PowerShell / Chocolatey, how to do an offline install of Chocolatey itself

2 min read 25-10-2024

the ifix

PowerShell / Chocolatey, how to do an offline install of Chocolatey itself

Chocolatey is a powerful package manager for Windows that simplifies the process of installing and managing software on your system. However, there may be times when you need to install Chocolatey on a machine that does not have internet access. In this article, we will guide you through the process of performing an offline installation of Chocolatey using PowerShell.

Understanding the Offline Installation Process

To begin, let's clarify the steps needed to install Chocolatey offline. The following is a concise approach:

Download Chocolatey installation files on a machine that has internet access.
Transfer the files to the offline machine.
Execute the installation script using PowerShell.

Here's the original code for the Chocolatey installation that you would typically run on a machine with internet access:

@"<Insert Code Here>"@

However, since we are focusing on an offline installation, we'll adjust this to make it straightforward and easy to understand.

Steps for Offline Installation of Chocolatey

Step 1: Download Chocolatey Installation Files

You will need to first download the necessary installation files. On a machine with internet access, follow these steps:

Go to the Chocolatey installation page.
Download the chocolatey.nupkg file. You can find it in the https://chocolatey.org/api/v2/package/chocolatey endpoint.

You can use a web browser or use the command line to download it:

curl -o chocolatey.nupkg https://chocolatey.org/api/v2/package/chocolatey

Step 2: Transfer Files to Offline Machine

Once the download is complete, transfer the chocolatey.nupkg file to the offline machine using a USB drive or any other method.

Step 3: Run the Installation Script in PowerShell

On the offline machine, you will need to execute a modified installation script in PowerShell. Here’s how you can do it:

Open PowerShell as an Administrator.

Create a directory for Chocolatey:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\ProgramData\chocolatey"

Move the chocolatey.nupkg file into the created directory.

Then, run the following PowerShell commands to install Chocolatey from the package file:

# Define the Chocolatey installation location
$env:ChocolateyInstall = "C:\ProgramData\chocolatey"

# Create Chocolatey's tools directory
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "$env:ChocolateyInstall\tools" -Force

# Install Chocolatey using the .nupkg file
& "$env:ChocolateyInstall\chocolatey.nupkg"

This will set up Chocolatey without the need for an internet connection.

Additional Considerations

Ensure that the PowerShell execution policy allows the script to run. You can set it temporarily using:
```
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
```
For managing packages offline, you can also download their .nupkg files in a similar way and store them on your offline machine.

Conclusion

Installing Chocolatey offline is straightforward once you understand the steps involved. By downloading the necessary files ahead of time and using PowerShell effectively, you can get Chocolatey up and running even without an internet connection.

This method is particularly useful in environments where internet access is restricted for security reasons. If you're looking for more resources or have questions about Chocolatey, check out the Chocolatey Documentation.

Useful Resources

By following these instructions, you can confidently perform offline installations of Chocolatey and manage your software packages efficiently.