Microsoft has open sourced its PowerShell task automation and configuration management framework, making it available on Linux and Mac.
PowerShell features a command-line shell and associated scripting language built on the .NET Framework.
The company is also releasing alpha versions of PowerShell for Linux, specifically Ubuntu, Centos and Redhat, as well as Mac OS X. More platforms are due to be available in the future.
A new PowerShell GitHub page allows users to download binaries of the software, as well as access to the app’s source code.
Microsoft Enterprise Cloud Group technical fellow Jeffrey Snover said: “Now, users across Windows and Linux, current and new PowerShell users, even application developers can experience a rich interactive scripting language as well as a heterogeneous automation and configuration management that works well with your existing tools.”
In the future, the company plans to deliver an official Microsoft released version of PowerShell based on open source to anyone running a supported version of Windows or *nix.
The official Microsoft version will be released after taking in to consideration several issues like community input and business requirements.
The latest move by Microsoft comes after the tech giant open-sourced .NET and started bringing it cross-platform.
Recently, Microsoft partnered with Red Hat, unveiled plans to bring SQL Server to Linux, and brought Linux's Bash shell to Windows 10.
