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Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 21:04:56 +0300
From: Andrey Repin <anrdaemon AT yandex DOT ru>
Reply-To: cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Message-ID: <74851342.20150624210456@yandex.ru>
To: Alvin Oo <defalcator AT gmail DOT com>, cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Subject: Re: Uses of Cygwin
In-Reply-To: <loom.20150624T150038-632@post.gmane.org>
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Greetings, Alvin Oo!

As much as I despise people, who can't do their homework... Here's some
obvious answers.

> 1) does it support ruby,python,c++,c, java?

From the http://cygwin.com/index.html [1]:

Cygwin is:
a large collection of GNU and Open Source tools which provide functionality
similar to a Linux distribution on Windows.

a DLL (cygwin1.dll) which provides substantial POSIX API functionality.

This concludes the scope of Cygwin as:
1. A toolset of familiar GNU utilities. Which inevitable includes GNU C/C++ as
the de facto standard compiler.
2. An API compatibility layer.

For the rest, use package search or browse through packages available in
setup.exe.

> 2) What type of shell does it support? (sh,ksh),

Use package search, as Warren Young suggested. sh is a nobrainer, as it is
mandated by POSIX. Even though the default shell is bash, there's also a more
POSIX'y dash available in a base distribution.

> what can it emulate?

Cygwin is not an emulation engine. Your question makes no sense.

> 3) Is it possible for cygwin to start in a certain folder, akin to when I 
> drop cmd.exe on a certain folder,

May be you spelled it backward. I'll give you a credit of doubt.

> or name powershell to start in a certain
> folder it will open up, i need to navigate to directory fast

There's, like, a truckload and a small cart of ways to achieve such effect.
If you browse through mail archives, you can easily find tools like "bash
here", with various degree of functionality. One of such tools even available
in setup.

> 4) What are the alternatives to cygwin, what are the advantage and 
> disadvantage of cgywin?

That depends on the level of alteration you have in mind. Flat out of the
door, there's no other POSIX API compatibility projects available at all, so,
there's no alternatives to the main part of Cygwin - an API compatibility DLL.

> 5) What are the most common uses of cgywin?

What is the most common use of a POSIX toolset?
I don't know how to answer your question without feeling myself stupid.


-- 
With best regards,
Andrey Repin
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 19:50:00

Sorry for my terrible english...