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Thread: What is difference between mingw and cygwin

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    What is difference between mingw and cygwin

    I need some basic information in relation to cygwin and mingw on the prescriptive of compiling c. What is the difference between them. Which one renders more binary. Is the codes in c language compiles under cygwin are compatible in window and unix. Which one from both of them is compatible in different platforms. What are major differences between them and how can I compare Cygwin with Mingw.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    Re: What is difference between mingw and cygwin

    They both actually use gcc for compiling. The major difference between cygwin and mingw is that cygwin is a complete gnu toolset for windows. And the programs compiled in windows environment always need a cygwin.dll for running. While on the contrary the mingw is you can say a small set of compiling tools to generate win32 programs by using the libraries of Microsoft. So works as they are without any dll.s. Coming to the binary speed I don't believe that there is much difference.

  3. #3
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    Apr 2008
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    Re: What is difference between mingw and cygwin

    I will say that cygwin is an best solution for those who don't feel great working in windows. It lets you to put the most suitable part of each enivironment. to fulfill your needs weather your are through porting and developing an application. Or just using it. In the case of mingw it maintains and distributes a multiple number of many core component along with supplementary packages. It also includes a different ports of gnu toochain like gcc and binutils which is translate in the equivalent packages.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    Re: What is difference between mingw and cygwin

    Both cygwin and mingw are used to port unix software to windows but they both have distinctive approach. The main aim of cygwin is give a complete posix layer on top of the windows. It gives up performance where necessary for the compatibility part. This one is same which is found in linux and other unixt systems. On the other hand mingw aims to give a related functions and performance through windows api calls. It does not require any compatibility layer like dll as compare to cygwin. Thus here the programs are not required to distribute with the source code. But it is unable to compile some unix application because of it dependability on win 32 api calls which cannot gives a full posix api. But the same can be done by cygwin. The combination of both gives a small and self contained environment. This can be loaded in a removable media without affecting the registry files. Due to more functionality cygwin becomes more difficult to install and maintain.

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