#Cygwin for mac software#

What Cygwin IsД¬ygwin is a Linux-like environment that runs on Windows. If you want to try out Linux, read my article Trying Out Linux, which originally appeared in issue 3 of Open Source Update. Although Cygwin can run 'X' applications - that is, applications which have graphical windows (see below), for most casual users, Cygwin is primarily a command-line environment, so it will not give users a good idea about what Linux is like today. This used to be true (just as the Windows environment was preceded by the DOS environment), but today Linux provides a GUI (graphical user interface) that is just as easy to use as that of Windows or Mac OS. One common misconception about Linux is that it is only a command-line environment, with no graphical user interface. In fact, Cygwin might give you some incorrect impressions about Linux, if you've never been exposed to it before.

Not only is Cygwin not the same thing as Linux, Cygwin is not even a good way to try out Linux. It is important to stress that Cygwin is not the same thing as Linux: Cygwin runs on top of the Windows operating system, while Linux is an entirely separate operating system that has a look and feel similar to that of popular proprietary operating systems such as Windows or Mac OS. Such readers should be interested in Cygwin: Cygwin provides a Linux-like environment in a window running on the Windows operating system.

#Cygwin for mac software#

Many readers have asked for information about free and open-source software that can run on Windows. Cygwin Cygwin: a Linux-like Environment for Windows В®