Git Bash is my preferred Windows shell

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Why Git Bash Is Popular on Windows

  • Often easiest to justify to corporate IT compared with MSYS2, Cygwin, or WSL; seen as “just Git.”
  • Provides a familiar GNU/Bash environment for long‑time Unix/Linux users who must work on Windows.
  • Many use it mainly for Git, SSH, filesystem work and quick one‑off scripts, while keeping heavier tooling elsewhere.
  • Bundled GNU tools and bash let people reuse cross‑platform scripts and avoid maintaining separate Windows build logic.

Comparisons: WSL, MSYS2, Cygwin, BusyBox

  • Git Bash is essentially an opinionated MSYS2 install minus the package manager; some wish MSYS2 would simplify its variants.
  • WSL2 is widely regarded as more complete and compatible (real Linux VM with Hyper‑V), but heavier and sometimes awkward with Windows paths and certain IDEs/plugins.
  • WSL1 is remembered as clever syscall translation but slow and incomplete; WSL2 traded that for VM‑style performance and compatibility.
  • Some prefer Cygwin or WSL due to Git Bash terminal quirks and path issues.
  • BusyBox for Windows is praised as lighter, with cleaner path handling and better fit for cross‑platform scripts.

PowerShell vs Bash Debate

  • Bash advocates value ubiquity, simplicity of “just text,” and small sets of tools (grep, awk, etc.) that generalize well.
  • PowerShell advocates highlight structured objects, consistent cmdlet naming, strong discoverability, and deep integration with Windows/.NET.
  • Criticisms of PowerShell: verbosity, awkward syntax for interactive use, encoding and newline quirks, performance issues for text processing, and difficulty remembering idioms.
  • Critics of Bash note its inconsistent, archaic syntax and fragile text parsing; some see PowerShell as architecturally superior despite rough edges.

Corporate / Environment Constraints

  • Many must use Windows due to employer tooling, Microsoft ecosystem, or specific desktop apps; Git Bash/WSL become coping mechanisms.
  • Some can’t install arbitrary software or even PowerShell 7; Git for Windows or portable tools squeak past restrictions.

Package Management & Tooling

  • Scoop is favored by several over Chocolatey/winget: installs to user space, emphasizes portable apps, less registry pollution, and simpler manifests.
  • Others feel winget is replacing Chocolatey, but report reliability issues and odd upgrade behavior.

Performance and UX Notes

  • Mixed experiences on performance: some find Git Bash fine; others see huge slowdowns on large I/O compared to Linux or WSL2.
  • Windows Terminal is widely liked as a frontend, often paired with Git Bash, PowerShell, or WSL.