PowerShell

For decades, the Command Prompt (cmd.exe) was the undisputed command-line interface for Windows. It was simple, reliable, and got the job done. However, with the introduction of PowerShell (pwsh), the game has changed. PowerShell is not just an upgrade; it’s a complete paradigm shift in how we interact with the Windows operating system. So, which one should you be using? This guide will put PowerShell and CMD in a head-to-head battle, comparing their core philosophies, commands, and scripting capabilities to show why PowerShell is the clear winner for any modern administrative or automation task. ...

What truly sets PowerShell apart from traditional command-line shells like Bash or Zsh is its foundational design: it’s built around objects, not text. While other shells pass streams of text between commands, PowerShell passes rich, structured objects. This fundamental difference is PowerShell’s superpower, making it an incredibly efficient and robust tool for automation, data processing, and system administration. This guide will explore what it means to work with objects and how you can leverage the object-oriented pipeline to write cleaner, more powerful, and more reliable scripts. ...

For decades, Bash (Bourne Again Shell) has been the undisputed king of the command line on Linux and other Unix-like systems. It’s powerful, ubiquitous, and has a rich ecosystem of tools built around it. However, with Microsoft open-sourcing PowerShell (pwsh) and making it fully cross-platform, a new contender has entered the Linux arena. So, which shell should you use? This guide provides a head-to-head comparison of PowerShell and Bash, exploring their fundamental differences in philosophy, syntax, and capabilities to help you choose the right tool for the job. ...

In any Windows environment, you’ll inevitably encounter a mix of modern PowerShell scripts and legacy Command Prompt (cmd.exe) batch files. Instead of treating them as separate worlds, you can make them work together. Understanding how PowerShell and CMD can call each other is a crucial skill for any system administrator, allowing you to integrate legacy tools into modern automation workflows. This guide will walk you through the techniques for calling CMD from PowerShell and PowerShell from CMD, enabling you to build powerful, hybrid scripts that leverage the best of both shells. ...

PowerShell is no longer just for Windows. As a powerful, open-source scripting language and shell, PowerShell (pwsh) is now fully supported on Linux, allowing you to manage cross-platform environments, automate tasks, and use a consistent scripting language across your entire infrastructure. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing PowerShell on the most popular Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and Arch Linux. Why Install PowerShell on Linux? Cross-Platform Scripting: Write one script that can run on both Windows and Linux. Object-Oriented Shell: Unlike traditional text-based shells, PowerShell works with objects, making it easier to manipulate and manage data. Powerful Cmdlets: Leverage a rich ecosystem of cmdlets for managing systems, files, and services. Automation: Automate complex administrative tasks across a mixed-OS environment. Method 1: Installing on Debian and Ubuntu This is the most common method and is officially supported by Microsoft. We’ll use Ubuntu 22.04 as an example, but the steps are identical for recent versions of Debian and other Ubuntu derivatives. ...

PowerShell has evolved significantly over the years, and with the release of PowerShell 7, it introduced several modern operators that make scripting more efficient, readable, and aligned with other popular programming languages like C# and JavaScript. This guide provides a deep dive into these new operators, showing you how they can simplify your code and make your scripts more robust. The key operators we’ll cover are: && and || — Pipeline chain operators ?? and ??= — Null-coalescing operators ?: — Ternary operator 1. Conditional Execution: The Pipeline Chain Operators (&& and ||) Introduced: PowerShell 7.0 ...

Querying Active Directory (AD) is a fundamental task for any Windows administrator. Whether you need to generate a report, audit user accounts, or automate a task, PowerShell’s Get-ADUser cmdlet is the most powerful and flexible tool for the job. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started with Get-ADUser, from basic queries to advanced filtering and exporting your results to a CSV file. Prerequisites Before you can use Get-ADUser, you need to have the Active Directory module for PowerShell installed. This is part of the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT). ...

PowerShell is an essential tool for any Windows administrator or power user. However, it’s important to understand that there are two main versions of PowerShell: Windows PowerShell 5.1: The legacy version that comes pre-installed with Windows 10 and 11. It is no longer receiving new features. PowerShell 7 (and newer): The modern, open-source, and cross-platform version (often referred to as pwsh). It is actively developed, faster, and packed with new features. To take advantage of the latest capabilities, you should install the newest version of PowerShell. This guide will walk you through the best ways to do it. ...

If you’ve worked with PowerShell, you’re likely familiar with powershell.exe. But in recent years, a new executable has emerged: pwsh.exe. So, what is pwsh, and how is it different? In short, pwsh is the executable for modern, open-source, and cross-platform PowerShell (version 6 and newer). It represents a fundamental evolution of PowerShell, transforming it from a Windows-only tool into a powerful automation language for any platform. This guide will explore the history of pwsh, its key features, and why you should be using it for all your new scripting and automation projects. ...