Ignition is a utility created to manipulate disks during the initramfs. This includes partitioning disks, formatting partitions, writing files (regular files, systemd units, etc.), and configuring users. On first boot, Ignition reads its configuration from a source of truth (remote URL, network metadata service, hypervisor bridge, etc.) and applies the configuration. Ignition accepts both Ignition JSON configs and Butane YAML configs. When a Butane YAML config is provided, Ignition automatically transpiles it at boot.
Publisher’s description
What is ignition?
ignition is an open-source terminals & cli tool program for Windows from Fedora Project. It is written in Go.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as Portable. It runs without installation (portable).
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (coreos/ignition) has 980 stars. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .ign. Similar programs include PowerShell, yq and QPDF.
Project description on GitHub: “First boot installer and configuration tool”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: ignition is an open-source terminals & cli tool tool for 64-bit PCs.
Is ignition 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:
BD637320221897B5A3431025A03BEA341BF996183E8BF5C0CBA3C70B6DCC72DE· 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
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the coreos/ignition repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Code review10
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Security policy10
- Signed releases8
- Restricted token permissions0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Fuzzing0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.26.0Latest | February 24, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Fedora.CoreOS.ignition -eProgram files (.exe): ignition.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Fedora Project
- Category
- Terminals & CLI tools
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/coreos/ignition
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 2.26.0
- Released
- February 24, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- October 13, 2026
- Versions listed
- 1
- GitHub stars
- 980
- GitHub forks
- 300
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Fedora.CoreOS.ignition
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to ignition
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Frequently asked questions
Is ignition free?
Yes. ignition is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is ignition 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 ignition 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.
Does ignition 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 ignition without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to ignition?
PowerShell, yq, QPDF, Oh My Posh and fzf. The alternatives page compares them.
