Download & install Software in Windows OS
Introduction
In this article, I am going to present a comprehensive list of essential tools and software commonly needed by developers in the IT industry. If you are using Window operating system, you can download and install the following software as per your requirements. It is recommended to use the choco tool for installation, but if you encounter any issues, you can also perform a direct install.
Note
Restart your computer when prompted or needed and also restart your terminal for every install before validate it.
Install Chocolatey
We will be using Chocolatey commands to install all the required software and developer tools.
What is Chocolatey?
Chocolatey is a package manager for Windows that enables you to install, upgrade, and manage software packages from the command line. It functions similarly to package managers on Linux systems, such as apt or yum, and it can be utilized to install a wide range of software applications and libraries on Windows.
It is strongly recommended to use choco commands for searching and installing the required software instead of attempting manual installations using the provided links.
To use Chocolatey, you will need to have Windows PowerShell installed on your system. You can then install Chocolatey using a PowerShell command, and use it to install and manage packages from the command line.
Install Chocolatey
This is the first step you need to take before installing anything on the Windows OS.
To install Chocolatey on your Windows system, open a terminal window (such as PowerShell or Command Prompt) and run as Administrator with the following command:
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))
Reference - https://docs.chocolatey.org/en-us/choco/setup
Once the installation is finished, you can use the choco
command to install, upgrade, and manage software packages using Chocolatey.
Verify the version installed
Install VS code
It is the most commonly used IDE, It is widely used for programming and supports various languages with extensive customization options.
Open Command Prompt (cmd) or PowerShell as Administrator and run:
Verify the installation
code --help
# or
code --version
# Check for the latest version (available via choco)
choco info vscode
Upgrade VS Code to the latest version
Note: "Yes to all prompts" or "Automatically accept all confirmations."
VS Code Extensions
After install VS code, install the following extensions in vs code as per the need:
Azure CLI Tools
Azure Account
Azure Kubernetes Services
Kubernetes
Azure Terraform
C#
Bridge to Kubernetes
Dev Containers
Remote Development
Docker
Dotnet
Helm Intelligence
vscode-helm
Kubernetes – very helpful for debugging services in AKS
PostgreSQL - get this from Microsoft
PowerShell Extension- https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.PowerShell
MongoDB
You can install directly using the VS Code CLI:
code --install-extension ms-vscode.azurecli
# or
code --install-extension ms-vscode.azurecli --force
code --install-extension ms-vscode.azure-account
code --install-extension ms-kubernetes-tools.vscode-aks-tools
code --install-extension ms-kubernetes-tools.vscode-kubernetes-tools
code --install-extension hashicorp.terraform
code --install-extension ms-dotnettools.csharp
code --install-extension microsoft.k8s-bridge-to-kubernetes
code --install-extension ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers
code --install-extension ms-vscode-remote.vscode-remote-extensionpack
code --install-extension ms-azuretools.vscode-docker
code --install-extension formulahendry.dotnet
code --install-extension tht13.helm-intellisense
code --install-extension tim-koehler.vscode-helm
code --install-extension ms-vscode.mssql
code --install-extension ms-vscode.powershell
code --install-extension mongodb.mongodb-vscode
List All Installed Extensions
Install Git
Git is a version control system used for tracking changes in software projects. It allows multiple developers to collaborate on a project efficiently and helps manage different versions of the code.
Upgrade Git to the Latest Version
Install Chrome
Chrome is a popular web browser developed by Google. It provides a fast and secure browsing experience and supports various web technologies.
Upgrade Google Chrome
Install Node JS
Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that allows you to execute JavaScript code outside of a web browser.
Upgrade Node.js
Install Docker
Docker is a platform that simplifies the process of creating, deploying, and running applications using containers.
Upgrade Docker Desktop
Install Azure CLI
Azure CLI is a command-line interface for managing and interacting with Microsoft Azure cloud services. It provides a convenient way to automate and control your Azure resources.
Upgrade Azure CLI
Useful Commands
Install Terraform
Terraform is an infrastructure-as-code tool used for provisioning and managing cloud resources. It allows you to define your infrastructure in code and automates the deployment and management of resources across different cloud providers.
Upgrade Terraform
Install kubectl
kubectl is a command-line tool used to interact with Kubernetes clusters. It enables you to deploy, manage, and monitor applications running on Kubernetes.
For more information, please refer to the following link: - https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-kubectl-windows/# Test to ensure the version you installed is up-to-date:
kubectl version
kubectl version --client
# use this for detailed view of version:
kubectl version --client --output=yaml
or
kubectl version --output=json
#Verify kubectl configuration
kubectl cluster-info
Upgrade kubectl
Install Lens
Lens is a popular Kubernetes platform that serves as a robust and advanced development and management environment for Kubernetes clusters. It provides a comprehensive graphical user interface (GUI) that simplifies the management, monitoring, and interaction with Kubernetes resources and clusters.
Upgrade Lens
Install azure kubelogin
Azure Kubelogin is a tool that enables seamless authentication and access to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters using your Azure credentials.
Install Helm
Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies the deployment and management of applications on Kubernetes clusters. It allows you to define and install applications using charts, which are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources.
Install pgadmin4
pgAdmin is a graphical administration and development platform for PostgreSQL, a popular open-source relational database management system. It provides a user-friendly interface for managing databases, running queries, and monitoring server activity.
