Microsoft recommends Dev Drive for storing source code, package caches, and build artifacts, but not for installing apps or developer tools. Currently, Dev Drive is available to Windows Insiders running the Dev Channel of Windows 11 in public preview. Users can create a Dev Drive volume as a new virtual hard disk or use unallocated space, which requires at least 50GB of free space and a minimum of 8GB of RAM. According to users who have tested the Dev Drive, it has provided faster builds, with some experiencing up to 40% speed gains in npm build and 20% speedier .NET build. Dev Drive will be available in the main Windows release channel later this year and also in Azure Pipelines and GitHub Actions for faster CI builds in the cloud.
The Dev Drive has shown great promise, and its availability can significantly benefit developers. The combination of faster build times, greater security through Microsoft Defender, and the ability to copy-on-write linking can ensure efficiency in disk-bound operations and the conservative usage of data storage. However, one significant limitation of Dev Drive is its 50GB minimum storage space requirement, which is considerably higher than typical volumes used for development. Developers must ensure that the benefits of using Dev Drive outweigh the associated costs of switching to a high-capacity disk. As such, it is critical to evaluate Dev Drive with specific use cases in mind to determine its suitability.
In conclusion, Dev Drive offers excellent features for developers. The thorough testing by the Windows Insiders program will likely provide Microsoft developers with additional feedback, and as a result, Dev Drive could undergo changes before its general availability later this year. Therefore, developers should keep an eye on the developments of Dev Drive and evaluate it against their specific development needs and disk space requirements before deciding to move onto the Dev Drive.
<< photo by Djordje Petrovic >>
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