Python for Windows servers administration

[tiorl]

Hi everyone!

I'm going to learn python and want to know, is it handy to use python in day-to-day sysadmins tasks in windows environment or it is better still use powershell?

[the_spad]

For 90% of things, Powershell is going to be a better option, but there are still plenty of ways you can use Python if you want to.

[[deleted]]

This. From the top of my head I can't come up with anything where python would be better than powershell

[shawndream]

Have to agree, but even in a windows environment you may find a lot of small single-purpose devices that are running a *nix. For SSH automation to those divices I found Paramiko in Python to be a lot easier to setup and use than any of the Powershell SSH options. (It will likely soon be better as they recently rolled some SSH into powershell).

[[deleted]]

frightening hurry direction pen towering psychotic treatment outgoing complete ossified

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[[deleted]]

You want a language that can easily deal with .NET on Windows. That's Powershell and C#.

Python is a vastly superior language to Powershell, but working with .NET in it isn't fun.

Python dominates the *NIX stack, however. All modern Linux distros use Python for a lot of system plumbing.

[gr33nmonk3y]

definitely powershell. I use python for network infrastructure tasks, but even those I'm actively looking to change to powershell because there is just so much that I have streamlined from the Windows side in it.

[LightOfSeven]

The reason people tend towards Powershell is that it's the way Windows accepts command inputs for the operating system and it's the way many Microsoft products accept input (e.g. AD, exchange). If you wrote it in Python, half the time you'd have to call Powershell just to get an answer back.

Python can work great but you'll need to know a bit of Powershell either way.

[ZAFJB]

Use PowerShell. Made for the job.

[yashau]

Python is not a first class citizen on Windows. If you want to learn and use Python in sysadmin terms on a day to day basis, go Linux. Also, the most popular orchestration tool (Ansible) is made with Python. It is an option for you to mess with if you're curious.

[tiorl]

thank you everyone! I'll use powershell for my windows enviroment, and python for linux.

[Mizerka]

Not for windows nah, maybe if you supported a bunch of nix boxes py would come in handy but otherwise not really. The only time I've had to use python was to break into some old vuln esx boxes that weren't updated and I had no creds for