Install PowerShell on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9: Powerful Command Line Shell

This tutorial, brought to you by Orcacore, guides you through the process of installing PowerShell on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9. PowerShell is a versatile command-line shell and scripting language, invaluable for IT professionals for system configuration and automation of administrative tasks. Knowing how to Install PowerShell on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9 is a valuable skill.

Before you begin to Install PowerShell on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9, ensure you have access to your server as a non-root user with sudo privileges. If you need assistance with this, refer to the "Initial Server Setup with AlmaLinux 9" guide.

This guide demonstrates two methods for installing PowerShell:

Installation via GitHub
Installation using Snapd

Let’s dive into the steps to Install PowerShell on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9.

Run System Update on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9

Regardless of the installation method you choose, it’s crucial to update your local package index first. Execute the following command:

sudo dnf update -y

After the update completes, proceed to the next step.

Method 1. PowerShell Installation Via GitHub on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9

PowerShell offers broad Linux distribution support, with the latest packages available on GitHub.

To install, locate the most recent .rpm package and use the following command, replacing the version number with the latest available:

sudo dnf install https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases/download/v7.3.4/powershell-7.3.4-1.rh.x86_64.rpm

Once the installation finishes, verify it by typing:

pwsh

You should see output similar to this:

**<mark>Output</mark>**
PowerShell 7.3.4
PS /root>

To exit PowerShell, simply type:

PS /root> exit

Method 2. PowerShell Installation with Snapd on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9

Another approach involves using the Snap package manager. First, install the EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) repository:

sudo dnf install epel-release -y

Next, install the Snap packages themselves:

sudo dnf install snapd -y

Enable and start the snapd service:

# sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket
# sudo systemctl start --now snapd.socket

Enable classic snap support by creating a symbolic link:

sudo ln -s /var/lib/snapd/snap /snap

Restart your session:

reboot

After logging back in, use Snap to Install PowerShell on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9:

sudo snap install powershell --classic

Verify the installation by typing:

pwsh

The output should be similar to:

**<mark>Output</mark>**
PowerShell 7.3.4
**PS /root>**

Step 4 – PowerShell Commands on Linux

To explore available PowerShell commands, type:

**PS /root>** Get-Command

This will produce a list of commands:

**<mark>Output</mark>**
CommandType     Name                                               Version    S
                                                                              o
                                                                              u
                                                                              r
                                                                              c
                                                                              e
-----------     ----                                               -------    -
Function        cd..
Function        cd
Function        Clear-Host
Function        Compress-Archive                                   1.2.5      M
Function        exec
Function        Expand-Archive                                     1.2.5      M
Function        Find-Command                                       2.2.5      P
Function        Find-DSCResource                                   2.2.5      P
Function        Find-Module                                        2.2.5      P
Function        Find-RoleCapability                                2.2.5      P
Function        Find-Script                                        2.2.5      P
Function        Get-CredsFromCredentialProvider                    2.2.5      P
Function        Get-InstalledModule                                2.2.5      P
Function        Get-InstalledScript                                2.2.5      P
Function        Get-PSRepository                                   2.2.5      P
Function        help
Function        Install-Module                                     2.2.5      P
Function        Install-Script                                     2.2.5      P
Function        New-ScriptFileInfo                                 2.2.5      P
Function        oss
Function        Pause
Function        prompt
....

For comprehensive information, refer to the PowerShell Docs.

Conclusion

You’ve successfully learned how to Install PowerShell on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9 using both GitHub and Snapd. Enjoy leveraging PowerShell on your Linux distribution.

You may also be interested in these articles:

Alternative Installation Methods for PowerShell on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9

While the above methods are common, here are two alternative approaches to installing PowerShell on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9:

1. Using Microsoft’s Official Package Repositories

Microsoft provides official package repositories for PowerShell. This ensures you receive updates directly from Microsoft and can be a more reliable approach than relying solely on GitHub or Snapd.

Steps:

Register the Microsoft repository:

First, you need to register the Microsoft repository. This involves downloading and installing the Microsoft GPG key and creating a repository configuration file.
```
sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc
```
Next, create the repository file. This file tells your system where to find the PowerShell packages. The location of this file varies based on RHEL/AlmaLinux version.

For RHEL/AlmaLinux 9, create the file /etc/yum.repos.d/powershell.repo with the following content:
```
[powershell-microsoft.com]
name=powershell-microsoft.com
baseurl=https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/powershell-microsoft.com-rhel-9/
gpgcheck=true
gpgkey=https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc
enabled=1
```
Install PowerShell:

Now that the repository is configured, you can install PowerShell using dnf:
```
sudo dnf install powershell -y
```
Verify the installation:

As before, verify the installation by running:
```
pwsh
```

Advantages:

Direct updates from Microsoft.
Potentially more stable than community-maintained packages.
Standardized installation method.

Disadvantages:

Requires manual repository configuration.
Relies on Microsoft maintaining the repository.

2. Installing from a Container (Docker/Podman)

Another powerful option is to run PowerShell within a container using Docker or Podman. This isolates PowerShell from the host system and simplifies dependency management.