Over the past year, the PowerShell Team has released and developed a ton of open-source code. Many of our open-source projects started and have grown out in the open, like our DSC resources, PowerShell Script Analyzer, PowerShell Editor Services, and the PowerShell VS Code plugin. Others are existing open-source projects where we’ve started to contribute new code like OpenSSH, Pester, or PSReadline. However, until now, we have not open-sourced any core components of PowerShell that originally started as closed-source.

Today, we’re proud to announce that Microsoft.PowerShell.Archive, a module that shipped as a built-in component with PowerShell 5.0 on Windows 10 and with WMF 5.0, is now an open-source project on GitHub. Any work that we do on the Archive module will be done directly in its GitHub repository. You can also contribute to that open-source repository via pull requests (just like with our experimental DSC resources!) You can also file GitHub Issues against the Archive module for any bugs you might find or feature requests you have.

Don’t fret, our UserVoice is still our primary feedback portal (though you may see some Archive module requests also reflected on GitHub). In fact, we were driven to open-source the Archive module because of feedback we received from you, our community, via UserVoice. We’ve also recently simplified our guidance on UserVoice for how you file feedback and what our responses mean, so definitely hop over there and tell us what you want. Your suggestion could be the next thing we’re thrilled to announce.

We also have released a new version of Microsoft.PowerShell.Archive on the PowerShell Gallery. Currently, the only new functionality is that the Archive module now works on PowerShell 4.0 (another piece of UserVoice feedback that you gave us), but you’ll also be able to take advantage of any future innovations before they make their way into Windows 10 or Windows Server by updating Archive from the Gallery.

To install from the Gallery on PowerShell 4.0, you first have to install the PackageManagement module.

Now that you have PackageManagement installed (or if you’re running PowerShell 5.0+, which includes PackageManagement by default), you can install Microsoft.PowerShell.Archive from the Gallery:

Install-Module -Force Microsoft.PowerShell.Archive

It’s that easy!

We hope you’re as excited as we are to bring the Archive module into the world of open-source software, and I can’t wait to see what you can help us achieve together.

Joey Aiello
PM, PowerShell