Install-Modules with WinGet Configuration file

[ariellourenco]

Hi there,

I have a simple configuration.dsc.yaml file that attempts to setup the Windows PowerShell on a brand new machine. The script should update the PowerShellGet module to the lasted version and install a few other modules. Nothing fancy really!

However, this simple task does not work. It seems like each resource block in my configuration file creates a dedicated PowerShell session and, therefore, run commands on Windows PowerShell need to be done as follow:

$windowsPSFolder = "$env:SystemRoot\System32\WindowsPowershell\v1.0"
$windowsPSExe      = "$windowsPSFolder\powershell.exe"

$powerShellGetVersion = & $windowsPSExe -Command "Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name PowerShellGet | Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty Version"

Write-Debug "PowerShellGet version $powerShellGetVersion"

if ($powerShellGetVersion -lt [version]"1.6.0") {
  # Windows PowerShell 5.1 comes with version 1.0.0.1 of the PowerShellGet and PackageManagement preinstalled.
  # However, this version of PowerShellGet has a limited features and must be updated to work with
  # the PowerShell Gallery.
  throw "The installed PowerShellGet version ($powerShellGetVersion) is less than the required version 1.6.0."
}

Write-Verbose -Message "🧩 Installing PowerShell modules." -Verbose

& $windowsPSExe -Command "Install-Module -Name PSReadLine -Force"

configuration.dsc.yaml

# ymal-language-server: $schema=https://aka.ms/configuration-dsc-schema/0.2
properties:
  configurationVersion: 0.2.0
  assertions:
    - resource: Microsoft.Windows.Developer/OsVersion
      id: OsVersion
      directives:
        description: Minimum OS version requirement
        allowPrerelease: true
      settings:
        MinVersion: "10.0.22621.2338"
  resources:
    - resource: PSDscResources/Script
      directives:
        description: Setup Windows PowerShell
        allowPrerelease: true
      settings:
        GetScript: return $false
        TestScript: return $false
        SetScript: |
          $profile                = 'D:\dotfiles\windows\Profile.ps1'
          $windowsPSProfileFolder = "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\WindowsPowerShell"
          $windowsPSFolder        = "$env:SystemRoot\System32\WindowsPowershell\v1.0"
          $windowsPSExe           = "$windowsPSFolder\powershell.exe"

          $powerShellGetVersion = & $windowsPSExe -Command "Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name PowerShellGet | Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty Version"

          Write-Debug "PowerShellGet version $powerShellGetVersion"

          if ($powerShellGetVersion -lt [version]"1.6.0") {
            # Windows PowerShell 5.1 comes with version 1.0.0.1 of the PowerShellGet and PackageManagement preinstalled.
            # However, this version of PowerShellGet has a limited features and must be updated to work with
            # the PowerShell Gallery.
            throw "The installed PowerShellGet version ($powerShellGetVersion) is less than the required version 1.6.0."
          }

          Write-Verbose -Message "🧩 Installing PowerShell modules." -Verbose

          & $windowsPSExe -Command "Install-Module -Name PSReadLine -Force"
          & $windowsPSExe -Command "Install-Module -Name Terminal-Icons -Scope CurrentUser -Force"

          Write-Verbose -Message "📄 Copying Profile.ps1 to $windowsPSProfileFolder directory." -Verbose

          Copy-Item -Path $profile -Destination $windowsPSProfileFolder -Force

But unfortunately this code does not work! It always gets into the if clause even though when the PowerShellGet module is greater than the specified version. Any idea about what is going on here?

[Trenly]

When you store the output of a command in a variable, it's an Object of the System.Array type. When you query the module directly, it's a version type.

PS C:\Users\Trenly> $powerShellGetVersion.GetType()

IsPublic IsSerial Name                                     BaseType
-------- -------- ----                                     --------
True     True     Object[]                                 System.Array


PS C:\Users\Trenly> (Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name PowerShellGet | Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty Version).GetType()
IsPublic IsSerial Name                                     BaseType
-------- -------- ----                                     --------
True     True     Version                                  System.Object

This is because you're storing the result from & $windowsPSExe -Command and not the actual object returned from within the Windows Powershell Instance

[ariellourenco]

Oh, I got it. So, I was comparing bananas and apples. Something like below would resolve my problem, however, I am wondering if there is a way to convert the Object returned by the command to a Version.

$powerShellGetVersion[3] -lt [version]"1.6.0"

[Trenly]

The easiest way would probably be to add .ToString() to the command that fetches the version and then just cast it to a version at the end

[ariellourenco]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to express my gratitude to @Trenly for helping me refine my understanding of the issue we were discussing. In the process, I've stumbled upon a new, peculiar behavior that I'm hoping someone in the community might be able to shed some light on. I'll describe it below.

When using the Install-Module command with the -AllowPrerelease argument inside a WinGet configuration file, an error occurs, stating that administrator rights are required even when the PowerShell session is elevated. This issue specifically arises when the PowerShell module (e.g., PSReadline) is already installed.

2025-03-08 15:56:05.106 [CONF] Configuration unit Script[] failed with code 0x8a15c106 and error message:
PackageManagement\Install-Package : Administrator rights are required to install or update. Log on to the computer 

with an account that has Administrator rights, and then try again, or install by adding "-Scope CurrentUser" to your 

command. You can also try running the Windows PowerShell session with elevated rights (Run as Administrator).

At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\2.2.5\PSModule.psm1:9711 char:34

+ ... talledPackages = PackageManagement\Install-Package @PSBoundParameters

+                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (System.Collections.ArrayList:String) [Install-Package], Exception

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : AdministratorRightsNeededOrSpecifyCurrentUserScope,Copy-Module,Microsoft.PowerShell.Pack 

   ageManagement.Cmdlets.InstallPackage
Microsoft.Management.Configuration.Processor.Exceptions.InvokeDscResourceException: Failed when calling `Set` for resource: Script [PSDscResources] Message: 'PackageManagement\Install-Package : Administrator rights are required to install or update. Log on to the computer 

with an account that has Administrator rights, and then try again, or install by adding "-Scope CurrentUser" to your 

command. You can also try running the Windows PowerShell session with elevated rights (Run as Administrator).

At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\2.2.5\PSModule.psm1:9711 char:34

+ ... talledPackages = PackageManagement\Install-Package @PSBoundParameters

+                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (System.Collections.ArrayList:String) [Install-Package], Exception

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : AdministratorRightsNeededOrSpecifyCurrentUserScope,Copy-Module,Microsoft.PowerShell.Pack 

   ageManagement.Cmdlets.InstallPackage

 

'

   at Microsoft.Management.Configuration.Processor.DscModule.DscModuleV2.InvokeSetResource(PowerShell pwsh, ValueSet settings, String name, ModuleSpecification moduleSpecification)

   at Microsoft.Management.Configuration.Processor.Runspaces.HostedEnvironment.InvokeSetResource(ValueSet settings, String name, ModuleSpecification moduleSpecification)

   at Microsoft.Management.Configuration.Processor.Unit.ConfigurationUnitProcessor.ApplySettings()
2025-03-08 15:56:05.128 [CLI ] Terminating context: 0x8a15c005 at C:\__w\1\s\external\pkg\src\AppInstallerCLICore\Workflows\ConfigurationFlow.cpp:5fd
``