Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

coLinux VS MinGW

Compare coLinux VS MinGW and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

coLinux logo coLinux

Cooperative Linux is the first working free and open source method for optimally running Linux on Microsoft Windows natively.

MinGW logo MinGW

MinGW ("Minimalistic GNU for Windows") is a port of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) and...
  • coLinux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-04-24
  • MinGW Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-12-08

coLinux features and specs

  • Open Source
    coLinux is open-source software, allowing users to freely access, modify, and distribute the source code under the GNU General Public License, fostering a community of users and developers.
  • Integration with Windows
    coLinux enables Linux to run natively alongside Windows, facilitating a seamless integration that allows users to run Linux applications without needing a separate virtual machine.
  • Low Resource Usage
    Compared to full virtual machines, coLinux typically uses fewer system resources, making it a lighter alternative for running Linux applications on Windows.
  • Performance
    Because it shares the Windows kernel, coLinux can offer better performance compared to other methods of virtualization that may suffer from overhead.

Possible disadvantages of coLinux

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up coLinux can be complex and is not as user-friendly as other virtualization solutions, often requiring manual configuration and technical knowledge.
  • Limited Support
    coLinux has limited support for certain modern hardware and software, and its development has slowed down significantly, which might result in compatibility issues with newer systems.
  • Security Concerns
    Since coLinux shares the Windows kernel, any security vulnerabilities in Windows could potentially affect the coLinux environment as well.
  • Updates and Maintenance
    The project is no longer actively developed or maintained, meaning users might encounter unpatched bugs or a lack of new features.

MinGW features and specs

  • Open Source
    MinGW is an open-source software project, which makes it freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.
  • Lightweight
    It is a lightweight alternative to full-fledged development environments, providing essential tools without unnecessary overhead.
  • Windows Compatibility
    MinGW offers native Windows support, allowing developers to compile applications that can run directly on Windows without the need for a compatibility layer.
  • GCC Integration
    It includes the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), which is widely considered a strong, stable, and versatile set of compilers for C, C++, and other languages.
  • Active Community
    MinGW is supported by an active community, which can provide help, patches, and additional resources via forums and online discussions.

Possible disadvantages of MinGW

  • Limited POSIX Support
    While MinGW provides some POSIX functionality, its support is limited compared to other environments like Cygwin, which might be a drawback for developers relying on extensive POSIX compatibility.
  • Manual Configuration
    Initial setup and configuration can be cumbersome for beginners, requiring a manual installation process that might be intimidating or time-consuming.
  • Lacks Newest GCC Features
    At times, MinGW may lag in providing the latest features or updates available in the newest versions of GCC, leading to potential compatibility or feature discrepancies.
  • No Native 64-bit Support
    Historically, MinGW has focused on 32-bit toolchains, which may not offer the full benefits of modern 64-bit architectures. However, MinGW-w64 was developed to address this issue.
  • Fragmentation
    The existence of multiple variants such as MinGW and MinGW-w64 can cause confusion, leading developers to face challenges in choosing the right version for their needs.

coLinux videos

coLinux + Ubuntu installation tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Install coLinux in 2 minutes

MinGW videos

MinGW или Cygwin

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Install MinGW | GCC Toolset for C and C++ Programming | Setting Path variable on Windows 10
  • Tutorial - How to install | use gcc | MinGW compiler in windows | window 10

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to coLinux and MinGW)
Virtualization
100 100%
0% 0
Terminal Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0
SSH
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare coLinux and MinGW

coLinux Reviews

7 VirtualBox Alternatives You Can Consider
CoLinux has better hardware virtualization and portability method which helps it to run guest OS smoothly. It is a free and open source software to run Linux based operating systems. CoLinux will only run on following Windows version: Windows XP, 2000, Vista, and 7 with 32 bit CPU. You will need to download and install WinPCap as it needs the WinPCap library for ethernet...

MinGW Reviews

10 Termux Alternatives
MinGW is an application with all the functions of GNU that includes the runtime of MSVC and supports C99 functionality. This software is only supported and executed on 64bit Windows and similar platforms with Linux shell environment and provides its users the facility of different import types of files and libraries and move them to other software according to your specific...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MinGW seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

coLinux mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of coLinux yet. Tracking of coLinux recommendations started around Mar 2021.

MinGW mentions (1)

  • Is Mingw dead?
    Is osdn's mingw it a new project ? It's surprising how it provides gcc 4.8.2 and gcc 9.2.0. I guess the 4.8.2 is the last one provided by mingw.org, and 9.2.0 is the first of osdn's project? Is it maintained by the same developers? Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing coLinux and MinGW, you can also consider the following products

QEMU - QEMU (short for "Quick EMUlator") is a free and open-source hosted hypervisor that...

MSYS2 - A Cygwin-derived software distro for Windows using Arch Linux's Pacman

VMware Workstation - VMware Workstation is a multiple operating system handler to easily evaluate the any other type of new operating systems.

Cygwin - Cygwin is a set of tools that provide Linux and POSIX functionality to Windows.

VirtualBox - VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as...

PowerShell - Download WMF. Windows Management Framework contains the latest versions of PowerShell, DSC, WMI, and WinRM for older versions of Windows. PowerShell Module Browser. Search for PowerShell modules and cmdlets.