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Cygwin
open-in-new
<p>Cygwin is a <a href="/facts/Free_and_open-source_software/1cHtjLCB">free and open-source</a> <a href="/facts/Unix-like/YAKrAxzd">Unix-like</a> <a href="/facts/Runtime_environment/YmCuC4xP">environment</a> and <a href="/facts/Command-line_interface/R9JpGmXQ">command-line interface</a> (CLI) for <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a>. The project also provides a software repository containing <a href="/facts/Open-source_software/HzTaB8E9">open-source</a> packages. Cygwin allows <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">source code</a> for <a href="/facts/Unix-like/YAKrAxzd">Unix-like</a> operating systems to be compiled and run on Windows. Cygwin provides native integration of Windows-based applications. </p><p>The <a href="/facts/Terminal_emulator/yNfevBJd">terminal emulator</a> <a href="/facts/Mintty/5eIRIXrD">mintty</a> is the default command-line interface provided to interact with the environment. The Cygwin installation directory layout mimics the <a href="/facts/Root_file_system/oJN5waeT">root file system</a> of Unix-like systems, with directories such as /bin, /home, /etc, /usr, and /var. </p><p>Cygwin is released under the <a href="/facts/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License/AXwkz9x3">GNU Lesser General Public License</a> version 3. It was originally developed by <a href="/facts/Cygnus_Solutions/93L1oWxl">Cygnus Solutions</a>, which was later acquired by <a href="/facts/Red_Hat/5rhmBLBa">Red Hat</a> (now part of <a href="/facts/IBM/QszA7nwd">IBM</a>), to port the GNU <a href="/facts/Toolchain/SmlWCJhY">toolchain</a> to <a href="/facts/Win32/RRw4RtTu">Win32</a>, including the <a href="/facts/GNU_Compiler_Collection/t07jh01k">GNU Compiler Suite</a>. Rather than rewrite the tools to use the Win32 <a href="/facts/Runtime_system/YmCuC4xP">runtime environment</a>, Cygwin implemented a <a href="/facts/POSIX/mQkSt234">POSIX</a>-compatible environment in the form of a DLL. </p><p>The brand motto is "<i>Get that Linux feeling – on Windows</i>", although Cygwin doesn't have Linux in it. </p>