Can you use linux on powershell?

PowerShell and Bash are both powerful command-line shells, but they differ significantly in design, syntax, and capabilities. Here’s a detailed comparison to help you understand their strengths and use-cases:

• PowerShell is ideal for automation, system administration, and tasks requiring structured data manipulation, especially in mixed or Windows-centric environments.

• Bash excels at quick scripting, Unix/Linux system management, and chaining classic command-line tools.

• PowerShell can invoke Bash commands (especially on WSL), but Bash cannot natively process PowerShell objects.

• Both shells are now available cross-platform, enabling flexible workflows for developers and sysadmins.

For most DevOps and automation tasks, choose the shell that best matches your environment, scripting style, and integration needs.

Takeaway: PowerShell can host Bash; Bash cannot natively interpret PowerShell objects.

On Ubuntu and Debian based Linux distributions, you can install PowerShell using the following commands.

For Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, install prerequisites:

# Install necessary packages for adding Microsoft repository and installing PowerShell
sudo apt-get install -y wget apt-transport-https software-properties-common

# Add Microsoft repository and key
sudo apt update && \
  sudo apt install -y wget gnupg && \
  # Download and add Microsoft's GPG key to the trusted keys list
  wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/microsoft.asc && \
  # Add the Microsoft repository for PowerShell
  sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture)] https://packages.microsoft.com/ubuntu/22.04/prod jammy main"

# Update package list and install PowerShell
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y powershell

# Launch PowerShell
pwsh

# Run a Linux binary to verify the environment
uname -a

Output
Linux penguin 6.5.0-23-generic #24-Ubuntu ...

On Windows, you can use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to run Linux commands in PowerShell.

On Windows:

# Enable WSL & install Ubuntu‑24.04 distro
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04

PowerShell ↔ Linux command pass‑through:

PS C:\> wsl ls -lah /home
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Jul 1 ...

PS C:\> wsl cat /etc/os-release | sls VERSION
VERSION="22.04.4 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)"

To install PowerShell (pwsh) inside Ubuntu WSL, run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y wget apt-transport-https software-properties-common
wget -q "https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/22.04/packages-microsoft-prod.deb"
sudo dpkg -i packages-microsoft-prod.deb
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y powershell

Now you can run PowerShell commands inside Ubuntu WSL:

PS /home/ubuntu> pwsh

You can also use PowerShell Remoting to run Linux commands from Windows PowerShell.

# Connect to a Linux host
Enter-PSSession -ComputerName <linux-host>

# Run Linux commands
ls -l /home

# Exit the session

Create mixed.ps1 with:

# Call native Linux grep from PowerShell
wsl grep -R "ERROR" /var/log/syslog | Select‑String -Pattern 'auth'

# Pipe PS object to bash via JSON
Get‑Process | ConvertTo‑Json | wsl jq '.[] | select(.CPU > 1)'

Run from Windows or Linux host.

Alias Bash cmd in PowerShell profile ($HOME/.config/powershell/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1):

Set‑Alias grep wsl grep
Set‑Alias jq wsl jq

# Run from Windows or Linux host
.\mixed.ps1

When working across Linux (Bash) and Windows (PowerShell), many administrative and scripting tasks are similar in intent but differ in syntax and available commands.

Below is a quick reference table showing how to perform common file and system operations in both environments. This can help you adapt scripts or commands when moving between Bash and PowerShell, especially in hybrid or WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) setups.

• The Bash commands are typically run on Linux systems or within WSL on Windows.
• The PowerShell equivalents are designed for Windows, but many can be used in PowerShell Core on Linux or via remoting.
• For package management, PowerShell itself does not manage Linux packages, but you can invoke Bash commands from PowerShell when using WSL or remote sessions.

This table is a starting point—many more tasks can be translated similarly. When porting scripts, always check for command-line differences and test in your target environment.

