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So I love the Linux CLI environment and I like to use bash for almost every task I can.

For some reasons too long to explain, I'm leaving my Ubuntu 14.04 LTS to move to Windows 7. I have heard there are a couple of bash emulators there, like Cygwin and MSys.

My question is, can you in anyway get all the bash programs to work? For example, could I install packages using apt-get or yum or any other package provider and have them work on my Cygwin? I understand this is impossible as all the programs included with Cygwin are compiled as win32 executables, and therefore, any program provided by a package shouldn't work because they are Linux executables. Am I right?

In case this was impossible, is there any DYI way to get it solved? Could I run a Debian system on a Virtual Machine and have the bash affect the Windows filesystem? Could there be a way to run a Linux kernel directly on Windows and then load a bash from there and have it work? I'm clueless, but I'm quite excited to get to work on this project. I think the best idea would be a virtual machine, but these are normally too slow and don't affect the host filesystem, or it's hard to get it done I have heard.

Any help is sincerely appreciated. Thanks a lot guys.

Peace.

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    Questions about Windows should be asked on Super User. Also: colinux.org
    – muru
    May 9, 2015 at 18:12
  • Use Cygwin cygwin.com
    – Panther
    May 9, 2015 at 18:13
  • +bodhi.zazen will that allow me too download and use packages via apt-get? That's my primary question. May 9, 2015 at 18:14
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    @ChemiCalChems not via apt-get. Cygwin has its own package manager, IIRC.
    – muru
    May 9, 2015 at 18:15
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    Not any linux package, only what is available in cygwin. Others you would hav eto build from source if you could.
    – Panther
    May 9, 2015 at 20:46

1 Answer 1

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Cygwin is the easiest way to use bash and other open source software on windows

https://www.cygwin.com/

I have run and X server, ssh, and KDE on windows with cygwin.

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  • Can I install packages via apt-get in Cygwin? May 9, 2015 at 18:15
  • No, cygwin has it's own installer. You run cygwin.exe and elect what to install.
    – Panther
    May 9, 2015 at 20:46

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