I don't understand why the VS channels that are defined in the Windows registry, do not show up within the VS Installer GUI under the "Available" tab (in addition to the "Installed" tab. On nets without Internet, the "Installed" tab is currently pointless. I was hoping to push out the VS installer to machines and the Windows registry configuration that defines channels for Enterprise, Pro and Community, and then let folks launch the Installer and select, under the "Available" tab, the appropriate channel from the layout shares I've provided. But instead it appears that it will be necessary to perform the initial VS install via a mechanism other than the Installer GUI, such as MECM. The CHANNELS ONLY FUNCTION FOR UPDATES AND HAVE NO VALUE FOR INITIAL DEPLOYMENT. Why not?

Why do the ADMX files not enable the definition of update channels? Why is it necessary to perform free-form, unconstrained registry editing to configure the update channels, but all the other configuration settings can be made with the assistance (safety harness) of the mechanism of ADMX?

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