Installing Cygwin

1. Run the DOS shell: Select Start->Run.
   
   Type cmd and click Ok.
   
   
   NOTE: If you run Windows 95/98/ME, you need to type command instead.
   
   You will see a DOS shell window.
   
   Never seen one of these before? Congratulations—you have just reached Level 2.
2. Type

   mkdir c:\temp

   and hit the ENTER key. If you get an error message that the directory already exists, then that's ok.
3. Start your browser and go to www.cygwin.com . Click on the link that looks like this:
   
4. Depending on your browser, you may or may not get a dialog that asks you whether you want to run or save the file. Of course, Run is a reckless option that you should never select. Select Save.
   
   
5. You will get a “Save As” dialog such as this one.
   
   Change the file name to c:\temp\setup.exe and click on Save.
6. Depending on your browser, you may get a dialog box telling you that the download is complete. Close the dialog.
   
   
7. When your browser is done downloading the file, switch to the shell window that you opened in step 1. (Reopen it if you closed it.) Then type

   c:
   cd \temp
   setup

   Remember to hit ENTER after every line of input in the shell window—I won't mention that again. The Cygwin setup program starts:
   
   Click Next. Then select “Install from Internet”.
   
   Click Next. Then accept the default “install root directory” as C:\cygwin.
   
   Click Next. Then accept the default “local package directory” as C:\temp.
   
   Click Next. Then select “Direct Connection”.
   
   Click Next. Then select a download site. I used http://mirrors.rcn.net .
   
   Click Next. You will see the "Select Packages" dialog.
   
   
8. NOTE: This step is very important.
   
   Move the mouse on the Devel entry and click until the selector reads Install.
   
   
   Repeat this step with the Net package. (You want to install both Devel and Net!)
   Then click Next. You will see a long succession of dialogs such as this one: 
   
   After quite a long time, you will start seeing dialogs such as this one:
   
   Finally, you will get this dialog:
   
   Click Next to see:
   
   Click Ok.
9. NOTE: This step is for Windows XP, 2000, or NT only. If you have Windows 95, 98, or Millennium (ME), go to step 10 instead.
   
   
   • Start the control panel (Start->Settings->Control Panel)
     
     
   • Click on the Switch to Classic View
     
     NOTE: On Windows 2000 and NT, you don't need to switch to classic mode.
     
   •  Click on System
     
     
   • Click on Advanced
     
     
   • Click on Environment Variables
     
     NOTE: On Windows 2000 and NT, you can directly go to the tab marked Environment.
     
     
   • Scroll through the System Variables until you find a variable named Path. Click on Edit.
     
     
   • Add the c:\cygwin\bin directory to the end of the path, using a semicolon to separate the new entry, like this:

     other stuff;c:\cygwin\bin

   • Click Ok on all dialogs to save your change.
   Now skip step 10 and go to step 11.
   
10. This step is for Windows 95, 98 or ME only. If you have Windows XP, 2000, or NT, then skip this step and go to step 11.
    
    Return to the shell window. Type

    edit c:\autoexec.bat

    You will see an editor window, somewhat like this:
    
    Locate the line that starts with PATH= and insert the string

    ;c:\cygwin\bin

    after the C:\WINDOWS and ;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND statement. Check that the semicolons are correct. Do not insert a n y   a d d i t o n a l   s p a c e s ! ! ! Afterwards, the PATH statement should look somewhat like this:
    
    Now select File->Save and File->Exit. Reboot your computer. 
11. Test that Cygwin is properly installed. Open up a new shell window (as described in step 1). Type

    gcc --version

    Did you get a string similar to the one below? Congratulations—you have just reached level 3.