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Improve distribution beyond NuGet (winget, Homebrew, Docker, standalone binaries) #113
Description
Discussion: Improve Distribution Beyond NuGet
Context
CosmosDB Shell is currently distributed only via NuGet, which limits reach to .NET developers. To maximize adoption before GA, we should expand distribution to channels where developers already discover and install CLI tools.
Proposed Distribution Channels
High Impact (Priority for GA)
| Channel | Benefit |
|---|---|
| GitHub Releases (standalone binaries) | Platform-specific self-contained executables (win-x64, linux-x64, osx-arm64). No .NET runtime required. |
| winget | Windows native package manager. winget install Azure.CosmosDBShell |
| Homebrew | Standard for macOS/Linux CLI tools. brew install cosmosdb-shell |
| Docker image | Instant use, no install. Great for CI/CD. docker run -it azure/cosmosdb-shell |
Medium Impact
| Channel | Benefit | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| npm wrapper | npx cosmosdb-shell downloads correct binary (like esbuild pattern) |
|
| Azure CLI extension | az extension add --name cosmosdb-shell — reaches Azure CLI users |
|
| Snap / apt (Linux) | Standard Linux distribution | |
| Chocolatey (Windows) | choco install cosmosdb-shell |
|
| Dev Containers feature | Pre-installed in GitHub Codespaces / Dev Containers |
Low Effort / Quick Wins
| Channel | Benefit | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Install script | curl -fsSL https://aka.ms/install-cosmosdb-shell.sh | bash |
|
| GitHub Action | uses: azure/cosmosdb-shell@v1 for CI/CD scenarios |
Recommendation for GA
- GitHub Releases with self-contained binaries — zero dependency, works everywhere
- winget + Homebrew — covers Windows + macOS/Linux with native package managers
- Docker image — unlocks CI/CD and "try without installing" scenarios
Questions for the Team
- Which channels should we prioritize for GA vs. post-GA?
- Do we have any constraints on distribution (e.g., signing requirements, compliance)?
- Should we automate release publishing to all channels via GitHub Actions?
- Any preference on the npm wrapper approach vs. native installers?
Activity
sajeetharan commentedon Jun 4, 2026
Converting to a discussion for broader team input. See Discussions > Ideas.
sajeetharan commentedon Jul 6, 2026
Agentic & Automation Roadmap framing (item D4)
This maps to D4 — broaden distribution beyond the .NET global tool in the draft agentic roadmap (
docs/agentic-roadmap.md), and it is a Wave 1 item. Reach is the top adoption blocker: requiring the .NET SDK excludes many data engineers and blocks lightweight CI/agent images. Standalone binaries / container image / Homebrew/winget would let automation and agents pull the tool without a .NET toolchain. High leverage — everything else depends on the tool being installable where agents run.