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From: "Paul G." <pgarceau AT qwest DOT net>
Organization: Paul G.
To: cygwin-apps AT cygwin DOT com
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 17:56:57 -0800
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Subject: Re: attn: which, bzip2,gzip maintainers (was Re: some problems with setup.ini)
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On 29 Nov 2001 at 15:18, Robert Collins wrote:

> ---- Original Message -----
> From: "Paul G." <pgarceau AT qwest DOT net>
> > > >I'm still not 100% sure that utils is appropriate.
> > >
> > > Me neither.
> >
> > FWIW, Mingw doesn't have an extensive utils as part of base
> distribution.  Even
> > so, you can download binutils as a separate enhancement from several
> sources.
> 
> I always thought that mingw's aims were somewhat different to what
> cygwin is (now) trying to do.

	Well, only in terms of targetted platform(s).  Mingw is, as you have noted below, meant to be run under (be 
targetted primarily for) a Win32api based OS.  Originally, Cygwin, (cgf, please correct), was designed to be targetted for 
Win32api based platforms and allow easy transition from *nix based platforms to Win32API based platforms.  Since 
then, and if I understand current philosophy of Cygwin correctly, Cygwin has expanded to be installable and useable on 
both *nix (including Linux) and Win32api based platforms.  Of course, the *nix users don't have the benefit of setup.exe 
<;-)>.

> 
> mingw: a compiler targeted for win32, (usually) hosted on win32, with
> win32 binaries available.

	Basically, yes.  Most recent "stable" Mingw distribution (1.1) is more akin to a tool set than it is to a compiler 
though.  (Basic "tool set", to me, includes compiler, binutils and whatever else is needed to sucessfully build and/or 
debug your basic executable such as "helloworld.exe".  Cygwin and Mingw are both tool sets.  Environment-wise, 
Cygwin is *nix oriented, Mingw is Windows or Win32api oriented). [you see twisty-turny passages going in all 
directions...;-)  oops, showing my age ;-)]

> cygwin: every *nix opensource utility (and one or two win32) under the
> sun, available in binary form, along with a posix emulation layer to
> make it all work.
	
	Yes, closer to a *nix-like development environment which runs under (is targetted primarily for) the Win32api 
based platforms.

> 
> Please correct me if I'm wrong :}.

	Paul G.