Just in order to use Omaha, you need:
- A non-Express (i.e. paid) version of Visual Studio
- Python
- Scons
- Set a bunch of environment variables, because who needs configuration files?
Lack of clues is always a possible explanation. Some people also want to make sure their software runs on RHEL 5.
Setting environment variables is as easy as writing a .cmd file that sets them for you.
Most devs have Python installed.
Installing Scons is easy.
A paid version of VS can be easily pirated if you don't feel like paying for it. This isn't by accident: MS would rather you be writing Windows software than non-Windows software. And if you're writing software to sell, then a license isn't costly: https://www.google.com/shopping/product/7152061321388788226
The whole point of this tool is to make installing and updating packages easier, but at the same time they have one of the most complicated installation instructions for a standalone software package ever. That is something that makes me wonder how much they really care about simplifying the workflow of installing and updating packages.
Are you sure a day or two of work in exchange for over a year of solid deployment isn't a good exchange? If it isn't, then which alternative would you recommend in order to get similar efficiency?
Nonetheless, I think there's hardly ever a justification for asking other people to perform "a day or two" of work to set up something, even in exchange for years of solid deployment. A day or two, multiplied by thousands of Windows developers, adds up to several man-years of entirely avoidable work.
Entirely avoidable, because it's Google's job, not ours, to package up this Omaha thingy into a neat binary with a neat API that any project can easily use. It's not too difficult to ship a single binary (or collection of binaries) that will work out of the box on every Windows Vista/7/8 PC, with the only dependencies being the Win32 API, vcredist, and perhaps a recent version of .NET Framework. Wrap it all up in an .msi and you're good to go. No need to tell a C# developer, for example, to meddle with Visual C++ or Python.
If the Omaha devs can spend a few weeks to make the setup process as simple as that, now that would have a real chance of adoption.
Also, VS pro is something that a Windows developer could already have. I do not agree to pirating it, though - but MS do provide it for free/cheap if you jump through a few hoops.