Powertoys: Windows Server Support

Created on 23 Sep 2020 · 17Comments · Source: microsoft/PowerToys

📝

Can we get Windows Server 2016/2019 support for this? I would love to install this on all my servers that I use regularly in the lab.

If you'd like to see this feature implemented, add a 👍 reaction to this post.

Help Wanted

Source

rolltidehero

👍2

All 17 comments

I think thats possible

Aaron-Junker on 23 Sep 2020

@rolltidehero have you tried to get it to run?

crutkas on 24 Sep 2020

Reason why i ask, i can't see why this wouldn't just work but it isn't something we've proactively tested.

crutkas on 24 Sep 2020

I’ve tried on Windows Server 2016 and it didn’t work. I haven’t been able to try it on 2019.

rolltidehero on 26 Sep 2020

It would have to be based off win10 19H1 or better. We may have to tweak the installer as well.

crutkas on 26 Sep 2020

This would be amazing for me! I love the keyboard manager. I tried it on a Win Server 2019 Datacenter and it says "this feature requires Win 10 version 1903 or higher" for ColorPicker, Keyboard Manager, and PowerToys Run. Thank you for the consideration!

Jacob-o on 28 Sep 2020

Looks like the installer will need to be tweaked, has anyone tried to compile PT and just run it that way via VS on server?

crutkas on 30 Sep 2020

@Jacob-o
can you please post the output of winver?

enricogior on 30 Sep 2020

I just downloaded the latest Windows Server 2019 and this has build 1809, which is lower then 1903 so i think the error is correct (And seems to be working fine as i can install it correctly).

If i manually run PT Run / Color Picker on this version though, it is working. I think the issue is larger in that features are blocked behind higher Windows Versions (Including Server which always is behind) than required.

Do we know what is the reason we locked thease features behind1903, can't seem to find it in a PR?

royvou on 1 Oct 2020

Keyboard manager, Settings v2 both use XAML Islands. PT Run's was XAML Islands when we first shipped as well. That API requires 19H1. The hope was we'd have a build of WinUI 3 quickly that we could then utilize to not have to use Islands.

At this point i think a large sum at this point as well is not wanting to support the legacy settings system with new items. The new settings system has unit tests

crutkas on 1 Oct 2020

👍1

So best is to skip any major effect on it and wait until WinUI 3 is released, PT Run could be changed to run on a lower version with minimum effect though, but has no priority, which could use some help from a contributor :)

royvou on 1 Oct 2020

honestly, i think if we just know what the version of server that maps to 19h1 on windows, we're good

crutkas on 2 Oct 2020

👍1

Well we should wait for confirmation of @rolltidehero
but i expect he is running the 2019 LTS (Which sounds like a good idea on a server!), which is based on 1809
(More information here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/windows-server-release-info)

If you install any Semi-Annual Channel (Like Windows is also using) and are up to date you are based on build 1903/1909/2004, but these are missing the 'Desktop Experience" (E.g. explorer.exe etc), so i don't think that PT (Or any GUI) would make sense on there?

So doesn't seem like a simple fix, or am i missing something?

royvou on 2 Oct 2020

Well we should wait for confirmation of @rolltidehero

The latest version that any of the servers on my domain is Windows 2016, so I know those won't work.

@Jacob-o What version of Server 2019 are you running (winver)

rolltidehero on 2 Oct 2020

looks like @royvou is one step ahead. It is API Contract 8 which should be in:

We can tweak the installer to work with server but the API contract goodness would still not allow anything to work that is a newer PT due to Settings requiring XAML Islands.

Windows Server, version 1903 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core)
1903
18362.30.190401-1528

crutkas on 3 Oct 2020

looks like @royvou is one step ahead. It is API Contract 8 which should be in:

We can tweak the installer to work with server but the API contract goodness would still not allow anything to work that is a newer PT due to Settings requiring XAML Islands.

Windows Server, version 1903 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core)
1903
18362.30.190401-1528

Remember this version does not have any of the GUI/desktop stuff in. 👍 (login to this version opens a command prompt only)

royvou on 3 Oct 2020

I can confirm PT v0.25.0 installs and works with Windows Server 2019 Standard, version 1809 (OS Build 17763.1577), with Desktop Experience.