It’s just got easier to install Microsoft PowerShell on Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Fedora.

Microsoft has brought PowerShell Core to the Snap Store as a Snap application. The move allows Linux users and admins on various distros to run the latest version of PowerShell securely and safely across desktop, laptop and IoT.

“Snaps are great because they provide a single package format that works across many Linux distributions, much like how PowerShell acts as a single automation platform across operating systems,” enthuses Joey Aiello, Program Manager of PowerShell at Microsoft.

What is PowerShell?

Wikipedia describes PowerShell as “…a task automation and configuration management framework […] consisting of a command-line shell and associated scripting language.”

Once exclusive to the Windows operating system, Microsoft chose to open-source PowerShell in 2016, bringing it to Linux and macOS in the process. The app is built using the open-source .NET Core framework and supports.

For more details and thorough documentation check out the PowerShell Core support site.

How to Install PowerShell on Ubuntu

To install PowerShell on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS or later all you need to do is pop open a terminal and run the following command:

snap install powershell --classic

This will download and install PowerShell Core snap app on your system.

As this is a command-line app you won’t find a fancy icon for it in your application mention. Instead, to use PowerShell just open your favourite terminal emulator and run:

pwsh

If you fancy toying with a more cutting-edge (and potentially more buggy) version, Microsoft also has you covered. Just run this command

snap install powershell-preview --classic

And, to run:

pwsh-preview

Don’t like Snaps? Regular Linux builds are available to

Microsoft also provides “traditional” Linux packages through the packages.microsoft.com website and the PowerShell Github release page — perfect for those who want the app but on run a lean, mean and Snap-free system.

And despite the appearance of the PowerShell Core Snap app Microsoft’s Joey Aiello stresses that the software giant has “no plans” to discontinue its other Linux packages.

Worth installing? I’ll let you decide…

Not being overly familiar with Windows system administration, management or development myself I can’t attest to the useful of the app.

But it’s arrival on the Snap store is a big deal, and a continued sign of Microsoft’s support for Canonical’s Snap package format. The company released a Skype Snap app earlier this year.