How to use the command 'choco outdated' (with examples)
The ‘choco outdated’ command is a Chocolatey command that allows you to check for outdated packages in your Chocolatey packages. This command is useful when you want to keep your installed packages up to date and ensure that you are running the latest versions.
Use case 1: Display a list of outdated packages in table format
Code:
choco outdated
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to get a quick overview of all the outdated packages installed on your system. The table format provides a clear and organized view of the outdated packages, making it easier to identify which packages need to be updated.
Explanation: The command ‘choco outdated’ without any additional arguments will display a list of all the outdated packages installed on your system in a table format. It retrieves this information from the Chocolatey repository and compares the currently installed version with the latest version available.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
Outdated Packages
-----------------
Package Installed Latest Location
------------------------------------------------------------------
notepadplusplus 7.9.3 7.9.5 chocolatey
vlc 3.0.16 3.0.17 chocolatey
Use case 2: Ignore pinned packages in the output
Code:
choco outdated --ignore-pinned
Motivation: Sometimes, you may have pinned packages that you intentionally don’t want to update. In such cases, this use case is useful as it allows you to exclude these pinned packages from the list of outdated packages.
Explanation: The ‘–ignore-pinned’ argument is used to exclude pinned packages from the output of the ‘choco outdated’ command. Pinned packages are packages that you have explicitly chosen to not update. Ignoring these packages can help you focus on the packages that actually need an update.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
Outdated Packages
-----------------
Package Installed Latest Location
------------------------------------------------------------------
vlc 3.0.16 3.0.17 chocolatey
Use case 3: Specify a custom source to check packages from
Code:
choco outdated --source source_url|alias
Motivation: By default, ‘choco outdated’ checks for package updates in the official Chocolatey repository. However, if you want to check for updates from a different source, this use case allows you to specify a custom source URL or an alias.
Explanation: The ‘–source’ argument is used to specify a custom source from which the ‘choco outdated’ command checks for package updates. You can either provide a direct source URL or an alias that is configured in your Chocolatey configuration files.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
Outdated Packages
-----------------
Package Installed Latest Location
------------------------------------------------------------------
notepadplusplus 7.9.3 7.9.5 nuget
Use case 4: Provide a username and password for authentication
Code:
choco outdated --user username --password password
Motivation: This use case is useful when you need to provide authentication for accessing a source that requires a username and password. By providing the username and password, you can authenticate and check for package updates from secured sources.
Explanation: The ‘–user’ and ‘–password’ arguments are used to provide a username and password for authentication purposes. This allows you to access sources that require authentication, such as private package repositories.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
Outdated Packages
-----------------
Package Installed Latest Location
------------------------------------------------------------------
notepadplusplus 7.9.3 7.9.5 chocolatey
vlc 3.0.16 3.0.17 chocolatey
Conclusion
The ‘choco outdated’ command is a powerful tool for checking for outdated packages in Chocolatey. By utilizing the different use cases mentioned above, you can easily manage and update your packages to ensure you are running the latest versions available.
