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diff --git a/winsup/doc/what.texinfo b/winsup/doc/what.texinfo deleted file mode 100644 index b3420b5cf..000000000 --- a/winsup/doc/what.texinfo +++ /dev/null @@ -1,160 +0,0 @@ -@chapter What is it? - -The Cygwin tools are ports of the popular GNU development tools for -Microsoft Windows. They run thanks to the Cygwin library which -provides the UNIX system calls and environment these programs expect. - -With these tools installed, it is possible to write Win32 console or -GUI applications that make use of the standard Microsoft Win32 API -and/or the Cygwin API. As a result, it is possible to easily -port many significant Unix programs without the need -for extensive changes to the source code. This includes configuring -and building most of the available GNU software (including the packages -included with the Cygwin development tools themselves). Even if -the development tools are of little to no use to you, you may have -interest in the many standard Unix utilities provided with the package. -They can be used both from the bash shell (provided) or from the -standard Windows command shell. - -@section What versions of Windows are supported? - -Wait a minute... Cygwin is only @emph{supported} if you are paying for -it, such as through a support contract with Red Hat. For information -about getting a Red Hat support contract, see -@file{http://www.redhat.com/software/tools/cygwin/}. - -That said, Cygwin can be expected to run on all modern 32 bit versions of -Windows, except Windows CE. This includes Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP. - -Keep in mind that Cygwin can only do as much as the underlying OS -supports. Because of this, Cygwin will behave differently, and -exhibit different limitations, on the various versions of Windows. - -@section Where can I get it? - -The main location for the Cygwin project is -@file{http://cygwin.com/}. There you should find -everything you need for Cygwin, including links for download and setup, -a current list of ftp mirror sites, a User's Guide, an API Reference, -mailing lists and archives, and additional ported software. - -You can find documentation for the individual GNU tools at -@file{http://www.fsf.org/manual/}. (You should read GNU manuals from a -local mirror. Check @file{http://www.fsf.org/server/list-mirrors.html} -for a list of them.) - - -@section Is it free software? - -Yes. Parts are GNU software (gcc, gas, ld, etc...), parts are covered -by the standard X11 license, some of it is public domain, some of -it was written by Cygnus and placed under the GPL. None of it is -shareware. You don't have to pay anyone to use it but you should be -sure to read the copyright section of the FAQ more more information on -how the GNU General Public License may affect your use of these tools. - -In particular, if you intend to port a proprietary (non-GPL'd) -application using Cygwin, you will need the proprietary-use license -for the Cygwin library. This is available for purchase; please visit -@file{http://www.redhat.com/software/tools/cygwin/} for more information. -All other questions should be sent to the project -mailing list cygwin@@cygwin.com. - -Note that when we say "free" we mean freedom, not price. The goal of -such freedom is that the people who use a given piece of software -should be able to change it to fit their needs, learn from it, share -it with their friends, etc. The Cygwin license allows you those -freedoms, so it is free software. - -The Cygwin 1.0 product was a "commercial" distribution of cygwin. As -such, it included such non-software things as printed manuals, -support, and aggregation of useful utilities. There was nothing -(software-wise) in there that you couldn't get off the net already, if -you took the time to find and download everything (and usually, build -it yourself), although the @emph{versions} available for download may -have been different than those distributed with the commercial -product. We tested it all to make sure it worked together, and -packaged it in a convenient form. We considered such testing and -packaging to be a valuable service and thus charged a fee for it. -Plus, it provided income for the Cygwin project so we could continue -working on it. However, Red Hat is no longer offering Cygwin 1.0 on -CD, and there are no plans to do so again. The latest news about this -can be found at @file{http://cygwin.com/cygwin-cd.html}. - - -@section Recent history of the project: What version @emph{is} this, anyway? - -Starting on April 17, 2000, the Cygwin team changed the procedure for -doing net releases. - -Previously, net releases entailed downloading one or two large files -(called something like @code{FULL.EXE} or @code{USER.EXE}). These files -unpacked a "Cygwin Distribution" to a static (and arcane) directory -structure. This distribution contained lots of .exe, .a, .h, and other -files. - -These distributions were named after the version of the Cygwin DLL which -they contained. The last version released with this method was Cygwin -B20.1. - -This distribution method has the advantage that everything was "all in -one place". You could copy the huge FULL.EXE file around and know that -you were getting the complete "Cygwin Distribution". - -The method had several disadvantages, however. 1) it was huge, 2) it -was hard to download in one error-free piece, and 3) it was hard to -update. - -Why was it hard to update? Because any change to any package in -FULL.EXE meant re-generating all of FULL.EXE. This process was not easy -to automate since FULL.EXE was an InstallShield executable. As a -result, until recently, Cygwin development was relatively static. - -To rectify these problems, the Cygwin team decided, early in January -2000, to break up the packages in the release and make a small program -(@code{setup.exe}) available to use in downloading packages. After much -development and internal discussion on the cygwin-developers mailing -list, the new, improved version of a Cygwin release was made available -on April 17, 2000. - -This new release also had a new version of the Cygwin DLL -- 1.1.0. -Most of the other packages were updated and some packages from the -Cygwin CD were included. Meanwhile, the Cygwin DLL continues to be -updated, and since release 1.3.1, is more generically referred to as -"1.3.x". - -Users obtain this package by first downloading a version of -Cygwin Setup. This program started as a simple command line tool, -has metamorphosed into a GUI, and is in the process of continual -improvement. However, its purpose is simple -- it is designed to -install packages from the cygwin web site at @file{http://cygwin.com/}. -In effect, it is a smaller, more intelligent replacement for FULL.EXE. -It does not require the downloading a huge executable but rather -downloads individual small packages. - -Does this mean that the new net release of the Cygwin package is 1.3.x? -No. We no longer label the releases with the Cygwin version number. -Each package in the cygwin release has its own version now. - -Does this mean that Cygwin 1.3.x is newer than B20.1? Yes! The cygwin -1.3.x versions all represent continual improvement in the Cygwin DLL. -Although the 1.3.x code is still considered "beta quality", the Cygwin -team felt comfortable enough with the cygwin technology to bump the -version number to "1". - -The other packages in the latest directory are also continually -improving, thanks to the efforts of net volunteers who maintain the -cygwin binary ports. Each package has its own version numbers and its -own release process. - -So, how do you get the most up-to-date version of cygwin? Easy. Just -download the Cygwin Setup program from -@file{http://cygwin.com/setup.exe}. This program will handle the task -of updating the packages on your system to the latest version. The -Cygwin team frequently updates and adds new packages to the sourceware -web site. The Cygwin Setup program is the easiest way to determine what -you need on your system. - -For some "ancient" history of the project (rather, just woefully out of -date), visit the Project History page at -@file{http://cygwin.com/history.html}. |