Salt is a new approach to infrastructure management built on a dynamic communication bus. Salt can be used for data-driven orchestration, remote execution for any infrastructure, configuration management for any app stack, and much more.
Publisher’s description
What is Salt Minion?
Salt Minion by SaltStack, Inc is open-source Windows software in the it administration category. It ranks 2nd by popularity among it administration in this catalogue. It is written in Python.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) and MSI installers for 64-bit Windows. The main installer is 72.1 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 3008.3, released on September 30, 2026. The version history goes back to July 17, 2024: 15 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 6.8 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 1,257,544 times. The source code on GitHub (saltstack/salt) has 15,720 stars. Similar programs include GLPI Agent, MeshCommander and WinBox.
Project description on GitHub: “Software to automate the management and configuration of infrastructure and applications at scale.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 6.8 a year)
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Salt Minion is an open-source it administration tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Salt Minion safe to download?
- The file is served by packages.broadcom.com; check that it is the publisher’s official mirror
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
EDF0B224C46E80F6F95E4C56AD8C9E2BBDF4E72271E3D2AD97C6D04213382B81· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the saltstack/salt repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Security policy10
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Licence declared10
- Branch protection8
- No binaries in the repository6
- Pinned dependencies5
- Code review1
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Restricted token permissions0
- Fuzzing0
- Static code analysis0
- Signed releases0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 15 versions ›15 versions over 2 years · about 6.8 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3008.3Latest | September 30, 2026 | 72.1 MB | 64-bit MSI64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3008.2 | July 1, 2026 | 72.2 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3008.1 | June 11, 2026 | 72.2 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3008.0 | May 27, 2026 | 71.7 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3007.14 | April 29, 2026 | 68.2 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3007.13 | February 12, 2026 | 68.2 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3007.12 | February 5, 2026 | 68.3 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3007.11 | January 9, 2026 | 65.1 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id SaltStack.SaltMinion -echoco install saltminion -ySalt-Minion-3008.3-Py3-AMD64-Setup.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- SaltStack, Inc
- Category
- IT administration
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/saltstack/salt
- Written in
- Python
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS), MSI
- Version
- 3008.3
- Released
- September 30, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- July 17, 2024
- Versions listed
- 15
- Updates / year
- 6.8
- Chocolatey downloads
- 1,257,544
- GitHub stars
- 15,720
- GitHub forks
- 5,605
- Website
- saltproject.io
- winget ID
- SaltStack.SaltMinion
- Chocolatey package
- saltminion
- MSI product code
- {858C6DAA-581C-440C-8B23-87DE4CA1DF1F}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Salt Minion free?
Yes. Salt Minion is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is Salt Minion safe to download?
The download comes from packages.broadcom.com; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Salt Minion with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Salt Minion be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does Salt Minion run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Salt Minion?
The versions page lists all 15 versions with links to their official installer files, back to July 17, 2024.
What are alternatives to Salt Minion?
GLPI Agent, MeshCommander, WinBox, EPA SWMM 5.2.4 (64-bit) and CMTrace Open. The alternatives page compares them.
