How to install bash on windows 10

September 28th, 2016

Summary: Learn about the Windows Subsystem for Linux that runs on top of Windows 10.

Today we have a guest article written by Stefan Roth. Take it away Stefan …

Hi, my name is Stefan Roth, and I am a Cloud and Datacenter MVP. In a couple of posts, I would like to show you how cool it is that Microsoft is touching the Linux world. Myself, I am a 100% Microsoft fan, but, as you can read all over the Internet…Microsoft loves Linux. This is not just a one-night stand. Microsoft is really serious about Linux support in all cloud scenarios (private, public, and hybrid). Therefore, we start with something really cool.

I will start a three-part series that touches a few parts of the Linux direction that Microsoft is taking. My first post gives you an overview of Bash on Windows 10 by using Secure Shell (SSH). We’ll run a script that installs the prerequisites and sets up a desired state configuration (DSC) environment. The second post will show you how to install .NET Core and PowerShell on Linux by using DSC. The last part will use Azure Automation DSC and the Operations Management Suite injection API for some fun.

The anniversary update

Microsoft released the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on August 2nd. One awesome new feature is the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) that runs on top of Windows 10. What does that mean? This subsystem allows you to run native Linux binaries on Windows. If you remember back to Windows NT, there was already a POSIX subsystem available for Unix-based applications. Because the Windows NT kernel was designed to run such subsystems, Microsoft could use this architecture and build a subsystem for Linux. Exactly how this works is explained in the Windows Subsystem for Linux Overview blog post.

Why should we care at all? Good question. I think there is a short-term goal and a long-term goal. If you watched Technical Fellow Jeffrey Snover announcing PowerShell on Linux and Open Sourced , Jeffrey mentioned a vision to manage any system from any operating system by using Windows PowerShell. One short-term goal is for developers to have a Linux environment available on Windows as also a “native” way to use SSH to connect and manage native Linux systems, which has been requested for years. Scott Hanselmann has released a nice video on his blog, which shows what you can do with Bash and explains some more details.

Install Bash on Windows

First, let’s install Bash on Windows 10. Make sure that you have the latest Windows 10 Anniversary 64-bit edition and that you have Developer Mode enabled. Open the Settings app and go to Update & security > For developers. Select Developer mode to enable Developer Mode.

Next, use Turn Windows features on or off to turn on Windows Subsystem for Linux (Beta), reboot, and everything is done.

Type Bash in the Run Window, and follow the instructions to complete the setup. Now you are a proud owner of an Ubuntu Bash on Windows 10 that’s waiting for input.

I have a CentOS 7 x64 Linux system called centos installed on my local Hyper-V server. Now let’s connect from your Windows 10 Bash to the CentOS server system by using SSH.

Type within Bash:

ssh [IP OF YOUR SERVER] -l root

Enter your password when prompted.

Note: If you receive a response like this, just confirm by typing yes.

The authenticity of host ‘192.168.32.18 (192.168.32.18)’ can’t be established. ECDSA key fingerprint is 26:b6:fb:b1:de:76:b0:2e:47:68:0b:94:32:00:c9:08. Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

Now you are authenticated as root (root = administrator permission) to the remote system via SSH. If you get an error, check on your Linux server locally to determine if the sshd (SSH daemon) is running by typing:

service sshd status

You should get an output as shown in the following screenshot.

Install the prerequisites

Next, we are going to run a little shell script to download all prerequisites and source for the OMI CIM server and the DSC packages. After successful download, we’ll install the rpm packages (Package Manager for Red Hat).

First, to create the script file, go to /root/Downloads:

1. Type vi install.sh to launch an empty file called install.sh.
2. Type i to insert text.
3. Paste the script that follows these steps.
4. Type Esc key to change vi editor mode.
5. Type :.
6. Type wq! to write and quit.

It should look like this…

Shell script:

#####################################################################################

#! /bin/sh
# Get prerequisites for OMI CIM server and DSC
# Install the Development Tools
# Get groups by running => yum groupinstall
yum -y groupinstall 'Development Tools'

# Install python and header files
yum -y install python
yum -y install python-devel

# Install authentication modules
yum -y install pam-devel

# Install openssl
yum -y install openssl-devel

# Change to the Downloads directory
cd /root/Downloads

# Download the OMI CIM server package
wget https://github.com/Microsoft/omi/releases/download/v1.1.0-0/omi-1.1.0.ssl_100.x64.rpm

# Download the DSC for Linux package
wget https://github.com/Microsoft/PowerShell-DSC-for-Linux/releases/download/v1.1.1-294/dsc-1.1.1-294.ssl_100.x64.rpm

# Run rpm package manager for the OMI CIM server package
sudo rpm -Uvh omi-1.1.0.ssl_100.x64.rpm

# Run rpm package manager for the DSC package
sudo rpm -Uvh dsc-1.1.1-294.ssl_100.x64.rpm
###############################################################################

Next, to set the permission to the script as executable, type:

chmod +x install.sh

Finally, execute the script. The install process will kick off, and you will see the installation.

