Windows is a great OS for working on the HySite repository. We have worked hard to make HySite a cross-platform code base. There is additional software to install for a better developer experience.

Powershell

Windows will already have PowerShell installed, but consider installing the latest version from the Windows App Store (https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9mz1snwt0n5d?hl=en-US&gl=US). The PowerShell that comes with Windows is a static version that Windows and other applications interface with; the PowerShell you download is going to be for your development environments.

Windows Terminal

Windows can have a lot of terminal-like applications (CMD, PowerShell, GitBash, ect.) Use Windows Terminal to switch between these applications quickly. Again, go to the Microsoft App store (https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n0dx20hk701?hl=en-US&gl=US). You should be able to see the PowerShell version you just downloaded in the step above, as well as any other shells you have on your system (see the example in the screenshot below).

SSH

Often, SSH (Secure Shell) will be installed with Windows; type ssh into PowerShell to check if the program is found. If it is found, you will get a message like the screenshot below.

If it is not installed, you can install it using the instructions provided by Microsoft. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/openssh/openssh_install_firstuse?tabs=gui&pivots=windows-server-2025

Git

After downloading git for Windows (https://git-scm.com/downloads/win), there are numerous configuration options.

[!Note] You are almost certainly using 64-bit Windows and should download 64-bit git for Windows. But if you want to check, you can find instructions at: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/32-bit-and-64-bit-windows-frequently-asked-questions-c6ca9541-8dce-4d48-0415-94a3faa2e13d

After downloading, double-click on the git executable to start the installation. After you agree to the terms and conditions, you will see all the components that you can install. Go ahead and install them all (We did not want a desktop icon). These components do not consume hard disk space; please refer to the screenshot our recommended selections below.

[!TIP] We found that "Check daily for Git for Windows Updates" created an annoying number of notifications. This is why it is not selected.

On the next screen, you are asked to select an editor. If you don't know how to use vim, choose something simple instead. We recommend using Notepad, as shown in the options below.

Next, you will see an option to make the default branch name something besides master automatically. In HySite, we use the main as our default branch name, which we also recommend. All other arguments aside, why type in two extra characters constantly?

Now, we see a question about how other programs will find git. Choose the recommended option, "Git from the command line and also third-party software," as shown below.

We recommend using the bundled OpenSSH.

Then, "Use the OpenSSL library"

Now we are at the most crucial step: select "Checkout as is, commit Unix-style line endings". The Windows-style line endings create all sorts of problems on Linux-like systems, but Windows handles Unix-style line endings well.

Then select the "Use MinTTY (the default terminal of MSYS2)"

And then, select "Rebase" which, in our opinion, makes an easier-to-understand commit history.

Use "Gut Credential Manager" to help save passwords and login information.

Finally, we also recommend selecting both options for "Enable file system caching" and "Enable symbolic links"

You may need to restart your computer. Test that the installation works by Opening PowerShell and entering git --help

WSL

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) makes it easy to run your favorite Linux operating systems in Windows from Terminal. This also enables you to run Linux containers, and is recommended for using [Docker] (https://github.com/HypatiaOrg/HySite/wiki/Recommended-Software#docker) with the HySite Project.

To get started, simply open PowerShell and type.

wsl --install 

Or update an existing wsl installation with

wsl --update

[!NOTE] WSL installation will require restarting your computer.

Additional Steps

Now that you have an excellent Windows developer environment, there are other software recommendations for working on the HySite project. Continue your journey at: Recommended Software