Setup Your Windows System for Development

Setting up your Windows system for development depends on what kind of development you’re doing (Java, web, DevOps, etc.), but I’ll cover the essential tools for a Java Spring Boot & DevOps environment.

1. Install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

👉 If you’re working with DevOps, Docker, or microservices, WSL2 is a must.

Enable WSL & Install Ubuntu

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:powershellCopyEditwsl --install
Restart your system, then open Ubuntu from the Start menu.
Set up your username and password.

Check WSL Version

powershellCopyEditwsl -l -v

If it’s not WSL2, upgrade using:

powershellCopyEditwsl --set-version Ubuntu 2

2. Install Java & SDKMAN! (Best Way to Manage Java Versions)

If you’re a Java developer, install SDKMAN! via WSL or Git Bash.

Install Java with SDKMAN!

Open Ubuntu (WSL) or Git Bash and run:bashCopyEditcurl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash source "$HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"
Install Java 8 & 17 (or latest LTS):bashCopyEditsdk install java 8.0.392-amzn sdk install java 17.0.9-tem
Verify:bashCopyEditjava -version

3. Install IntelliJ IDEA or VS Code

🔹 IntelliJ IDEA (Best for Java & Spring Boot)
Download IntelliJ IDEA Community from JetBrains.

🔹 VS Code (For Everything Else)
Download from VS Code.
Install these extensions:

Java Extension Pack (If using Java)
Spring Boot Extension Pack
Docker & Kubernetes (For DevOps)
GitHub Copilot (For AI coding assistance)

4. Install Maven & Gradle

💡 If using SDKMAN!, just run:

bashCopyEditsdk install maven
sdk install gradle

Otherwise, install manually from:

Maven Download
Gradle Download

5. Install Git & Configure SSH for GitHub

Install Git from Git SCM.
Set your global Git config:bashCopyEditgit config --global user.name "Your Name" git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
Generate SSH keys:bashCopyEditssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"
Add the key to GitHub:bashCopyEditcat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub Copy the output and add it to GitHub → Settings → SSH Keys.

6. Install Docker & Docker Desktop

🔹 Install Docker Desktop for Windows from Docker.
🔹 Enable WSL2 Backend in Docker Settings → General.
🔹 Test with:

bashCopyEditdocker run hello-world

7. Install Postman (For API Testing)

🔹 Download Postman from Postman Website.

8. Install Databases

🔹 MySQL
Download MySQL Community Server.

🔹 PostgreSQL
Download from PostgreSQL.

🔹 MongoDB
Download from MongoDB.

9. Install Kubernetes (For DevOps & Microservices)

🔹 Install Minikube:

bashCopyEditchoco install minikube

🔹 Install kubectl:

bashCopyEditchoco install kubernetes-cli

🔹 Start Minikube:

bashCopyEditminikube start

10. Bonus: Terminal & Productivity Tools

Install Windows Terminal from Microsoft Store.
Install Oh My Posh for a better PowerShell experience:powershellCopyEditwinget install JanDeDobbeleer.OhMyPosh

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