1. Can PowerShell run Linux commands?

Yes, PowerShell can run Linux commands, but how you do it depends on your environment:

• On Windows with WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux):
  You can invoke Linux commands from PowerShell by prefixing them with wsl. For example:

  wsl ls -la /home
  wsl grep "pattern" file.txt
  

  This runs the command inside your default WSL distribution and returns the output to PowerShell.

• On Linux or macOS (with PowerShell Core):
  PowerShell Core (pwsh) runs natively on Linux and macOS. You can execute native Linux commands directly, just as you would in Bash:

  ls -la /var/log
  grep "error" /var/log/syslog
  

  PowerShell will pass these commands to the underlying shell.

• From PowerShell scripts:
  You can use the Invoke-Expression cmdlet or call commands directly:

  Invoke-Expression "ls -l /tmp"
  

2. Is PowerShell available on Linux?

Yes, PowerShell Core (now simply called “PowerShell”) is fully supported on Linux.

• Installation:
  You can install PowerShell on most major Linux distributions. For example, on Ubuntu:

  # Install prerequisites
  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install -y wget apt-transport-https software-properties-common
  
  # Import the Microsoft repository
  wget -q "https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/$(lsb_release -rs)/packages-microsoft-prod.deb"
  sudo dpkg -i packages-microsoft-prod.deb
  
  # Install PowerShell
  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install -y powershell
  
  # Start PowerShell
  pwsh
  

• Usage:
  Once installed, launch PowerShell by typing pwsh in your terminal.

• Features:
  Most core PowerShell features and modules work on Linux, but some Windows-specific modules (like those for managing Windows services or the registry) are not available.

3. Can I use Bash and PowerShell together?

Yes, you can use Bash and PowerShell together in several ways:

• From PowerShell, call Bash commands:

  • On Windows with WSL:

    wsl echo "Hello from Bash"
    wsl uname -a
    

  • On Linux/macOS, just call Bash commands directly:

    bash -c "echo Hello from Bash"
    

• From Bash, call PowerShell scripts:

  If PowerShell (pwsh) is installed, you can invoke PowerShell scripts from Bash:

  pwsh -Command "Get-Process | Where-Object { \$_.CPU -gt 100 }"
  

• Hybrid scripts:
  You can write scripts that mix Bash and PowerShell by invoking one from the other as needed. For example, a Bash script can call a PowerShell script for Windows-specific tasks, and vice versa.

• Interoperability Example:

  # PowerShell script calling a Bash command
  $result = wsl whoami
  Write-Output "Current WSL user: $result"
  

  # Bash script calling a PowerShell command
  pwsh -Command "Get-Date"
  

4. Do I need WSL to use Linux in PowerShell?

You only need WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) if you want to run native Linux binaries and commands from PowerShell on Windows.

• On Windows:

  • With WSL:
    You can run Linux commands and scripts directly from PowerShell using the wsl prefix.
  • Without WSL:
    PowerShell cannot run native Linux commands unless you use another compatibility layer (like Cygwin or Git Bash), but these are not as seamless as WSL.

• On Linux/macOS:
  PowerShell Core (pwsh) runs natively, and you can execute Linux commands directly—no WSL required.

Example (Windows with WSL):

# PowerShell script calling a Bash command
$result = wsl whoami
Write-Output "Current WSL user: $result"

In this tutorial, you learned how to bridge the gap between Bash and PowerShell, enabling seamless interoperability between Linux and Windows command-line environments. This includes how to invoke PowerShell commands from Bash and vice versa, writing hybrid scripts that leverage both shells for cross-platform automation, and practical examples of calling Bash from PowerShell and PowerShell from Bash.

Additionally, key considerations for environment variables, path formats, and output encoding when mixing shells were covered. The role of WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) in running Linux commands on Windows, and how PowerShell Core enables native Linux command execution on Linux/macOS were also explored. By mastering these techniques, you can streamline your workflow, automate complex tasks across platforms, and make the most of both shell environments.

Next Steps:

• Deepen your command-line skills with Learning to Love Your Terminal
• Explore essential Linux Commands: A Comprehensive Guide

These resources will help you become even more proficient and productive in your terminal journey.