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From: "Gary R. Van Sickle" <g DOT r DOT vansickle AT worldnet DOT att DOT net>
To: <cygwin AT cygwin DOT com>
Subject: RE: idea for a new project, libntcmd
Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 13:09:16 -0600
Message-ID: <NCBBIHCHBLCMLBLOBONKOEHMDLAA.g.r.vansickle@worldnet.att.net>
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> On Fri, Jan 24, 2003 at 03:09:43PM -0800, Rafael Kitover wrote:
> >>Really?  Or would it simply delay them learning the knowledge to
> >>function in an environment that does not make specific allowances for
> >>them?
> >
> >Well, the goal would be for new cygwin users, who often have little
> >knowledge of UNIX, to have more space to get comfortable in learning
> >the environment.
>
> I would challenge the assertion that new cygwin users often have little
> knowledge of UNIX.  Vocal people on this mailing list do make this
> assertion from time to time but there is no hard data to support that
> claim.
>

I came to Cygwin so many years ago with little knowledge of UNIX.  And I'm so
hard you could bounce quarters off my abs ;-).

> In absence of hard data, I am (perhaps naively) sticking with the
> assumption that the core goal for the project of providing UNIX
> emulation for Windows for people who want UNIX tools, is still valid.
>

Sure it is, but just because people want UNIX tools on Windows, that doesn't
mean they know much about them.  In my case, I wanted UNIX tools because the
native Windows ones were so pathetic, and I knew (via conversations with others,
reading some docs, etc etc) that, say, GNU make wiped the floor with MS's nmake.
And it's of course common knowledge that command.com and cmd.exe are exactly
worthless compared to even the weakest of UNIXoid shells.  But I certainly knew
little about how to actually get the most out of them until well after I had
first installed Cygwin.

> I guess it's remotely possible that someone would want UNIX tools
> because they're interested in UNIX but don't know anything about it.  If
> that is the case, then (as I think has already been mentioned) offering
> them Windows commands or, especially, paths doesn't sound like it would
> be doing them any favors.
>

Having been one of those remotely possible people, I have to agree.  For paths
there's cygpath; for "dir" etc, cut command.com loose.  Throw the bathwater out
with that baby, step up to the UNIX plate, and don't look back lest ye be turned
into a pillow of salt.  It's better here.

--
Gary R. Van Sickle
Brewer.  Patriot.


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