Upgrade pgAdmin 4
Install PostgreSQL
To install PostgreSQL, you can use Chocolatey by running the following command from the command line or PowerShell:
Alternatively, you can choose to use the graphical installation wizard for PostgreSQL on Windows.
Follow the installation wizard instructions to complete the PostgreSQL installation on your Windows system.
Note
Depending on your requirements, you may want to uncheck the option for Stack Builder
during the installation process.
psql - Command-line tools
By default, the installer does not modify the system path. If you wish to use command-line tools like psql
, you will need to manually add PostgreSQL to your system's path after installation.
Update Environment Variables
To update the system path and include PostgreSQL in it, add the following directory to your PATH variable:
Make sure to replace 16 with your specific PostgreSQL version if it differs.Note
System restart is needed after the isntallation
verify the psql installation
Install argocd
Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes.
argocd version
# output
argocd: v2.4.7+81630e6
BuildDate: 2022-07-18T21:49:23Z
GitCommit: 81630e6d5075ac53ac60457b51343c2a09a666f4
GitTreeState: clean
GoVersion: go1.18.3
Compiler: gc
Platform: windows/amd64
argocd-server: v2.5.2+148d8da
Upgrade Argo CD
Install SQL server
SQL Server is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. It allows you to store, manage, and retrieve structured data efficiently.
Install Azure Data Studio
Azure Data Studio is a cross-platform database tool for data professionals using the Microsoft family of on-premises and cloud data platforms on Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
Azure Storage Explorer
Azure Storage Explorer is a standalone application provided by Microsoft that allows users to interact Azure storage account services and making it easier to work with Azure Blob Storage, Azure Queue Storage, Azure Table Storage, and Azure Cosmos DB.
Install RDCMan
RDCMan, short for Remote Desktop Connection Manager, is a free Microsoft Windows utility used to manage multiple remote desktop connections from a single application. It is particularly useful to connect and manage multiple remote servers, workstations, or virtual machines.
Key Features
- Group RDP sessions for easy organization
- Save credentials per group or server
- Automatically reconnect dropped sessions
- Session-wide actions like log off, disconnect, or reconnect
- Custom display resolution and settings for individual servers
Option 1: Install via Chocolatey
choco install remote-desktop-connection-manager
# To upgrade:
choco upgrade remote-desktop-connection-manager
Option 2: Manual Installation
Download RDCMan from the official Microsoft site or trusted repository: * Microsoft RDCMan Download Page
mRemoteNG
mRemoteNG (multi-Remote Next Generation) is an open-source. It supports multiple remote connection protocols, making it a powerful alternative to RDCMan with broader capabilities.
Key Features
- Tabbed interface for managing multiple sessions
- Support for a wide range of protocols - RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, ICA, HTTP/HTTPS, RLogin, Raw Socket
- Credential inheritance and secure storage
- Connection tree and grouping for organization
- Import/Export of configuration files
Option 1: Install via Chocolatey (Recommended)
Option 2: Manual InstallationDownload Installer from the official site: * https://mremoteng.org/download
Install dotnet
Microsoft .NET 8.0 Runtime 8.0.10
Microsoft .NET 8.0 SDK 8.0.403
Install Python
Python is a popular programming language known for its simplicity and versatility. It is widely used for web development, data analysis, and scripting tasks.
verify Pip installation
Install WSL
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a feature of Windows that allows developers to run a Linux environment without the need for a separate virtual machine or dual booting.
Install JQ
JQ is a lightweight and flexible command-line tool for processing JSON data. It provides various features to extract, manipulate, and transform JSON files efficiently.
Install MongoDB Compass
Install MongoDB Compass using Chocolatey
Check MongoDB VersionInstall Postman
Postman is a popular API development and testing tool. It allows you to make HTTP requests, test APIs, and automate API workflows, making it easier to develop and debug APIs.
Upgrade Postman
Install Notepad++
Verify Installation:Windows Terminal
Allows us to access multiple command-line tools and shells in one customizable interface. It is an open-source project developed and maintained by Microsoft.
Install Lightshot
Lightshot is a free program that offers a quick and easy way to capture a screen including basic editing tools.
I don't see brew commands to install this tool but you can install it manually from here:
Manual Install
If you would prefer to install manually then here is the same list of software you can download and Install them manually
- Visual studio code (recommended) - https://code.visualstudio.com/download/
- Visual studio (optional) - https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/
- SQL Server Management Studio (optional) - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-downloads
- Notepad++ - https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/
- Google Chrome – search in google for later version of Google Chrome and download & install it
- Node JS - https://nodejs.org/en/download/
- Git - https://git-scm.com/download/win
- Docker desktop - https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/windows-install/
Additional Software
You may need these additional software to perform daily activities.
- Zoom - https://zoom.us/download
- Teams - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app
- WhatsApp - https://www.whatsapp.com/download
- SQL Search - https://www.red-gate.com/products/sql-development/sql-search/
- JSON viewer online - https://codebeautify.org/jsonviewer
- regexr validator - https://regexr.com/
- SAML Tracer Browser extention
- WSL - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install>
- Azure storage-explorer
- RDC - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/rdcman
- base64encode - https://www.base64encode.org/
- LightShot (prntscr) - https://app.prntscr.com/en/