Cygwin is a free program that features a command line user interface that allows you to run commands and programs created for Linux and Unix systems within Windows. In other words, it recreates an environment in which you can run programs and commands for Linux and Unix systems on a Windows computer. If you are a user who has used Unix systems before, Cygwin will simplify the execution of commands and programs for this operating system within Windows. While it may seem very complex to use at first, with a little practice it will gradually become more familiar and intuitive.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Install Cygwin
Step 1. Install Cygwin on your computer. Visit https://cygwin.com and click on the "Install Cygwin" link displayed on the left side of the page. This way you will have the possibility to download the file setup.exe and select the "Install from Internet" installation mode. Click on the "Next" button to continue.
Step 2. Choose installation settings
In most cases it is good to use the default installation directory which is "c: / cygwin \" and also use all the other configuration settings of the program.
Step 3. Configure the directory for temporary files
This is the folder where Cygwin will store all the packages you download while using the program. In this case you can select a directory of your choice.
Step 4. Download the installation files by choosing the "Direct Connection" option
You will be given a list of servers from which to download Cygwin installation data. You can choose to use the default link or, if the download speed doesn't suit you, you can choose to use one of the other servers available. Click on the "Next" button to continue.
Step 5. Choose the packages to install
You will be provided with a long list of packages which may be intimidating if this is your first time using Cygwin. In the latter scenario, it is best to rely on the default selection, so click on the "Next" button to continue. Wait for the progress bar, which indicates the Cygwin download and installation status, to be completely full. The time required for this step to complete should be a few minutes.
Step 6. Use Cygwin as if it were a Unix system
At first you will have to do some sort of customization of the work environment. For example you will need to create your user account and enter it in the "/ etc / password" file. Make sure you instruct the installation procedure to create a Cygwin icon directly on the Windows desktop. This way when you double click on that icon the Cygwin command shell will be displayed.
Step 7. Wait for a few lines of text to appear on the screen
This will only occur when Cygwin is first started. After the first initial phase of setup, you will be greeted by a command prompt similar to the following
username @ computer_name ~ $
green in classic Unix style. This is the interface you can use to execute the commands you want.
Step 8. Update the programs present in Cygwin
If you need to update existing programs within Cygwin or download new ones, return to the main page of the Cygwin website and click on the "Update" tab. The installation configuration settings that you already encountered while installing Cygwin will be displayed again.
Part 2 of 2: Using Cygwin: The Basics
Step 1. Search for a file
Some of Cygwin's basic commands are those intended for searching and comparing files. To locate a file within the system, type the following command:
$ find. -name FILE EXAMPLE
. This command allows you to view the list of all files that have the indicated name, regardless of whether it is made up of uppercase or lowercase letters.
Step 2. Search for a keyword within a file
If you need to locate a file that contains specific text, you will need to use the "grep" command. For example, if you want to have the list of all instances of the word "EXAMPLE" present in the file "EXAMPLE.txt", you will have to use the following command:
$ grep 'EXAMPLE' EXAMPLE.txt
. But remember that the "grep" command is case sensitive. If you want to find all instances of the word "EXAMPLE", regardless of how it is written, read on.
Step 3. Search for a word within a file regardless of how it is spelled
The command to use in this case is similar to the previous one, but with the addition of the parameter
-the
after the keyword
grep
. The complete command will then be:
$ grep -i 'EXAMPLE' EXAMPLE.txt
Step 4. Compare two files
If you need to compare two files, you can do it quickly and easily using the command
diff
. The syntax consists of the "diff" command followed by the name of the two files to compare:
diff EXAMPLE1.txt EXAMPLE2.txt
. The contents of the two files will be displayed, one after the other.
Step 5. Explore Cygwin's basic commands
Here is a table showing Cygwin's list of basic commands along with their Windows counterpart.
| Action | Windows | Cygwin |
| listing directories | dir | ls |
| clean the command line window | concrete | clear |
| copy one or more files | copy | cp |
| move one or more files | move | mv |
| delete one or more files | of the | rm |
| create a directory | md | mkdir |
| delete a directory | rd | rm -rf |
| change the current working directory | CD | CD |
| view the current working directory | cd, chdir | pwd |
| perform a search | find | grep |
| concatenate two files | cat | cat |
| change the access permissions | chmod | chmod |
| display text as output | echo | echo |
