PowerShell Basics #1: Setting Up Your Environment

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:33:22 +1000

TL;DR

PowerShell is a cross-platform, object-oriented shell & scripting language for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Install PowerShell 7+ Core via Winget alongside Windows Terminal for the optimal command-line experience.

Understand the difference between legacy Windows PowerShell 5.1 and modern cross-platform PowerShell 7+.

PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language from Microsoft for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It helps automate administrative tasks and manage infrastructure cleanly.

Command-line shell: Interactive prompt with tab completion & predictive IntelliSense
Scripting language: Write complete, reusable scripts (.ps1) to automate complex workflows
Object-oriented: Commands (cmdlets) pass rich .NET objects through the pipeline, not raw text strings
Cross-platform: Runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS (PowerShell 7+)

Windows PowerShell 5.1 vs. PowerShell 7+
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Feature	Windows PowerShell 5.1	PowerShell 7+ (Core)
Underlying Engine	.NET Framework (Windows only)	.NET 8+ (Cross-platform)
Supported OS	Windows 7 / 10 / 11 / Server	Windows, Linux, macOS
Performance	Standard	High performance & parallel pipeline (ForEach-Object -Parallel)
Executable Name	powershell.exe	pwsh.exe

Note: Windows PowerShell 5.1 comes built into Windows and will remain for backward compatibility. Modern automation should target PowerShell 7+ (pwsh.exe).

Setup on JournalCTL

PowerShell Basics #1: Setting Up Your Environment

Windows PowerShell 5.1 vs. PowerShell 7+ #

Windows PowerShell 5.1 vs. PowerShell 7+
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