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Getting Started: Windows DevOps Development

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Success Criteria

You’ve completed this tutorial when:

  • pwsh --version returns 7.x or higher
  • git --version returns a version string
  • gh auth status shows “Logged in to github.com”
  • docker --version returns a version string
  • az --version returns a version string
  • dotnet run in a new project prints “Hello, World!”

This is a getting-started guide for developers setting up a Windows machine for DevOps work from scratch. Follow it top to bottom and you’ll finish with Git, PowerShell Core, the .NET SDK, Docker, and the Azure CLI installed and verified. It assumes Windows 10 or 11 and an account that can install software (some steps need an elevated PowerShell).

What You’ll Learn

  • Install developer tools with the Winget package manager
  • Configure Git and GitHub CLI so authentication just works
  • Enable PowerShell Remoting for administering remote machines
  • Run Docker containers on Windows
  • Validate the whole setup with one script

Step 1: Install Winget (Package Manager)

Winget is Windows’ built-in package manager. It installs tools from the command line so you’re not hunting through vendor websites for installers.

Check if Winget is Installed

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winget --version

If you see a version number, skip to Step 2. Otherwise, install it:

Via Microsoft Store (easiest):

  1. Open Microsoft Store
  2. Search for “App Installer”
  3. Click “Install”
  4. Restart PowerShell

Via GitHub (manual): Visit releases.microsoft.com/winget and download the latest .msixbundle file.

Step 2: Install PowerShell Core

Windows PowerShell (built-in) is legacy. PowerShell Core (pwsh) is cross-platform and actively maintained.

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winget install Microsoft.PowerShell

Verify the installation:

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pwsh --version

You should see version 7.x or higher.

Going forward, use pwsh for all scripts, not powershell.

Step 3: Install Git and Configure GitHub CLI

Git is the version control system; GitHub CLI automates authentication.

Install Git for Windows

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winget install Git.Git

Verify:

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git --version

Install GitHub CLI

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winget install GitHub.cli

Authenticate with GitHub

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gh auth login

Follow the prompts:

  1. Choose GitHub.com
  2. Select HTTPS
  3. Authenticate with your GitHub credentials
  4. Copy the one-time code and paste it in the browser window that opens

Verify authentication:

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gh auth status

Step 4: Install Development Tools

.NET SDK (for C# development)

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winget install Microsoft.DotNet.SDK.8

Verify:

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dotnet --version

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winget install Microsoft.VisualStudioCode

After installation, install the PowerShell extension in VS Code:

  • Open VS Code
  • Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Extensions)
  • Search for “PowerShell”
  • Install the official Microsoft extension

Docker Desktop

Docker allows you to run containerized applications (databases, message brokers, etc.).

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winget install Docker.DockerDesktop

Important: After installation, restart your computer so Docker can enable Hyper-V.

Verify:

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docker --version

Step 5: Configure PowerShell Remoting

PowerShell Remoting lets you run commands on remote machines. You’ll want it the moment you start managing servers rather than your own laptop. If you’re only working locally for now, you can do the local enable step and skip the remote test.

Enable PowerShell Remoting Locally

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Enable-PSRemoting -SkipNetworkProfileCheck

Answer Y when prompted.

Verify Remoting is Enabled

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Get-PSSessionConfiguration

You should see microsoft.powershell in the list.

Test Remote Commands (Optional)

Test remoting to another computer (requires network access):

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$computerName = "COMPUTER_NAME_OR_IP"
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computerName -ScriptBlock { whoami }

If successful, you’ll see the username of the remote user.

Step 6: Install Azure CLI (Cloud Management)

Azure CLI allows you to manage Azure resources from the command line.

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winget install Microsoft.AzureCLI

Verify:

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az --version

Authenticate with Azure:

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az login

A browser window will open. Log in with your Azure account.

Step 7: Validate Your Setup

Run this comprehensive validation script to confirm everything is installed:

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# PowerShell version (should be 7+)
pwsh --version

# Git
git --version

# GitHub CLI
gh auth status

# .NET SDK
dotnet --version

# Docker
docker --version

# Azure CLI
az --version

# PowerShell Remoting
Get-PSSessionConfiguration | Select-Object Name

All commands should succeed without errors.

Step 8: Create Your First Project

Now that tools are installed, create a simple .NET project:

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# Create a directory for projects
mkdir C:\Projects
cd C:\Projects

# Create a new console app
dotnet new console -n MyFirstApp

# Navigate to the project
cd MyFirstApp

# Run it
dotnet run

You should see “Hello, World!” printed to the console.

Commit to Git

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# Initialize git repo
git init

# Stage all files
git add .

# Create initial commit
git commit -m "feat: Initial console application"

# View the commit
git log --oneline

Common Tasks Going Forward

Create a New PowerShell Script

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# Create a script
New-Item -Path "C:\Scripts" -ItemType Directory -Force
Code C:\Scripts\MyScript.ps1

# Add this to the script:
Write-Host "Hello from PowerShell!"

# Run the script
C:\Scripts\MyScript.ps1

Note: You may need to allow script execution:

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Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Run a Docker Container

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# Run SQL Server in a container
docker run -e "ACCEPT_EULA=Y" -e "MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD=MyP@ssw0rd123" `
  -p 1433:1433 `
  -d `
  mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:2022-latest

# Verify it's running
docker ps

# Stop it
docker stop <container_id>

Push Code to GitHub

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# Add remote repository
git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/REPO_NAME.git

# Push to GitHub
git branch -M main
git push -u origin main

Troubleshooting

“winget command not found”

Winget should be installed if you’re on Windows 11. For Windows 10:

  • Update Windows to the latest version (Settings → Update & Security)
  • Or manually download the App Installer from Microsoft Store

“Docker won’t start”

Docker requires Hyper-V virtualization. Ensure:

  1. Your CPU supports virtualization (usually enabled in BIOS)
  2. Windows Pro/Enterprise is installed (Docker Desktop requires Pro; use Docker with WSL2 on Home)
  3. Restart your computer after installation

“pwsh command not found”

After installing PowerShell Core, you may need to:

  1. Add PowerShell Core to your PATH manually
  2. Or restart PowerShell entirely
  3. Or type the full path: C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe

“GitHub CLI authentication failed”

Re-run authentication:

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gh auth logout
gh auth login

Next Steps

With the environment working, here’s where I’d go next:

  1. Explore DevOps topics in the repository (Microservices, Terraform, etc.)
  2. Learn PowerShell - See Helpful PowerShell Commands
  3. Set up your first remote machine - Use PowerShell Remoting
  4. Deploy a .NET application - Create an API and containerize it with Docker
  5. SSH Configuration — see SSH Configuration

References

Tutorial, DevOps
windows devops
This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.