This chapter is written to get you started as quickly as possible with config.XO. We will guide you step-by-step through the on-boarding process, just follow the next chapters.

Frontend Overview

Check this chapter for a rough overview of the different areas in the frontend.

Install Necessary Tools

In order to write PowerShell DSC Configurations you need some tools to get you started:

WMF 5.1

If it is not already installed you should install the Windows Management Framework 5.1.

If you are running Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 and above it should already be installed.

PowerShell Get

Run the following commands as administrator on your Windows machine:

Install-Module -Name PowerShellGet -Force

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is our preferred code editor for all PowerShell related topics. It can be downloaded here. You can install Visual Studio Code for a user or as system installer. Choose the installer that fits your needs.

IntelliJ IDEA

If you are not a fan of Visual Studio Code you can alternatively use IntelliJ IDEA. It can be downloaded here.

PowerShell ISE is another Code Editor you can use to edit your DSC configurations, but we strongly recommend one of the two above.

Install additional DSC Resources

Additional DSC Resources can be downloaded from PowerShell Gallery. The modules you need to download depend on the configuration you want to create. Browse through the PowerShell Gallery to find the resources you need.

If they are not there, write your own.

They are installed via PowerShell:

Install-Module -Name xWindowsUpdate