Note: If you get an error like “…Another app is currently holding the yum lock”, the yum installer is running in the background. To temporarily prevent the database lock, use the following command to stop the daemon.

Stop yum installer

service packagekit stop

Run the script again ./install.sh. If everything worked, you should have a prompt again and run the next command to see the status of the OMI CIM server.

OMI CIM server status

service omid status

At this point, OMI CIM server and DSC Linux components are installed – up and running.

Testing it

If you want to explore your installation, there are few commands which might help you to troubleshoot OMI CIM server and DSC.

OMI Server

Show OMI server version:

/opt/omi/bin/omiserver -v

Show OMI server help:

/opt/omi/bin/omiserver -h

Shows the OMI server configuration file

vi /etc/opt/omi/conf/omiserver.conf

Shows the OMI server log file

vi /var/opt/omi/log/omiserver.log

DSC

Get DSC configuration

/opt/microsoft/dsc/Scripts/GetDscConfiguration.py

Get LCM configuration

/opt/microsoft/dsc/Scripts/GetDscLocalConfigurationManager.py

Install a DSC custom module

/opt/microsoft/dsc/Scripts/InstallModule.py /tmp/cnx_Resource.zip

Remove a DSC custom module

/opt/microsoft/dsc/Scripts/RemoveModule.py cnx_Resource

Applies a configuration MOF file to the computer

/opt/microsoft/dsc/Scripts/StartDscLocalConfigurationManager.py –configurationmof /tmp/localhost.mof

Applies a Meta Configuration MOF file to the compute

/opt/microsoft/dsc/Scripts/SetDscLocalConfigurationManager.py –configurationmof /tmp/localhost.meta.mof

Shows the DSC log file

vi /var/opt/omi/log/dsc.log

Summary

First, we installed the Windows Subsystem for Linux and used Bash to make a connection to a Linux server by using SSH. From this shell, we ran an installation script to install OMI CIM Server and DSC for Linux.

You might have noticed that we never had to leave the Bash window. We could manage the Linux server from Windows 10 without logging in to the Linux server console. One small but important goodie I like is that we are also able to copy from Windows and paste to the Bash window as we did tocreate the shell script file.

Thank you, Stefan.

I invite you to follow me on Twitter and Facebook. If you have any questions, send email to me at scripter@microsoft.com, or post your questions on the Official Scripting Guys Forum. Also check out my Microsoft Operations Management Suite Blog. Until then, peace.

Ed Wilson, Microsoft Scripting Guy

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Use the Linux command line in Windows

What to Know

• Developer Mode: Right-click Start menu > select Settings > Update & Security > For developers.
• Next: Select Developer mode > Yes > enable Windows Subsystem For Linux > restart.
• Use bash: Right-click Start menu > select Windows PowerShell (Admin) > type «bash» > press Enter.

This article explains how to install and setup bash to use Linux commands on the 64-bit version of Windows 10.

How to Turn on Windows Developer Mode

To enable developer functions for Windows:

1. Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.

2. Select Update & Security.

3. Select For developers on the left side.

4. Select Developer mode.

5. Select Yes to confirm, then wait for the developer package to install.

6. Type Windows Features in the desktop search bar and select Turn Windows Features On Or Off.

7. Check the box beside Windows Subsystem For Linux and select OK.

8. Select Restart now in the dialog box to reboot your computer to apply the changes.

How to Use Bash in Windows

After your computer reboots, you’re ready to set up bash for Windows:

1. Go to the Microsoft Store and select the Linux distribution of your choice. Install it then launch it.

2. Wait for the distribution to finish installing, then create a username in the command window and press Enter. During the first-run process, you’ll have to engage in some basic configuration, depending on the distribution. Often, you must specify a username and password.

3. After the installation is successful, close the window and right-click the Start menu, then select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

4. Type bash in the terminal window and press Enter.

You now have a core version of Ubuntu installed on your system without any graphical desktops or subsystem. Therefore, you can now use Linux commands to communicate with the Windows file structure. Anytime you want to run the Linux command line, open the PowerShell or the command prompt and enter bash.

What You Need to Install Bash on Windows

To run bash, your computer needs to be running a 64-bit version of Windows with a version number no lower than 14393, so update Windows 10 to the latest version before you begin. In order to run the Linux shell, you need to turn on Windows developer mode and enable the Linux subsystem.

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In this post, I will show how to install Bash on Windows 10 and quickly go through some of my experiences with this new Windows feature.

