How to use the command `choco search` (with examples)
The choco search command is used to search for local or remote packages with Chocolatey, a package manager for Windows. It allows users to easily find and install software packages from the Chocolatey community repository or from a custom source.
Use case 1: Search for a package
Code:
choco search query
Motivation:
This use case is helpful when you know the name or partial name of a package you want to find. By using the choco search command with a query, you can quickly find the package you are looking for.
Explanation:
query: The name or partial name of the package you want to search for.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
microsoft-windows-sdk-10.1-win10th2-all-.....
...
Use case 2: Search for a package locally
Code:
choco search query --local-only
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to search for a package only in the local machine. It can be beneficial if you have previously downloaded a package and want to locate it quickly.
Explanation:
--local-only: This flag tells Chocolatey to search only for locally installed packages.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
microsoft-windows-sdk-10.1-win10th2-all-.....
...
Use case 3: Only include exact matches in the results
Code:
choco search query --exact
Motivation: This use case is handy when you want to narrow down the search results to only include exact matches. If you know the exact name of the package you are looking for, using this flag can save you time by excluding similar or unrelated results.
Explanation:
--exact: This flag tells Chocolatey to only include packages that have an exact name match with the query.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
microsoft-windows-sdk-10.1-win10th2-all-.....
...
Use case 4: Confirm all prompts automatically
Code:
choco search query --yes
Motivation:
This use case is useful when you want to automate your package search and remove the need for manual confirmation of prompts. By using the --yes flag, you can automatically confirm all prompts.
Explanation:
--yes: This flag tells Chocolatey to automatically confirm all prompts without requiring user input.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
microsoft-windows-sdk-10.1-win10th2-all-.....
...
Use case 5: Specify a custom source to search for packages in
Code:
choco search query --source source_url|alias
Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to search for packages from a specific source other than the default Chocolatey community repository. It allows you to find packages from custom sources, such as internal repositories or other external sources.
Explanation:
--source source_url|alias: This flag allows you to specify a custom source URL or alias to search for packages in.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
microsoft-windows-sdk-10.1-win10th2-all-.....
...
Use case 6: Provide a username and password for authentication
Code:
choco search query --user username --password password
Motivation:
This use case is useful when you need to authenticate yourself with a username and password to access a specific source repository. By providing your credentials using the --user and --password flags, you can search for packages in authenticated sources.
Explanation:
--user username: This flag allows you to provide a username for authentication.--password password: This flag allows you to provide a password for authentication.
Example output:
Chocolatey v0.10.15
microsoft-windows-sdk-10.1-win10th2-all-.....
...
Conclusion:
The choco search command offers various options to search for packages in Chocolatey. Whether you want to find a specific package, limit the search to local packages, include exact matches, automatically confirm prompts, specify a custom source, or provide authentication credentials, Chocolatey provides a flexible and efficient way to search for packages for your Windows system.
