winget install with --include-unknown

[sirinath]

Brief description of your issue

--include-unknown should be a valid command to be used with install.

If already installed it should upgrade.

Steps to reproduce

winget install --ID <*> --include-unknown

Expected behavior

If there is a package which is installed with unknow version upgrade it.

Actual behavior

Does not work

Environment

winget --info
Windows Package Manager v1.5.2201
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Windows: Windows.Desktop v10.0.22621.2215
System Architecture: X64
Package: Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller v1.20.2201.0

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

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                     Enabled
LocalArchiveMalwareScanOverride           Disabled

[stephengillie]

My independent opinion is that the Install and upgrade commands should be idempotent and error on fail, such as if there's no valid action, instead of performing another command on fail. As the latter would be less predictable.

But @denelon would have better advice here.

[Trenly]

@stephengillie - This should probably be Issue-Bug.

The install command switches to the upgrade flow if it detects the package is already installed, and when the version is unknown gives the message shown below. But, as @sirinath pointed out, the install command doesn’t accept the --include-unknown argument.

PS D:\Git\winget-pkgs> winget list windirstat
Name             Id                    Version Available
--------------------------------------------------------
WinDirStat 1.1.2 WinDirStat.WinDirStat Unknown 1.1.2    
PS D:\Git\winget-pkgs> winget install windirstat
Found an existing package already installed. Trying to upgrade the installed package...
This package's version number cannot be determined. To upgrade it anyway, add the argument --include-unknown to your previous command.

Using --force will cause the command to stay in the install flow and not switch to the upgrade flow, and may work as a workaround for this issue, but doesn’t address the errant behavior. And using --no-upgrade simply causes the install flow to terminate if the package is already installed