The core part is the Cygwin library which provides the POSIX system calls and environment these programs expect. Cygwin is a distribution of popular GNU and other open source tools running on Microsoft Windows.

Cygwin: Cygwin can be handy if you're more familiar with bash, or are trying to use a Node app that assumes a *nix environment.

Popular emulators include cmder, ConEmu and Hyper.

terminal emulators: Terminal emulators can enhance your terminal experience with themes, tabs and advanced configuratability.

Install it by running npm install npm-windows-upgrade -g, and run the command by running npm-windows-upgrade. npm-windows-upgrade makes this process much easier.

npm-windows-upgrade: npm is shipped with Node.js, and upgrading on Windows often requires manual upgrade steps.

nvm-windows makes it way easier to switch between various versions.

nvm-windows: - there are new versions of Node.js coming out all the time, and it can be annoying to migrate between versions.

Git: choco install git or download Git from the official downloads page.

There are also some other alternatives, like Ninite, which have their own advantages, but Chocolatey is the most commonly used.

Chocolatey: Chocolatey is the apt-get of Windows.

Here's a good walkthrough of some PowerShell commands from a *nix perspective, and there are many other resources to help you get started. It also has a bunch of aliases for commands, like ls, that'll make bash-happy people feel more at home. It's a bit of a learning curve, but well worth it.

PowerShell: PowerShell is a powerful object-oriented shell (as opposed to a text-based shell).When you're working with Node.js, chances are you'll be spending a bit more time in the console, so it's well worth brushing up on your CLI commands. cmd: cmd has had some improvements in Windows 10, so be sure to check it out if you abandoned ship in the past 😃.So here are some links to recommended tools to complement your existing experience.

In the meantime, we want to enable you to have the best experience possible. One of the pain points we hear from users is that the command line console in Windows could use some work. Configuring your Windows development environment Command line console and other useful tools

Npm config set python windows