Using Linux on Windows with Cygwin
Startx
Typing startx connects the X server to a window manager running locally in Cygwin. For example, /usr/bin/wmaker adds Windowmaker window decorations to the program window. Parameters for the X server itself follow the -- delimiter; startx interprets text before the delimiter as the program to be launched in the Cygwin environment, with any necessary options trailing:
$ startx /usr/bin/wmaker -- -nodecoration
The preceding command initiates a Windowmaker environment on the client side, which occupies the entire desktop above the taskbar. The command
$ startx /usr/bin/wmaker -- -mwextwm
is quite different. It hides the Linux desktop background, keeping the Windows desktop visible. For more information, check out the X.org man page for startx [10].
Conclusions
Cygwin ports the X Window System, OpenSSH, and many other Unix and Linux programs to Windows, allowing Windows users to access Linux computers remotely. Cygwin performance is only satisfactory over a fast local network connection with low latency – a limitation currently only lifted by the no-cost NX Client [11] for remote X on Windows.
Infos
- Cygwin: http://www.cygwin.com
- Wine: http://www.winehq.org/
- Cygwin installer (32 bit): http://cygwin.com/setup-x86.exe
- Cygwin installer (64 bit): http://cygwin.com/setup-x86_64.exe
- Cygwin ports: http://cygwinports.org
- Cygwin ports mirrors: https://sourceware.org/mirrors.html
- Ported applications: ftp://sourceware.org/pub/cygwinports/
- Man page for Startxwin: http://x.cygwin.com/docs/man1/startxwin.1.html
- Man page for the Cygwin X server: http://x.cygwin.com/docs/man1/XWin.1.html
- Man page for Startx: http://www.x.org/releases/X11R7.5/doc/man/man1/startx.1.html
- NoMachine client: https://www.nomachine.com/download
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