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Cygwin is a Unix-like environment and command-line interface for Microsoft Windows. Cygwin provides native integration of Windows-based applications, data, and other system resources with applications, software tools, and data of the Unix-like environment. Thus it is possible to launch Windows applications from the Cygwin environment, as well as to use Cygwin tools and applications within the Windows operating context (Wikipedia article)

You can use cygwin to run linux applications, like: rsync, lftp and mosh on Windows.

  1. Download Cygwin's setup-x86.exe (32-bit) or setup-x86_x64.exe (64-bit) installation file.

  2. Run the installation file. Click next at the intro screen. Then make sure Install from Internet is selected and click Next.

  3. The next two windows will ask you to choose where you want to install Cygwin on your computer and where you want to download the temporary setup files to. Choose wherever you prefer.

  4. Next, you will be asked if you want to use a proxy or direct connection. If you don't know what these are, use direct connection.
    Then you will be presented with a list of mirrors. Any mirror will do.
    A warning screen will pop up telling you to check out the documentation since it is your first time installing Cygwin, just hit OK.

  5. Now you will be given a list of categories for software you can install. For example: To install lftp, expand the Net category and choose to install lftp, OpenSSH, and OpenSSL by clicking Skip to choose the version number as shown below. Hit next when done.

  6. You will now get a window asking if you want to install dependencies for what you've just chosen, hit next to download and install everything.

  7. Lastly, you will be asked if and where you want shortcuts to the Cygwin terminal to be placed.

Tips and Tricks

  • Add none / cygdrive binary 0 0 to C:\cygwin\etc\fstab with a text editor to remove the need to prefix directories with /cygdrive. For example, /cygdrive/c/Download would become /c/Download