I want to create an alias
of a cmdlet
that doesn't expire after I close the current session of Powershell, let's say I have this alias :
C:\Users\Aymen> New-Alias Goto Set-Location
This perfectly creates the Goto
alias, but I want to use it even after I close the current session, how can I achieve that.
Note:
The PowerShell Help system suggests that I can export the aliases I create, and import them next time I open a new session, actually that's not really what I'm looking, for, is there a direct clear way to keep having a alias after I create it through different sessions
UPDATED - January 2021
It's possible to store in a profile.ps1
file any PowerShell code to be executed each time PowerShell starts. There are at least 6 different paths where to store the code depending on which user has to execute it. We will consider only 2 of them: the "all users" and the "only your user" paths (follow the previous link for further options).
To answer your question, you only have to create a profile.ps1
file containing the code you want to be executed, that is:
New-Alias Goto Set-Location
and save it in the proper path:
"$Home\Documents" (usually C:\Users\
$PsHome (C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0): every user will execute this code
IMPORTANT: remember you need to restart your PowerShell instances to apply the changes.
TIPS
If both paths contain a profile.ps1 file, the all-users one is executed first, then the user-specific one. This means the user-specific commands will overwrite variables in case of duplicates or conflicts.
Always put the code in the user-specific profile if there is no need to extend its execution to every user. This is safer because you don't pollute other users' space (usually, you don't want to do that). Another advantage is that you don't need administrator rights to add the file to your user-space (you do for anything in C:\Windows\System32).
If you really need to execute the profile code for every user, mind that the $PsHome path is different for 32bit and 64bit instances of PowerShell. You should consider both environments if you want to always execute the profile code. The paths are: C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0 for the 64bit environment C:\Windows\SysWow64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0 for the 32bit one (Yeah I know, the folder naming is counterintuitive, but it's correct).
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0 for the 64bit environment
C:\Windows\SysWow64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0 for the 32bit one (Yeah I know, the folder naming is counterintuitive, but it's correct).
It's not a good idea to add this kind of thing directly to your $env:WINDIR
powershell folders, unless you truly want your alias to be global.
The recommended way is to add it to your personal profile:
cd $env:USERPROFILE\Documents
md WindowsPowerShell -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
cd WindowsPowerShell
New-Item Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 -ItemType "file" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
powershell_ise.exe .\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
Now add your alias to the Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 file that is now opened:
function Do-ActualThing {
# do actual thing
}
Set-Alias MyAlias Do-ActualThing
Then save it, and refresh the current session with:
. $profile
Note: Just in case, if you get permission issue like
CategoryInfo : SecurityError: (:) [], PSSecurityException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnauthorizedAccess
Try the below command and refresh the session again.
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
. The -Scope
option makes it a bit more secure.
MyAlias
. Also, to pass on arguments, use @Args
, eg function gs { git status @Args }
Set-Alias
because I like to name my methods using the appropriate PS conventions with the appropriate Verbs. But yes, if you're not picky, you can just name your method whatever you intend to invoke.
Open a Windows PowerShell window and type:
notepad $profile
Then create a function, such as:
function goSomewhereThenOpenGoogleThenDeleteSomething {
cd C:\Users\
Start-Process -FilePath "http://www.google.com"
rm fileName.txt
}
Then type this under the function name:
Set-Alias google goSomewhereThenOpenGoogleThenDeleteSomething
Now you can type the word "google" into Windows PowerShell and have it execute the code within your function!
2018, Windows 10
You can link to any file or directory with the help of a simple PowerShell script.
Writing a file shortcut script
Open Windows PowerShell ISE. In the script pane write:
New-Alias ${shortcutName} ${fullFileLocation}
Then head to the command-line pane. Find your PowerShell user profile address with echo $profile
. Save the script in this address.
https://i.stack.imgur.com/j6KuB.png
The script in PowerShell's profile address will run each time you open powershell. The shortcut should work with every new PowerShell window.
