# Scoop Main: The Default Manifest Bucket for the Scoop Windows Package Manager > Scoop Main is the official default bucket for Scoop, the Windows command-line installer, and serves as the curated registry of core application manifests. Every Scoop installation includes it by default, and it defines what users can install with a plain scoop install command. **ScoopInstaller/Main** — The default bucket for Scoop. This is the default bucket for Scoop and is added by default. - Repository: https://github.com/ScoopInstaller/Main - Website: https://scoop.sh - Stars: 1,873 · Forks: 1,189 - Language: PowerShell - License: Unlicense - Published: 2026-08-04 · Updated: 2026-08-18 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/scoopinstaller-main ## What the Scoop Main Bucket Is and Who Uses It Scoop is a Windows command-line installer that installs applications into user-specific directories without requiring administrator privileges, registry modifications, or UAC prompts. It handles application installation, updates, and removal through JSON manifest files that describe where to download each application, how to extract it, and where to place its executable. Scoop organises its manifest library into buckets: versioned collections of JSON files, each containing metadata for one application. The Main bucket is the default. When a user runs scoop install with a plain application name, Scoop searches the Main bucket first. The repository states this is the default bucket for Scoop and is added by default, meaning every fresh Scoop installation already has access to everything in Main without any additional configuration. The intended audience is Windows developers and power users who prefer command-line tooling for managing software, want reproducible installations across machines, and need to avoid the overhead of graphical installers. ## Manifest Structure and the bucket/ Directory The repository layout is straightforward. The bucket/ directory at the root contains the individual JSON manifests, one file per application. Each manifest describes the download URL, the version, any hash for verification, the architecture variants, the shim name that becomes available on the PATH after installation, and any pre- or post-installation scripts. A deprecated/ directory holds manifests for applications that have been removed from the active set but preserved in history. The bin/ and scripts/ directories contain tooling used by the CI pipeline for validating manifests before they are merged. The CI configuration is defined in .github/ and includes automated manifest update workflows. To install any application listed in Main, users run one command after Scoop is already installed: ```powershell scoop install ``` The angle brackets here represent the actual manifest name, which corresponds to the JSON filename in the bucket/ directory without the .json extension. For example, the manifest for Git would be installed with scoop install git. Scoop resolves the manifest from the Main bucket, downloads the application, and places it in the user's Scoop apps directory. ## Criteria for Inclusion in the Main Bucket Not all applications belong in the Main bucket. The README references separate criteria documentation that defines which applications qualify. The description states the bucket is for manifests that fit the Main criteria, linking to the ScoopInstaller Scoop wiki. The general principle behind the Main bucket is that it contains widely used, stable, and cross-platform-friendly command-line tools and developer utilities. Applications that require special installation conditions, that are GUI-only, or that fit a narrower category are better suited to other buckets in the ScoopInstaller ecosystem. The CI pipeline runs automated checks on every proposed manifest to validate format, URL accessibility, and hash integrity before merging. This distinction matters for contributors. Submitting a manifest for a niche tool that does not meet Main's published criteria to this repository is the wrong target; the ScoopInstaller Extras bucket and community buckets exist for that purpose. ## How Scoop Main Compares to Other Bucket Repositories Scoop supports multiple buckets in parallel. A user can add buckets beyond Main to access more applications. The ScoopInstaller organisation maintains several official buckets, including Extras for applications that do not qualify for Main but are still well-maintained, and Java for JDK distributions. The practical difference for end users: Main is the guaranteed default, always present, and populated with applications that meet stricter inclusion criteria. Extras and community buckets have broader scope. A manifest accepted into Main signals that the application meets the quality and breadth-of-use bar that the Scoop maintainers defined. A manifest in Extras or a community bucket carries no such signal. Chocolatey is a direct alternative to Scoop as a Windows package manager. Chocolatey operates with a central registry and typically requires either administrator privileges for system-wide installs or a configured user-level setup. Scoop installs into the user's home directory by default and does not modify the registry, which is a different operational model. The Main bucket is specific to Scoop's architecture; it has no equivalent in Chocolatey's model. ## Contributing a New Manifest to Main The README directs contributors to read the Contributing Guide before submitting a new manifest. The guide lives in the ScoopInstaller organisation's shared .github repository. The contribution process involves creating a JSON manifest file with the correct structure and opening a pull request against the Main repository. The CI pipeline runs the manifest through automated validation on submission. It checks the download URL, verifies hashes, and tests the installation procedure. The CI workflow files in .github/ and the Scoop-Bucket.Tests.ps1 PowerShell test file define these checks. Contributions that fail automated tests are not merged until the issues are resolved. The repository license is Unlicense, which is a public domain dedication. Manifests contributed to this repository carry no restrictions on their subsequent use. ## Maintenance and Repository Activity The Main bucket is under continuous active maintenance. The last push to the repository was on 2026-09-25, and the CI pipeline runs on a regular schedule through the automated Excavator workflow visible in the .github/ configuration. Excavator is a bot-driven system that automatically opens pull requests to update manifests when upstream applications release new versions. This means most manifests in Main are updated shortly after upstream releases without requiring manual maintainer intervention. The repository itself has no GitHub releases because it is a manifest collection rather than a versioned product; its contents change continuously as applications are updated. For users who encounter a broken manifest, the correct resolution is to open an issue or pull request in this repository. The CI checks help identify problems before they reach users, but download URLs change, hashes expire, and application packaging formats evolve, so some breakage does occur. ## Limitations of the Main Bucket The Main bucket's scope is deliberately narrow. Applications that are Windows-only, GUI-first, or have complex installation requirements that Scoop's manifest format does not support well are unlikely to be accepted here. Users who need to manage these applications through Scoop will need to add additional buckets or maintain a custom bucket. Manifest quality varies across applications. While the CI pipeline validates format and downloads, it cannot verify that an installed application functions correctly across all Windows configurations. Some manifests may lag behind upstream releases if Excavator does not detect the new version or if the release format changes in a way the automation cannot parse. Scoop itself does not handle applications that modify the system outside the user directory well. Applications that require kernel drivers, system services, or global PATH modifications may not install cleanly through any Scoop manifest, Main included. ## Conclusion Windows developers who already use Scoop as their package manager will interact with Scoop Main on every install, whether they know it or not. The bucket is added by default and requires no separate configuration. For users wanting to add applications that do not meet the Main criteria, the ScoopInstaller ecosystem includes additional buckets such as Extras. Maintainers who want to add a new application to the default install experience must confirm it meets the published Main criteria before opening a contribution. ## FAQ ### What is Scoop for Windows? Scoop is a command-line package manager for Windows that installs applications into the user's home directory without requiring administrator privileges or registry modifications. Scoop Main is the default bucket of application manifests that ships with every Scoop installation. ### What are Scoop apps? Scoop apps are applications described by JSON manifest files in a Scoop bucket. Each manifest tells Scoop where to download the application, how to verify it, and where to place it. Apps in the Main bucket are installable with scoop install followed by the application name. ### What is the difference between Scoop Main and Scoop Extras? Scoop Main is the default bucket containing manifests for widely used applications that meet the bucket's published inclusion criteria. Scoop Extras is a separate official bucket for applications that do not qualify for Main but are still maintained. Both are managed by the ScoopInstaller organisation. ## Sources - [Official documentation](https://scoop.sh) - [Official README](https://github.com/ScoopInstaller/Main#readme) - [Project repository](https://github.com/ScoopInstaller/Main) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/scoopinstaller-main