newlib-cygwin/winsup/doc/install.texinfo

@chapter Installation Instructions
@section Contents

Unlike previous net releases such as B20.1 and earlier, there is no
monolithic "full" or "usertools" installation.  Rather, you can pick and
choose the packages you wish to install, and update them individually.

The following packages are available with the current release, in their
respective directories:

@table @samp

@item latest
bison common diff flex gperf inetutils make opengl shellutils texinfo
ash byacc crypt expect gawk grep less man patch tar textutils bash bzip2
cygwin fileutils gcc groff login sed tcltk time binutils clear dejagnu
findutils gdb gzip m4 mt termcap vim

@item contrib
cvs gdbm jbigkit jpeg libpng tiff zlib

@end table

Full source code is available for all packages and tools.

There is one recommended way to install Cygwin, which is to use the GUI
installer @code{setup.exe}.  There are some variations on how you go
about that.

Do it any other way, and you're on your own!  That said, keep in mind
that the GUI installer is a "work in progress", so there might be a few
difficulties, especially if you are behind a firewall or have other
specific requirements.  If something doesn't work right for you, and
it's not covered here or elsewhere, then by all means report it to the
mailing list.

@section Installation using the @code{setup.exe} program

@strong{IMPORTANT: First read the README file in the @code{latest}
directory at any ftp mirror.  DO THIS NOW!  Information in the README
file is not repeated here.  You can find a mirror site near you from
@file{http://sources.redhat.com/cygwin/mirrors.html}.}

The @code{setup.exe} program is the recommended way to install Cygwin,
but it is still a work in progress.  Expect features and functionality
to change.  For this reason, it is a good idea to note the version and
build time reported by @code{setup.exe} when you run it.  This will help
diagnose problems, should you have any.  Check the cygwin mailing list
for the latest news about @code{setup.exe}.

@subsection Why not install in C:\?

The @code{setup.exe} program will prompt you for a "root" directory.
The default is 'C:\cygwin', but you can change it.  You are urged not to
choose something like 'C:\' (the root directory on the system drive) for
your Cygwin root.  If you do, then critical Cygwin system directories
like 'etc', 'lib' and 'bin' could easily be corrupted by other (non-Cygwin)
applications or packages that use \etc, \lib or \bin.  Perhaps there is
no conflict now, but who knows what you might install in the future?
It's also just good common sense to segregate your Cygwin "filesystems"
from the rest of your Windows system disk.  (In the past, there had been
genuine bugs that would cause problems for people who installed in C:\,
but we believe those are gone now.)

@subsection Can I use the new setup to update a B18, B19, B20, B20.1 or CD-ROM (1.0) installation of Cygwin?

No, you must start from scratch with the new setup.  The overall
structure has changed so much that it would be silly to try to
accomodate old installations of Cygwin.  You'll probably be much better
off with a whole new installation anyway.  You may backup or rename your
old installation first, or just install the new one somewhere else.  Be
sure to make note of your current mount table, because this will be
overwritten during the new setup.

Once you've installed the latest net release, the new setup will update
just the individual packages that need it.

@subsection The README says I should turn off anti-virus software.  Isn't that dangerous?

Only Network Associates (formerly McAfee) products have been reported to
"hang" when extracting Cygwin tar archives.  Other products should not
cause problems, if you prefer to keep them running.

Otherwise, you can download @code{setup.exe} and scan it.  Then turn off
the anti-virus software, then run setup to download and extract all the
tar files.  Then re-activate your anti-virus software and scan
everything in C:\cygwin (or wherever you chose to install).  This should
be safe.  (As long as nobody substitutes a malicious setup.exe ...)

@subsection What packages should I download?

Just get everything, if you have room for it.  But if you must be
selective:

@table @samp

@item cygwin
This is the minimum core, consisting of the cygwin1.dll and a few
commands (like @code{mount}).  Not much else, and no shell!

@item bash
This is the default interactive command shell for cygwin.  If you don't
install @samp{bash}, then the "Cygwin Bash Shell" shortcut that setup
creates for you won't actually do anything.

@item ash
This is often forgotten because it's not obvious that @samp{ash}
contains @code{/bin/sh}, which is essential for running scripts, (and
@code{make} and ...).

@end table

If you want to build programs, of course you'll need @samp{gcc}, but
you'll also need @samp{binutils}, probably @samp{make} and
@samp{fileutils}, and possibly lots more.  (Again, consider just getting
everything!)

@subsection What if setup fails?

If you are downloading from the internet, setup will fail if it cannot
download the list of mirrors at
@file{http://sources.redhat.com/cygwin/mirrors.html}.  It could be that
the network is too busy.  Similarly for an ftp download site that isn't
working.  Try another mirror, or try again later.

If setup refuses to download a package that you know needs to be
upgraded, try deleting that package's entry from /etc/setup.  If you are
reacting quickly to an announcement on the mailing list, it could be
that the mirror you are using doesn't have the latest copy yet.  Try
another mirror, or try again tomorrow.

@subsection What's the difference between packages in @samp{latest} and @samp{contrib}?

Good question!  That very issue is sometimes debated on the
@samp{cygwin-apps} mailing list.  Check the list archives if you want to
know more.