News Microsoft open-sources PowerShell

So why on earth would you use PowerShell when the Bash shell is now available in Windows?

 

Yeah I never quite understood that either. The way I see it, Microsoft implemented this as a way to help Linux [server] users transition to Windows. However, it can easily work the other way around.

 

I've never understood why Microsoft didn't just improve the command prompt, I'm probably missing some technically reason though.

 

I've always wondered the same thing. Even in Linux, you can access different shells within the same terminal window or TTY. For example, you can switch between sh, bash, zsh, and so on. I don't see that as being any different than using the classic DOS command prompt vs PowerShell in a cmd window for Windows.

 

most probably for backward purposes, a lot of old school stuff (programs) that use thecomamnd prompt that might just break if they started modifying the environment.

 

I think the issue is how command prompt was designed. command prompt today is practically an emulation of the old days of command prompt from DOS (pre-NT kernel) and correct me if I'm wrong there wasn't that much of a kernel to connect to before. The design of the linux kernel though is very different, that might be the reason as well as how it easy it is for MS to bring bash to windows, and powershell to linux. maybe.

 

I wasn't saying they should drop the command prompt dyzophoria, quiet the opposite, i was wondering why they didn't just improve, develop, or whatever, the command prompt to support what powershell does, it seems Microsoft has a habit of developing something better instead of just making what they already have better, instead of building on what's already there they seem to come out with new things and leave the old stuff by the wayside.

 

As dyz said it's probably down to the design and implementation of command prompt. Everything from the language to the architecture most likely didn't suit the requirements of powershell. Also trying to improve command prompt to the point that it is essentially powershell is probably difficult without breaking backwards compatibility. Programmers also like to start things from scratch.

 

Back-compatibility. They have companies running .bat files that are twenty-five years old and refuse to update them. CMD.EXE behavior needs to be stable to avoid breakage.

Hence, PowerShell. It doesn't need to be back-compatible with every bizarre quirk, or even the basic functionality. It gave them a chance to rebuild from the ground up, beholden to no existing standard or expectation.

Basically because Windows doesn't have a concept of a terminal the way the Unix-descended OSes do. You don't have cmd.exe running on top of a session inside a terminal emulator. The entire window itself IS cmd.exe So you'd have one application completely transferring ownership of its window to another technically-unrelated application.

That said, such mechanisms have existed for as long as Windows has had a DOS prompt, so you CAN change shells on a whim. If you are running cmd.exe and type powershell, PS DOES take over the window until you type exit. And vice-versa.