If you thought SQL Server on Linux meant Windows was getting cozy with the open-source operating system, now Microsoft is putting Linux tools on its own OS. The Bash shell, a popular command language interpreter, will be released for Windows 10.

Microsoft made the announcement at Build 2016, their developer conference. It’s also been announced on Microsoft’s blog.

The command line is a more direct way to interact with your computer. If you’ve ever typed something at a DOS prompt, you have the idea.

DOS and Bash have never been compatible, and as Linux and Apple’s OS X have gained in popularity, so has the Bash shell, the lack of which Windows users have bemoaned.

This tool will be especially welcome to developers, who can use it to download software packages and use familiar shortcuts on their Windows computers now.

By Sharon Campbell