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Cygwin is a set of powerful tools to assist developers in migrating applications from UNIX/Linux to the Microsoft Windows platform. Cygwin delivers the open source standard Red Hat GNU gcc compiler and gdb debugger on Windows. In addition, it provides for a standard UNIX/Linux development environment on Windows including APIs and command shells. The Cygwin.dll library, included with Cygwin, delivers the interesting subset of UNIX SVR4, BSD, and POSIX APIs to enable quick ports of UNIX/Linux applications to the Windows platform.
Cygwin is supported on Windows 2000, 2003 Server, XP, Vista, 2008 Server.
With Cygwin, administrators can login remotely to any PC, fix problems within a Posix/Linux/UNIX shell on any Windows machine, and run shell command scripts. Sophisticated shell command scripts can be created with standard shells, such as sed or awk. Standard Windows command line tools can even be intermixed within the UNIX/Linux shell script environment to administer the Windows system. Over the years, UNIX/Linux system administrators have developed a large toolbox set of management scripts for their UNIX/Linux machines. Cygwin provides the ability to continue using these scripts on Windows machines.
One of the largest problems developers face today is supporting their applications on disparate platforms. Windows workstations continue to be added to an environment already populated by Linux and other UNIX-based Operating Systems. Using Cygwin, developers can manage heterogeneous environments in a consistent, efficient way. Cygwin provides a standard UNIX/Linux shell environment, including many of its most useful commands to the Windows platform, so IT managers can effectively deploy trained staff and leverage existing investments in UNIX/Linux source code and shell scripts.
The Cygwin library, utilities, and numerous applications are available for free download under the terms of the GPL. Red Hat offers developer and user support for this software, as well as license contracts for the Cygwin library and its utilities. The Red Hat Cygwin official installation utility can be used for both initial installation and automated updating.
Red Hat provides GNUPro Professional developer support for developer teams developing applications using the Cygwin Environment.
Red Hat provides professional support for customers user the Cygwin environment within their organization.
In order to maintain proprietary status for applications developed with Cygwin, customers must buy-out the Cygwin license from Red Hat. This is most often employed in conjunction with Cygwin developer support.