How to Install Salt on Windows 11

Salt is a powerful open-source configuration management tool that allows you to manage and automate your infrastructure. This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing Salt on Windows 11.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, you will need the following:

• A Windows 11 machine with administrative access
• Python 3.6 or later installed

Step 1: Install the Salt Windows Binaries

The easiest way to install Salt on Windows 11 is to download the Windows binaries from the Salt website. Follow the steps below to download and install the binaries:

1. Go to https://saltstack.com/downloads/ and click on the Windows link under the Minion section.
2. Select the latest version of Salt (currently 3002).
3. Download the Windows binary installer for your version of Windows (either 32-bit or 64-bit).
4. Run the installer and follow the prompts to install Salt.

Step 2: Configure Salt

After the binaries are installed, we need to configure Salt to work correctly on our Windows 11 machine. Follow the steps below to configure Salt:

1. Open a command prompt as an administrator.
2. Navigate to the Salt configuration directory by running the following command:

cd C:\Program Files (x86)\salt\config

3. Copy the minion.sample file to minion by running the following command:

copy minion.sample minion

4. Open the minion file in a text editor, such as Notepad.
5. Uncomment the id line and set it to the hostname of your Windows machine.

id: yourhostname

6. Save and close the file.

Step 3: Start the Salt Minion Service

After the binaries are installed and Salt is configured, we can start the Salt Minion service. Follow the steps below to start the service:

1. Open a command prompt as an administrator.
2. Start the Salt Minion service by running the following command:

net start salt-minion

3. Verify that the service is running by running the following command:

net start

You should see the Salt Minion service listed in the output.

Step 4: Testing Salt

To test that Salt is working correctly on your Windows 11 machine, you can run a simple Salt command. Follow the steps below to test Salt:

1. Open a command prompt as an administrator.
2. Run the following command:

salt "*" test.ping

This command will ping all Salt minions, including the current Windows 11 machine, and return a response.

If everything is working correctly, you should see a response indicating that the minion responded.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Salt on your Windows 11 machine. You can now begin using Salt to manage and automate your infrastructure.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!