How to Add Cygwin to Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal is a powerful and versatile tool for developers and system administrators. It allows you to work with multiple command-line applications in one window, providing a convenient interface for your tasks. Cygwin, on the other hand, is a collection of tools and libraries that provide a Unix-like environment on Windows. Combining Cygwin with Windows Terminal can enhance your command-line experience. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of adding Cygwin to Windows Terminal.

What Is Cygwin?

Before we dive into the integration process, let’s briefly discuss what Cygwin is and why you might want to use it.

Cygwin is a large collection of GNU and Open Source tools that provide functionality similar to a Linux distribution on Windows. With Cygwin, you can access and use common Unix utilities, programming tools, and even run shell scripts as if you were on a Unix-based system. It’s particularly useful for developers and system administrators who need to work in a mixed environment or want a Unix-like command-line interface on their Windows machines.

Integrating Cygwin with Windows Terminal

To integrate Cygwin with Windows Terminal, follow these steps:

1. Install Cygwin

If you haven’t already installed Cygwin, you can download the installer from the Cygwin website. Run the installer and choose the packages you need for your development or system administration tasks. Common packages include bash, git, openssh, and many others. Make sure to select the packages required for your workflow.

2. Set Environment Variables

After installing Cygwin, you need to ensure that Windows Terminal can find the Cygwin binaries and scripts. To do this, set your system’s PATH environment variable. Follow these steps:

• Right-click on “This PC” or “My Computer” and select “Properties.”
• In the System window, click on “Advanced system settings” on the left.
• In the System Properties window, click the “Environment Variables” button.
• In the Environment Variables window, under the “System Variables” section, find the “Path” variable and click “Edit.”
• Add the path to your Cygwin installation (e.g., C:\cygwin64\bin) to the list of paths. Be sure to separate each path with a semicolon.

3. Configure Windows Terminal

Now, you need to add a new profile for Cygwin in Windows Terminal. Follow these steps:

• Open Windows Terminal.
• Click on the down-arrow icon in the tab bar, then select “Settings” to open the settings.json file.
• In the settings.json file, locate the profiles.list section and add a new profile for Cygwin. Here’s an example:

"profiles": {
    "list": [
        {
            "guid": "{00000000-0000-0000-Cygwin-000000000000}",
            "name": "Cygwin",
            "commandline": "bash",
            "icon": "C:\\path\\to\\cygwin\\icon.png"
        },
        // Other profiles...
    ]
}

• Optionally, you can specify an icon for your Cygwin profile by setting the "icon" field.

4. Access Cygwin in Windows Terminal

Once you’ve saved your settings.json file, you can open a new tab in Windows Terminal and select the “Cygwin” profile. This will start a Bash session using Cygwin, allowing you to use Unix-like commands and tools.

You now have Cygwin integrated into your Windows Terminal, giving you a powerful and familiar environment for your development and system administration tasks.

Conclusion

Integrating Cygwin with Windows Terminal provides you with a powerful Unix-like environment on your Windows machine. This is especially valuable for developers and system administrators who work in mixed environments or prefer Unix-like command-line tools. With the steps outlined in this article, you can seamlessly combine the flexibility of Cygwin with the versatility of Windows Terminal for an enhanced command-line experience.