7 ms·

I wish Cygwin would get more steam, a new package manager and a repository...

by qwerty456127 8y ago

aepiepaey 8y ago
You could try MSYS2.
mohammedbin 8y ago
Why wouldn't you use WSL?
- voltagex_ 8y ago
  Windows < 10/1809 compatibility, ability to ship standalone applications, force of habit, need for something WSL doesn't support. Ironically, Cygwin might be closer to "native" than WSL is in some cases.
  - chx 8y ago
    > need for something WSL doesn't support. Like what...? > Ironically, Cygwin might be closer to "native" than WSL is in some cases. Which cases...?
    - Nullabillity 8y ago
      > Like what...? SQLite, for one. https://github.com/Microsoft/WSL/issues/2395 https://github.com/Microsoft/WSL/issues/2395
- meditate 8y ago
  I haven't used Windows in quite some time, but I believe they are quite different. WSL is more like a very basic version of Wine in that it implements Linux system calls and can execute ELF binaries, and as such requires you to install a host OS for libc and any other libraries you want. Cygwin is more like Winelib in that it provides a custom libc implementation and toolchain that are natively compiled, and as such requires you to rebuild your applications.
  - anticensor 8y ago
    WSL is actually backwards analogue of WINE, also described as ENIW.
    - NotHereNotThere 8y ago
      Emulator Not Is Wine? ;)
      - anticensor 8y ago
        It is actually ENIW:Now inside Windows
  - scooter_de 8y ago
    My understanding of WSL is that Linux software runs natively on Windows by virtue of a compatibility layer. Eg. if there is a fork() in my code it will be translated into CreateProcess() or something like that.
    - xtracto 8y ago
      I have always been curious on how WSL differs to coLinux or andLinux ( http://www.andlinux.org/ http://www.andlinux.org/ ) About 10/15 years ago I used andLinux to have a Linux shell and other apps inside Windows. It was really good and it seems ahead of its time, as it was not virtualized.
    - phs318u 8y ago
      Correct. It's an interesting architecture, if you're interested in reading more: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/wsl/2016/04/22/windows-subsystem-for-linux-overview/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/wsl/2016/04/22/windows-subs...
    - _emacsomancer_ 8y ago
      Right, so like what Wine does. (Remember: Wine Is Not an Emulator.)
  - 8y ago
- qwerty456127 8y ago
  Perhaps you're right, maybe WSL can do all the job nicely so maybe there is little if any point in developing cygwin. I have never tried it to be honest. I just prefer Windows 7 and loosely-integrated solutions - a 3rd-party Linux in a box feels better than a Microsoft Linux in the Windows kernel (yet just using a VM doesn't feel great for performance reasons and beacuse of not rally seamless file system integration).

I wish Cygwin would get more steam, a new package manager and a repository...

aepiepaey 8y ago

You could try MSYS2.

mohammedbin 8y ago

Why wouldn't you use WSL?

voltagex_ 8y ago
Windows < 10/1809 compatibility, ability to ship standalone applications, force of habit, need for something WSL doesn't support. Ironically, Cygwin might be closer to "native" than WSL is in some cases.
- chx 8y ago
  > need for something WSL doesn't support. Like what...? > Ironically, Cygwin might be closer to "native" than WSL is in some cases. Which cases...?
  - Nullabillity 8y ago
    > Like what...? SQLite, for one. https://github.com/Microsoft/WSL/issues/2395 https://github.com/Microsoft/WSL/issues/2395
meditate 8y ago
I haven't used Windows in quite some time, but I believe they are quite different. WSL is more like a very basic version of Wine in that it implements Linux system calls and can execute ELF binaries, and as such requires you to install a host OS for libc and any other libraries you want. Cygwin is more like Winelib in that it provides a custom libc implementation and toolchain that are natively compiled, and as such requires you to rebuild your applications.
- anticensor 8y ago
  WSL is actually backwards analogue of WINE, also described as ENIW.
  - NotHereNotThere 8y ago
    Emulator Not Is Wine? ;)
    - anticensor 8y ago
      It is actually ENIW:Now inside Windows
- scooter_de 8y ago
  My understanding of WSL is that Linux software runs natively on Windows by virtue of a compatibility layer. Eg. if there is a fork() in my code it will be translated into CreateProcess() or something like that.
  - xtracto 8y ago
    I have always been curious on how WSL differs to coLinux or andLinux ( http://www.andlinux.org/ http://www.andlinux.org/ ) About 10/15 years ago I used andLinux to have a Linux shell and other apps inside Windows. It was really good and it seems ahead of its time, as it was not virtualized.
  - phs318u 8y ago
    Correct. It's an interesting architecture, if you're interested in reading more: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/wsl/2016/04/22/windows-subsystem-for-linux-overview/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/wsl/2016/04/22/windows-subs...
  - _emacsomancer_ 8y ago
    Right, so like what Wine does. (Remember: Wine Is Not an Emulator.)
- 8y ago
qwerty456127 8y ago
Perhaps you're right, maybe WSL can do all the job nicely so maybe there is little if any point in developing cygwin. I have never tried it to be honest. I just prefer Windows 7 and loosely-integrated solutions - a 3rd-party Linux in a box feels better than a Microsoft Linux in the Windows kernel (yet just using a VM doesn't feel great for performance reasons and beacuse of not rally seamless file system integration).