Making Windows a developer platform, again
Making Windows a developer platform, again
https://www.infoworld.com/article/4188967/making-windows-a-developer-platform-again.html
Publish Date: 2026-06-25 05:02:00
Source Domain: www.infoworld.com
Setting up a PC with the base Dev Config is as easy as it should be. Winget’s configuration service runs on both new and old PCs, installing applications where needed, running updates where necessary, and applying the necessary developer settings to Windows. You can download the scripts by cloning a GitHub repository (if Git is already installed) or by downloading a zip archive. Microsoft provides instructions for both options, along with the command and options used to start the process. Your PC may reboot as part of the process of installing WSL, but the script is designed to restart once it’s up and running again. It’s idempotent, so you can run it regularly to avoid configuration drift.
The apps installed include the latest PowerShell, Git, CLIs for GitHub, GitHub Copilot, the Windows App SDK, Visual Studio Code, and language support for Node.js, Python, and .NET. The install brings in developer-friendly fonts and a theme engine for the Windows Terminal. Other features include customizing File Explorer and the Windows Task Bar, as well as hiding notifications to improve focus.
Tweaking WSL for Comfort
With WSL installed, you can use the WSL Comfort scripts to install additional tools and customize Windows Terminal. This is a two-part tool. The Windows part ensures WSL and Ubuntu are installed and sets up fonts and terminal profiles. The Linux part then tunes the WSL environment, with the option of switching to zsh and using the starship terminal display tools. It then adds a series of popular CLIs and support for the Homebrew package installer. You don’t need to install a new Linux distribution in WSL; you can target your existing Ubuntu instance.