Writing a directory shortcut script
It requires another line in our script.
function ${nameOfFunction} {set-location ${directory_location}}
New-Alias ${shortcut} ${nameOfFunction}
The rest is exactly the same.
https://i.stack.imgur.com/wgKE1.png
Enable PowerShell Scripts
https://i.stack.imgur.com/NjZrN.png
Scroll down to the PowerShell section, tick the "Change execution policy ..." option, and apply.
https://i.stack.imgur.com/0DFPZ.png
echo $profile
is an awesome tip for helping finding the correct location to add the file. Thank you for the comprehensive answer
Just to add to this list of possible locations...
This didn't work for me: \Users\{ME}\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
However this did: \Users\{ME}\OneDrive\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
If you don't have a profile or you're looking to set one up, run the following command, it will create the folder/files necessary and even tell you where it lives! New-Item -path $profile -type file -force
to create the profile1.psl file, type in the following command:
new-item $PROFILE.CurrentUserAllHosts -ItemType file -Force
to access the file, type in the next command:
ise $PROFILE.CurrentUserAllHosts
note if you haven't done this before, you will see that you will not be able to run the script because of your execution policy, which you need to change to Unrestricted from Restricted (default).
to do that close the script and then type this command:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser
then:
RemoteSigned
then this command again:
ise $PROFILE.CurrentUserAllHosts
then finally type your aliases in the script, save it, and they should run every time you run powershell, even after restarting your computer.
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
. Don't go recommending Unrestricted
. Source: itprotoday.com/management-mobility/…
I found that I can run this command:
notepad $PROFILE.CurrentUserAllHosts
and it opens my default powershell profile(for Current User, All Hosts) . I found that here.
Then add an alias. For example, here is my alias of jn
for jupyter notebook
(I hate typing out the cumbersome jupyter notebook
every time):
Set-Alias -Name jn -Value C:\Users\words\Anaconda3\Scripts\jupyter-notebook.exe
This is a little bit fancy... but it works:
Step 1: Create a Powershell Profile:
FILE: install_profile.ps1
# THIS SCRIPT BLOWS AWAY YOUR DEFAULT POWERSHELL PROFILE SCRIPT
# AND INSTALLS A POINTER TO A GLOBAL POWERSHELL PROFILE
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
function print ([string]$msg)
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Green $msg
}
print ""
# User's Powershell Profile
$psdir = "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\WindowsPowerShell"
$psfile = $psdir + "\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1"
print "Creating Directory: $psdir"
md $psdir -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | out-null
# this is your auto-generated powershell profile to be installed
$content = @(
"",
". ~/Documents/tools/profile.ps1",
""
)
print "Creating File: $psfile"
[System.IO.File]::WriteAllLines($psfile, $content)
print ""
# Make sure Powershell profile is readable
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser Unrestricted
Step 2: then in tools ~/Documents/tools/profile.ps1:
function Do-ActualThing {
# do actual thing
}
Set-Alias MyAlias Do-ActualThing
Step 3:
$ Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser Unrestricted $ . ./install_profile.ps1
It's a matter of personal taste, but I prefer to store my aliases together in a separate file and call Import-Alias
in the profile.
$profileDir = Split-Path $PROFILE -Parent
$profileFile = Join-Path $profileDir profile.ps1
$aliasFile = Join-Path $profileDir aliases.csv
New-Alias -Name npp -Value "C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" -Description "Notepad++"
Export-Alias -Name npp -Path $aliasFile -Append
ise $profileFile
Then in the ISE, put this line in your profile.ps1
Import-Alias -Path (Join-Path $PSScriptRoot aliases.csv)
Success story sharing
\Users\{ME}\Documents\WindowsPowerShell
and then addMicrosoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
non of the other paths works for me."$HOME\Documents\WindowsPowerShell"
and namingMicrosoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
restrict the scope to non-ISE and to current host, but shouldn't be a matter of permissions (same of"$Home\Documents\profile.ps1" should apply
). Maybe it's not really so, I will give it a try, thank you for the informationNew-Item -path $profile -type file -force
that created the folder and fileDocuments\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1