Bringing Linux to the Windows Desktop with “Cygwin”

Posted by on 09/14 at 12:22 PM Discuss in Forums • Permalink
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Like it or hate it, there’s no denying that the command line is a powerful, flexible tool. The number of useful utilities available more than balances out the command line’s reputation for not being easy to use.

That said, the default Windows command line is lacking – especially when compared to its UNIX or Linux counterparts. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. You can bring the full power of the Linux command line to Windows with an application called Cygwin.

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    Posted by Gary  on  09/15  at  04:34 AM

  1. What possible justification could there be for shoehorning a nice clean Linux engine into a rattletrap Windows jalopy?

    Today’s distributions of Linux offer everything most Windows users want or need in a stable, attractive, easy-to-use and virtually virus-free operating system, but for those who want to keep Windows around like the old battered pickup behind the barn, there are several good ways to run Windows in a Linux environment.  Doing so overcomes some of Windows’ vulnerabilities while offering the security and sheer power of Linux, a “win-Win solution,” so to speak.

    2. Posted by rat bazturd  on  09/15  at  06:45 AM

  2. If you know how to use linux command line proficiently then you obviously know linux. If you know how to use Windows command line proficiently then you know Windows (and its horrible c/l limitations). When I have to work on a Windows box for someone it would be a detriment to not know how to go about fixing things by relying on a crutch such as cygwin.

    In my case, VirtualBox does away with worrying about making Windows tech-friendly by stuffing it in a virtual environment for the 1 or 2 win-programs I might have to use. and allows me a testbed that can be restored after an error in about 2 minutes.

    So, for me (and pay attention kids… its why they call it an opinion), adding linux command line capability to Windows is kinda like putting ketchup and a pickle on a crap sandwich. It might look a little nicer but I still wouldn’t want it on my plate.

    Still, its an impressive bit of coding and I can see how some folks would benefit from it.

    3. Posted by Richard Reeves  on  09/15  at  12:18 PM

  3. I’ve used Cygwin many times on some of my old NT Servers to hack and set paswords, and even clean up a lot of things, and have even used the older version on 2000, 2003 Servers as well. But this new version seems great and now that it has amanual to use is even better.  It’s a great little tool, and I have used it for scripting things on Windows Platform, but didn’t know that you could cross platform with it.  It should bring the two worlds much closer together.  Now if someone would just come out with a version of pearl for the Windows platform, well it would be much simpler for the IT people of the world.

    4. Posted by Mikkel  on  09/16  at  09:08 AM

  4. The title of the tips is wrong - you are bring the GNU utilities to Windows, not Linux. There is a big difference!

    5. Posted by Mark Esler  on  09/20  at  11:50 AM

  5. You need cygwin on a windows machine if your fron the nix* world.. not having the tool you need is frustrating.

    6. Posted by Gary  on  09/22  at  09:12 AM

  6. Response to Comment #5: Perhaps I didn’t clearly state my point, which was that Linux is the superior OS, so unless you NEED Windows why not just replace it, and if you DO need Windows (poor soul!) install it as a secondary OS (see http://www.geeks.com/techtips/2008/techtips-29JUN08.htm).

    For those occasions when you need to work on someone *else’s* Windows box use a bootable Linux—I keep Puppy on a USB drive for that but used to use Knoppix; now almost every distro has a version that’ll run from a CD or other removable media.  As Mark notes in #4, Cygwin isn’t Linux; using something like Puppy or Knoppix etc. gives you everything Cygwin has and a lot more besides.  Sometimes that’s not necessary, and Cygwin works great for a lot of people, but I’d rather have Linux running the show.

    7. Posted by Computer Guy  on  09/26  at  12:44 PM

  7. Great post! Thanks for the info!!

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