon clicking Install):

😢 Screenshot

I can not find more detailed information.

[davidanthoff]

What version of Windows are you on? I thought MS had resolved this now (in a previous version of App installer this always happened...).