src/newlib/winsup/doc/ov-ex-win.xml

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<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook V4.5//EN"
		"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd">

<sect1 id="ov-ex-win">
<title>Quick Start Guide for those more experienced with Windows</title>
<para>
If you are new to the world of UNIX, you may find it difficult to
understand at first. This guide is not meant to be comprehensive,
so we recommend that you use the many available Internet resources
to become acquainted with UNIX basics (search for "UNIX basics" or
"UNIX tutorial"). 
</para>
<para>
To install a basic Cygwin environment, run the
<command>setup.exe</command> program and click <literal>Next</literal>
at each page.  The default settings are correct for most users. If you
want to know more about what each option means, see 
<xref linkend="internet-setup"></xref>. Use <command>setup.exe</command>
any time you want to update or install a Cygwin package.  If you are
installing Cygwin for a specific purpose, use it to install the tools
that you need. For example, if you want to compile C++ programs, you 
need the <systemitem>gcc-g++</systemitem> package and probably a text
editor like <systemitem>nano</systemitem>.  When running
<command>setup.exe</command>, clicking on categories and packages in the
package installation screen will provide you with the ability to control
what is installed or updated. 
</para>
<para>
After installation, you can find Cygwin-specific documentation in
the <literal>/usr/share/doc/Cygwin/</literal> directory.
</para>
<para>
Developers coming from a Windows background will be able to write 
console or GUI executables that rely on the Microsoft Win32 API instead
of Cygwin using the mingw32 or mingw64 cross-compiler toolchains.  The
<command>-shared</command> option to GCC allows to write Windows Dynamically
Linked Libraries (DLLs).  The resource compiler <command>windres</command>
is also provided.
</para>
</sect1>