Windows Cmd.Exe Deposed By Powershell

Megalith

Megalith

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Is Microsoft planning to replace the command prompt with PowerShell? Probably, although it isn’t set in stone yet. Those with the latest preview build should be able to see the change.

"In an effort to bring the best command line experiences to the forefront for all power users, PowerShell is now the de facto command shell from File Explorer," said Dona Sarkar, software engineer in Microsoft's Windows and devices group, in a blog post. "It replaces Command Prompt (aka 'cmd.exe') in the WIN + X menu, in File Explorer's File menu, and in the context menu that appears when you shift-right-click the whitespace in File Explorer." Typing "cmd" in File Explorer's address bar (or the more obvious "powershell") will launch PowerShell at that location. The Command Prompt isn't dead yet, however. Committed traditionalists can disable the change through the Taskbar menu.
 
As long as it has the old familiar commands (which I'm sure it does) I don't see a big problem with this except maybe the default color scheme of Powershell. ;)
 
Good, cmd.exe is pretty dated. I started using powershell exclusively a few years ago after I got sick of typing "ls" into the command prompt over and over just to be told that it's not a valid command. If you use a variety of operating systems the old Windows command prompt is annoying with it's lack of features. Powershell is fine, with the exception of it's really weird scripting language that's based on .NET but is also somehow totally unrelated to any other .NET language syntax-wise. They would have been better off with a scripting language that was either more like shellscript or more like C# or Javascript. Every time I use it I feel like I need to look up every command.
 
It does have the commands aliased, but the syntax isn't the same (dir is fine dir /s/b isn't).

There are builds of GNU core utils for use under windows. Git comes with a copy of msys compiled binaries in the usr/bin directory (https://git-scm.com/download/win).
 
The option's been there for a while, they are just turning it on by default. If just for the fact that cut and paste works more like what people expect they change is long due.
 
Finally. Oh and remember PowerShell v5.0 supports standard emacs keybindings via PSReadLine (4 can import the module I believe but it just works in 5)
 
Considering DOS has been dead since like Windows 2000, cmd.exe is really just a skin for running various system commands.

So this is more like choosing Bash over CSH or KSH or whatever in Linux. It's still a command line of the same system. Just different syntax as far as the user sees it.

Having Powershell is fine, and from I have read it has made great strides when compared to Linux (like adding Perl like arrays and hashes and offering regular expression), but most people use cmd.exe for very simple and straight forward tasks (like running diskpart), so I don't see any reason to get rid of it.
 
I like the way microsoft is going. First we had dos then finally we get a gui and things actually improved. Now we got powershell which goes back to another dos just a different dos with ten times more commands. Its a step backwards if you ask me. Take Server 2016 most of all the commands now you have to type them out in Powershell when before you had a GUI.....

It's a step backwards. I have talked to server guys and they hate it too miss the gui for configurations now its all powershell. For something that took mintues to setup now takes 3 times as long to do in powershell.
 
I use take command as a CMD replacement. I highly recommend getting it if you do a lot on the command line. https://jpsoft.com/

I thought powershell wasn't all that great personally things never quite worked as I expected, probably more due to my not using it cause the normal cmd was easier. When I started really needing to automate some things I moved to take command and never looked back. It is 100% compatible to cmd in every way so all batch files will run, but it has a super set of other better commands built in that you can use in custom batch files (.btm) that will run in a take command CLI.
 
Wolf_Tech said:
I like the way microsoft is going. First we had dos then finally we get a gui and things actually improved. Now we got powershell which goes back to another dos just a different dos with ten times more commands. Its a step backwards if you ask me. Take Server 2016 most of all the commands now you have to type them out in Powershell when before you had a GUI.....

It's a step backwards. I have talked to server guys and they hate it too miss the gui for configurations now its all powershell. For something that took mintues to setup now takes 3 times as long to do in powershell.
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Maybe they asked a bunch of linux guys why they liked Linux and they said "scripting". So Microsoft thought "of course, we'll make an operating system that is all scripting! You don't have to move a mouse, you can write a script to move the mouse for you!"
 
Wolf_Tech said:
It's a step backwards. I have talked to server guys and they hate it too miss the gui for configurations now its all powershell. For something that took mintues to setup now takes 3 times as long to do in powershell.
Click to expand...

That's just learning curve, I was initially a little uneasy but now I couldn't do without it. Anything you have to do more than a handful of times just goes into a script.
 
I have no problem with this. Been using powershell for years now and I'm ready for cmd to die.
 
westrock2000 said:
Maybe they asked a bunch of linux guys why they liked Linux and they said "scripting". So Microsoft thought "of course, we'll make an operating system that is all scripting! You don't have to move a mouse, you can write a script to move the mouse for you!"
Click to expand...

That might be ok for people who spend all day working with scripts on server, but it's a real pain for small business admins.

I do everything from installing desktops, imaging laptops, installing phones, working on Exchange & SQL, along with support numerous apps. When it comes to a server I need to be able to just drill down in the GUI to find what I need. Instead I now have to Google the command and it's parameters and have to type in a paragraph for something that should be just a few clicks. NOT progress.
 
nutzo said:
That might be ok for people who spend all day working with scripts on server, but it's a real pain for small business admins.

I do everything from installing desktops, imaging laptops, installing phones, working on Exchange & SQL, along with support numerous apps. When it comes to a server I need to be able to just drill down in the GUI to find what I need. Instead I now have to Google the command and it's parameters and have to type in a paragraph for something that should be just a few clicks. NOT progress.
Click to expand...

I agree wholeheartedly. There are people who think that Linux is the greatest thing because it is so flexible, but that flexibility comes with a big cost: the commands have to be memorized instead of having them right in front of you. The advantage of a gui is having the command you need for the context you are at right in front of you. An admin doesn't need to have the commands available to set a DHCP reservation or adjust network routing when he's in the file system looking for what is taking up so much space. The flexibility and scripting that they want is in Windows, it just requires using a different context.

There are others who claim that they don't like Windows because of the overhead the gui creates, but the overhead of the gui is so small that their argument makes no sense. Yeah, ok, so Windows takes up 1-2GB of extra memory to have the gui around to help, but that is a very small price on a machine with 32-64GB of operational memory. The contextual interface allows for less expensive support, by 20-30%, and support people are nearly half most IT budgets. Yeah, sure, you can use "free" Linux, but when it costs $80,000/yr for a decent Linux admin when you can get a good Windows admin for $60,000/yr, that $700 license and $2000 in CALs doesn't look so bad.
 
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