FreSH is a shell for Windows written in C with no runtime dependencies. It runs
bash scripts unchanged, without WSL, MSYS2 or Git Bash, and ships its own awk,
regular expression engine and coreutils so a script behaves the same on every
machine. It starts in single digit milliseconds, completes commands, files,
variables and flags as you type, and reads its settings from ~/.freshrc.
Publisher’s description
What is FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell?
FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell by Musa Bostanci is open-source Windows software in the terminals & cli tools category. It is written in C.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE installers for 64-bit Windows. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (S42yt/FreSH) has 3 stars. Similar programs include PowerShell, Oh My Posh and Alacritty.
Project description on GitHub: “FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell. A bash like Shell for Windows”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell is an open-source terminals & cli tool tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
8EB1FE8DBDAF3B36F6E77A50D0E8726018CC740D4513D46CAF42BE575BFBCAE1· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26.10.0Latest | August 15, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id S42yt.FreSH -eFreSH-Setup.exe /silent /userRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Musa Bostanci
- Category
- Terminals & CLI tools
- Licence
- GPL-3.0-only
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/S42yt/FreSH
- Written in
- C
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE
- Version
- 26.10.0
- Released
- August 15, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- September 15, 2026
- Versions listed
- 1
- GitHub stars
- 3
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- S42yt.FreSH
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell free?
Yes. FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell is open-source software under the GPL-3.0-only licence.
Is FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Can I use FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to FreSH - First-Run Experience Shell?
PowerShell, Oh My Posh, Alacritty, fzf and QPDF. The alternatives page compares them.
