GW32 - Getting Started With Cygwin

Here is a set of pointers very useful in getting started. = Please refer=20 to these before posting to the = cygwin AT sourceware DOT cygnus DOT com=20 mail list.=20

DOCUMENTATION:	http://sourceware= .cygnus.com/cygwin/docs.html
DLL = HELP:=20	http://w= ww.xraylith.wisc.edu/~khan/software/gnu-win32/
ARCHIVE SEARCH:=20	http://sourceware.cygnu= s.com/ml/cygwin/ http://www.delorie.com/arc= hives/=20 http://www.eGroups.c= om/list/gnu-win32/=20

Get = this updated=20 cygwin1.dll

Ok. You've downloaded full.exe or usertools.exe = from http://sourceware.cygnus.c= om/cygwin/or=20 a related mirror and you want to know what to do next. First let = me say=20 that you'll avoid a lot of errors if you download the cygwin1-19990115= .dll.gz=20 at this location http://sourcewar= e.cygnus.com/cygwin/snapshots/or=20 a related mirror and overlay the cygwin1.dll (MORE=20 INFO) with this version. You really want to do = this if=20 you're using WIN95 or WIN98 as it fixes a lot of problems related = to these=20 OSes. You really want to do this in order to fix = problems=20 related to specifying processing modes for files with open/fopen. = Let me=20 emphasis it again You really want to download and install = cygwin1-19= 990115.dll.gz=20 !!=20

Why = not download=20 the most current snapshot?

The 19990115 snapshot is recognized as a stable = snapshot.=20 More recent snapshots may not even run. The snapshots are made = available=20 for developers who must live on the bleeding edge. There are a = lot of=20 changes in the current snapshots that are for a future release = and some of=20 these changes fix a lot of problems. However, the snapshots are = alpha=20 versions that haven't even been tested. If you're uncomfortable, = or not=20 familiar with administering product revisions including a backout = plan=20 then don't download the snapshots.=20

What to download=20 to try the most current snapshot?

If you're not concerned with development or you = consider=20 yourself just a "user" of Cygwin and you wish to try a recent = snapshot=20 then you will need the cygwin-inst-YYYYMMDD.tar.gz just prior to = the=20 cygwin1-YYYYMMDD.dll.gz file you plan to get. The cygwin-inst = tarball=20 contains a cygwin1.dll so there will be no need to get the = cygwin1.dll=20 zipped file if they both tarballs were created on the same date. = The=20 cygwin-inst tarball contains the installed version of Cygwin = specific=20 binaries, headers and libraries which you'll need for building = you=20 programs against in the event of incompatibility in releases.=20

If you want to help with the development of Cygwin or just = look at the=20 Cygwin's coding for educational purposes then you need to = download these=20 most recent tarballs: cygwin-inst, cygwin-src and winsup-src. = Note that if=20 cygwin-src and winsup-src have the same date, you only need the = cygwin-src=20 as the winsup-src is contained in the cygwin-src tarball.=20

Why = the=20 complicated directory structure?

The cygwin package directory structure is provided = to aid=20 the developers who are responsible for more than one package to = keep the=20 packages in order. This on the other hand isn't very user = friendly and it=20 will be of benefit for you to take a look at the suggestions = listed below=20 for setting up your directory structure. However, before looking = at the=20 examples you need to understand the cygwin = mount=20 command, so please = click=20 here for a definition.
Suggestion = 1:=20 Good getting started layout
Suggestion = 2:=20 Dual Structure: cygwin and mingw32

Important to=20 mount

It is important to mount the other devices you = might be=20 using with the cygwin package. It is also important but not = necessary to=20 have mount points for all directories you mount. E.G.: Assuming = that you=20 have installed the cygwin package on drive C:, you are using the = default=20 C:\ for / and you also want to use drives D:, E: and M: it is = advised that=20 you do the following (I'm executing from MSDOS):
mkdir = c:\d
mount=20 d:\ /d
mkdir c:\e
mount e:\ /e
mkdir c:\m
mount m:\ = /m

This is done in order to aid the resolution of devices. Some = packages=20 don't understand the default //d/pathname for example that will = be used by=20 cygwin if the device isn't mounted. It seems that the // portion = of the=20 path confuses some packages. Mounting the device name will cause = cygwin to=20 report the path as /d/pathname and remove the confusion.

CAUTION: The more mount points you add the more time it takes = to=20 resolve the pathnames.=20

Important=20 environment variables

There are several environment variables that should = be set=20 before starting bash. Most of these are set in the cygwin.bat = file that=20 comes with then package; but, if you choose to change them you = should be=20 aware of there existance.=20

CYGWIN	The = CYGWIN=20 environment variable is used to control switchable = modes/methods of=20 processing within the cygwin1.dll itself. See the = documentation for=20 a list of available settings.
HOME	On = UNIX the HOME=20 environment variable is set by the startup process. Since = we're=20 emulating UNIX the HOME variable must be set = manually. I=20 typically will do one of two things for the HOME = environment=20 variable: 1) SET HOME=3D/home 2) SET=20 HOME=3D/Winnt/Profiles/MyUserId
MAKE_MODE	The = MAKE_MODE=20 environment variable controls the MAKE program in how it = handles=20 paths. If it is not set to the value UNIX (case = insensitive) then=20 the paths are treated as MSDOS/WIN32 style paths, I.E.=20 C:\THIS\IS\A\PATH is considered a path and a ; character is = used to=20 separate paths. If it is set to the value of UNIX then the = paths are=20 treated as POSIX style paths, I.E. /c/this/is/a/path is = considered a=20 path and the : character is used to separate=20 paths.