Re: How to run a bash script that calls a Win exe under Windows without installing Cygwin?

[Jeremy Bopp <jeremy at bopp dot net>]

On 10/19/2011 02:57, bagvian wrote:
> Dear all,
> 
> I have gone through Cygwin FAQ and documentation, did some googling
> but could not find any answer to my cross system problem.
> 
> I currently work under Win Vista and have a proper Cygwin installation
> running perfectly.
> I have to perform heavy tests on a Windows console executable program
> say: MYPROG.exe (obtained by using MS Visual Studio).
> To test such a program I have written a bash shell script, say:
> MYSHELL.sh, that does the following things:
> 1/ Build up data files
> 2/ Launch my Win exe: MYPROG.exe
> 3/ Organise all the resulting data
> 
> This procedure works perfectly on my own machine and all my tests are
> performed by only running MYSHELL.sh in my Cygwin console.
> 
> Now, I need to perform the same test procedure on another Win Vista
> machine where Cygwin is not installed. I therefore have to find a
> solution around the Win prompt (cmd.exe).
> 
> Basically, I can copy anything on that machine but I cannot install Cygwin.
> 
> Is there a way to run my script MYSHELL.sh within Win prompt by only
> copying Cygwin dll (cygwin1.dll) at the right place and maybe changing
> some settings ?
> 
> Would it be possible (better) to adopt another strategy that would be
> to write a "macro" Win console exe file that can run in the Win prompt
> and that would kind of embed / link with: cygwin1.dll, MYSHELL.sh,
> MYPROG.exe ?
> 
> I thank you in advance for any suggestion.

Copying around a partial Cygwin installation is definitely not supported
on this list.  It can certainly be done, but you'll be on your own when
it breaks down.  Depending on the needs of your script, you may also
find the task of gathering everything together to be cumbersome.

If you truly can't install anything onto the test system by way of a
proper installation program, you're probably better off replacing
MYSHELL.sh with something else that already is available natively on the
system.  There are a number of options potentially available to you
including cmd, Windows Script Host, and PowerShell.

FYI, the Cygwin installation isn't really much more than a reliable and
supported way to get the things you need for Cygwin copied to the right
location on your hard drive.  The setup program only adds a few things
to the registry aside from copying files into place, and you can
probably delete those registry entries after setup completes without
affecting Cygwin itself.

Actually installing Cygwin shouldn't adversely affect anything else on
the system that isn't already aware of Cygwin, so if you really do need
Cygwin or parts of it, you should try to argue for Cygwin's inclusion on
the test machine.  It sounds like you might be better served by one of
the alternatives I mentioned though.

-Jeremy

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