Question for Windows devs...

[joeworkman]

I have been a Mac user forever. Since well before any kind of modern web development was imagined. Pardon my ignorance here...

I was wondering if Windows users have a full terminal experience with GNU utils. I know that it's possible to install something like that on Windows. But is it typical for a web developer (one who uses npm, yarn, etc) to have this setup on Windows?

[benthien]

I just installed the GNU utils from http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/coreutils.htm on my windows 10 PC. However, I don't think it is common among windows users.

[themauveavenger]

Have a look at WSL

[joeworkman]

This is exactly what I was thinking of. Is this common to have installed?

[themauveavenger]

I use a mac for my day job, but use WSL for personal projects on my personal computer. A bunch of the other devs I work with use Windows computers with WSL working in NodeJS, Ruby, and Python.

[illiterati]

Just to throw in another point for WSL, I'm someone who devs on both Macs and PCs, and WSL with Ubuntu covers my needs. Only downside is that it's much slower executing than the PowerShell command line (for 'foundation build,' for example - takes about five times as long to execute in WSL/Ubuntu as running it under PowerShell.)

[phpfui]

Joe, I think Windows Subsystem for Linux would be the way to go. I am a Windows Dev and deploy on Linux, but do all testing on Windows. My stuff works on both.

Would be happy to test / debug a Linux stack so it runs well on Windows. Also, no need to support any Windows version below 10. I hate supporting old crap. My most recent PHP library only supports 8.0 and higher. Windows 11 should be out soon and I personally would not bend to much supporting Windows 10 at that point, if it works, fine, otherwise upgrade. Just not worth supporting people who can't be bothered to be current. My local Ford dealer will not fix your Model T! We should not either.

Let me know what stack you are thinking of and I can test it.