Linux

If you are still launching the blue icon named “Windows PowerShell”, you are using technology from 2016. pwsh (PowerShell 7+) is the modern, open-source, and cross-platform evolution of PowerShell. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and it’s the future of PowerShell. This guide explains why you should be using modern PowerShell and provides a complete, step-by-step tutorial for installing it on both Windows and Linux. Why Switch to Modern PowerShell? Windows PowerShell (v5.1): Built on the legacy .NET Framework. It is included with Windows but is now in maintenance mode, receiving only security fixes. PowerShell (v7+): Built on modern .NET. It’s open source, receives active feature updates, and is optimized for cloud and cross-platform automation. PowerShell 7 runs side-by-side with the older Windows PowerShell, so you can safely install it without breaking legacy scripts. Key features include: ...

In modern IT, we rarely work in a pure environment. While PowerShell is the superior tool for structured automation, we often need to interact with other shells: Bash on Linux and CMD on Windows. Instead of choosing between them, a true power user masters their interoperability. This guide covers the essential “bridging” techniques to make these shells work together, built on one central concept. Part 1: The Core Concept - Objects vs. Text Understanding interoperability is simple if you remember one rule: PowerShell works with Objects; Bash and CMD work with Text. ...

PowerShell Remoting is a cornerstone of Windows administration and automation. For years, it was synonymous with one protocol: WinRM. But with modern PowerShell and the ubiquity of SSH, we now have a powerful, cross-platform alternative. So, which protocol should you use? WinRM or SSH? This guide provides the definitive answer. We’ll explore the fundamental differences between the protocols, provide practical, step-by-step instructions for using both, and give clear recommendations for when to choose each one. ...

When I tried to activate Microsoft Office in a corporate or restricted network environment, I encountered frustrating activation failures. Even with a valid license, Office activation can fail if it cannot communicate with Microsoft’s activation servers. This is almost always due to a firewall blocking the necessary outbound traffic. Note: This guide assumes you have already installed Microsoft Office. If you need a guide on how to automate the installation of Office 2021, see our companion article: Automate Office 2021 Install & Remove Old Versions ...

Creating a full, bootable backup of a USB drive as an .iso or .img file is a critical task for IT professionals and tech enthusiasts. Whether I am archiving a custom Windows installer, preserving a Linux live environment, or creating deployment images, a sector-by-sector clone ensures that the bootloader, partition table, and all data are perfectly preserved. This guide provides three reliable methods to clone a bootable USB drive, catering to different user preferences: the command-line power of PowerShell with WSL, the simplicity of a GUI tool on Windows, and the classic dd command on Linux. ...

If I am a user of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), I might have noticed that when I plug in a USB flash drive, it doesn’t automatically appear in my Linux environment. Unlike my C: drive, which is typically mounted at /mnt/c, WSL does not automatically mount removable drives. Fortunately, accessing my USB drive from within WSL is a straightforward process. This guide will walk through the two primary methods I use for mounting a USB drive in WSL2, from a simple drive letter mount to accessing the raw physical disk. ...