During the Build 2016 keynote, Microsoft made a big announcement: “The Bash shell is coming to Windows.” No one saw that coming. This feature means so much for developers because it allows them to run native Bash on Ubuntu on Windows 10.

It looks like Microsoft listened to feedback and has made it easier for everyone to use open source tools natively on Windows. We should not expect to see support for KDE or Gnome-like Linux desktop experiences, but it is intended for developers to make their lives easier while making the two ecosystems more integrated.

First things first, yes, it runs on Ubuntu. However, it is not an Ubuntu virtual machine or container running on top of Windows. You can think of it as an emulator that translates Linux calls into Windows OS calls. Native Ubuntu binaries are running directly in Windows Subsystem for Linux.

To start with Bash, you must have the latest Windows Insider (Build 14316). It is part of the fast ring of updates.

Next, you need to enable developer mode under Update and Security:

Now you can add the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature using the “Turn Windows Feature on or off” menu:

After the restart, you are ready to go.

Simply open cmd or PowerShell and type “Bash.”

On the first attempt, you will need to accept the terms, and Bash will be ready in a couple of seconds.

For those with previous experience with Ubuntu or Bash, you’re ready to go! Just start by using your favorite commands. In the beta version, most of the commands are available, such as ssh, apt, find, mysql, python, perl, md5sum, gpg, curl, wget, apache, mysql, python, perl, ruby, php, gcc, diff, and patch.

You can see that all default Windows drives are mounted under /mnt.

The Ubuntu file system can be found here:

Now, let’s try some cool things.

You can simply SSH to any system without having Putty installed. It just works.

I started my “scripting” career with PowerShell. Yes, I had some bad experiences with VBScript, but PowerShell was a milestone for me. Once I learned most of the concepts, such as statements, loops, variables, etc., I decided to jump over to Python as its syntax is also super easy and allows you to enable a bunch of different automation scenarios.

On my Windows 10 client, I usually install Python and then start to play with it. However, as far as I know, it should already be enabled on Ubuntu, so I just checked it.

Yes. Python 2 and 3 are already installed and embedded, so we can say that Windows 10 comes with Python installed by default.

That’s great as you can simply start developing with Python and install additional modules or packages. For instance, if you are interested in game development, you can install one of the popular modules, PYgame, using the following command in Windows:

One thing I realized with Bash is that DNS was not working properly. I’m not sure if it’s a bug or expected configuration, but you need to run the following command with your DNS Server IP address to fix this issue:

In conclusion, if you are a Windows Insider and want to check how Bash does in Windows 10, go ahead and try it out. Microsoft also continues to collect feedback regarding Bash support on Windows Command-line UserVoice portal.

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In my next post, I will give you have tips of what you can do with Windows 10 Bash.

Microsoft’s interest in the open-source world has an exciting outcome; it allows you to run Linux on the Windows machine. You should be able to install a bash shell on Windows that will let you execute Linux commands on Windows!

You read it right, what more you can do this without the need to create a virtual machine or dual boot Windows and Linux.

In this tutorial, you shall know how to install and enable Bash shell on Windows 10. Also, we shall show you how to uninstall the Bash shell just in case you do not want it anymore.

Installing Linux Bash Shell on Windows 10

Before installing the Linux Bash Shell, you need to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature.

Enabling the Windows Subsystem for Linux

Step 1. On your Windows machine, launch the start menu.

Step 2. In the search bar, search for the Windows PowerShell application, right-click and run it as administrator.

Step 3. When the PowerShell opens, run the below command to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature.

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux

The command may take some time. When done, it should prompt you to restart your machine.

After your machine restarts, you can move on to the next section to start downloading and installing the Bash Shell.

Installing Bash Shell on Windows

Step 1. Launch the Microsoft Store.

Step 2. In the search bar, look for Linux applications. Then select the Ubuntu application and open it.

Step 3. Press the “Get” button to start the download.

Watch your download progress.

Step 4. Ubuntu for Windows has downloaded successfully; you can launch it now.

Step 5. For the first time, it will take a few minutes to set things up.

Step 6. After installation is complete, you should be prompted to create a username and password.

Step 7. You should be all set. You can now start using a Bash Shell on the Windows machine.

Uninstalling Bash Shell on Windows 10

Step 1. You should first uninstall the installed Ubuntu application alongside all its files. Open the settings application from your start menu.

Step 2. Select “Apps” and open it.

Step 3. Select “Apps and Features,” search for the Ubuntu application and click on it.

Step 4. Click the “Uninstall” button.

Step 5. Check the uninstallation progress.

Step 6. Now let’s disable the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature. Open PowerShell and run it as administrator.

Step 7. Use the following command below to disable the Windows Subsystem for the Linux feature.

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux

That’s all about installing and uninstalling the Bash shell on your Windows system.