Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups
Register | Login
cL

Cygwin VS coLinux

Compare Cygwin VS coLinux and see what are their differences

Bunny.net
BunnyCDN is a simple and powerful CDN, offering lightning fast performance for a fraction of the cost with free SSL, Brotli, HTTP/2 and 100% Pay As You Go pricing. featured
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.
Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

Cygwin logo Cygwin

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

coLinux logo coLinux

Cooperative Linux is the first working free and open source method for optimally running Linux on Microsoft Windows natively.
  • Cygwin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-27
  • coLinux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-04-24

Cygwin features and specs

  • Unix-like Environment on Windows
    Cygwin provides a large collection of GNU and Open Source tools that give functionality similar to a Unix distribution on Windows. This allows for Unix-like programming and shell scripting without leaving the Windows environment.
  • Package Management
    Cygwin offers a robust package management system, making it easy to install, update, and manage various software packages. This streamlines the development and operational workflow.
  • Interoperability
    Cygwin enables interoperability between POSIX and Windows applications, allowing users to run Linux tools and Windows software side-by-side, enhancing cross-platform development.
  • Broad Tool Set
    It comes with a vast array of tools and libraries, including compilers, text editors, and networking utilities, providing a comprehensive environment for developers.

Possible disadvantages of Cygwin

  • Performance Overhead
    Cygwin introduces a performance overhead as it acts as a compatibility layer between Windows and POSIX systems. This can lead to slower performance compared to native Unix/Linux environments.
  • Complexity
    Setting up and maintaining Cygwin can be complex, especially for new users unfamiliar with Unix/Linux environments. Additional steps are required for configuration and management.
  • Partial Emulation
    While Cygwin offers a Unix-like environment, it doesn’t provide full compatibility with all Unix/Linux programs. Some applications may not run properly or may require additional tweaks.
  • Resource Intensive
    Cygwin can be resource-intensive, consuming significant memory and CPU resources, which might affect the performance of the host system, particularly on less powerful machines.

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.

Cygwin videos

+ Add

Cygwin Review Part 1: Running Linux programs... on Windows?

More videos:

  • Review - Cygwin Review Part 2 - it didn't quite go to plan, again!
  • Review - What is Cygwin? | How does Cygwin work?

coLinux videos

+ Add

coLinux + Ubuntu installation tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Install coLinux in 2 minutes

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Cygwin and coLinux)

Cygwin

coLinux

SSH
100 100%
SSH
0% 0
Virtualization
0 0%
Virtualization
100% 100
Server Management
100 100%
Server Management
0% 0
Cloud Computing
0 0%
Cloud Computing
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Cygwin and coLinux. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

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

Cygwin Reviews

10 Termux Alternatives
Cygwin is open-source software with a collection of GNU and provides all functions similar to the Linux shell environment on windows. This software also has the functionality of API manager that has premium packages to have complete control on your files and move them to other software based on your requirement. This app also has the functionality of editing different files...
Source: www.justalternativeto.com

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...
Source: www.techuntold.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Cygwin seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 12 times 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.

Cygwin mentions (12)

  • dotnet cross-platform interop with C via Environment.ProcessId system call
    Altough, built-in libc on Windows doesn't support POSIX API and dotnet uses WinAPI instead, POSIX support can be added externally via cygwin, WSL or MinGW. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Bash vs. Zsh: Key differences and when to use each
    Download Cygwin from the official site by first downloading the .exe file. Click on the downloaded .exe file to get the full package: During installation, type in Zsh as the shell you want to get, and click Next:. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Groovy 🎷 Cheat Sheet - 01 Say "Hello" from Groovy
    Alternatively, you can use sdkman. A great tool to install your Software Development Kit. The downside is that it only works on *nix systems. So for Widnows users, you will have to use WSL or Cygwin as the official page suggests. It is really simple to use sdkman. After a successful installation, just type those commands into your *nix shell:. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • How do you even get started programming in c++ on Windows?
    You could try Cygwin. I never leave home without it. Source: about 2 years ago
  • What exactly IS gitbash?
    It's launching MSYS2, which is in turn based on cygwin, which is a collection of common Linux utilities built for windows and an incomplete POSIX abstraction layer. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

coLinux mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

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

MobaXterm - Enhanced terminal for Windows with X11 server, tabbed SSH client, network tools and much more

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

PuTTY - Popular free terminal application. Mostly used as an SSH client.

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

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.

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

Loading...