Starting from a Windows Command Prompt

Starting from a Windows Command Prompt

[Ugly Leper]

Starting from a Windows Command Prompt, and using a syntax recommended
from years ago I still start a bash shell with
start /wait bin\bash (i.e. not just bin\bash)
and a mintty shell with
start bin\mintty (i.e. not just bin\mintty)
and yet experiment shows that both simplified forms in brackets "work".
Am I gaining / losing anything by sticking with the older longer
syntax, or can I just dive in, as in brackets?
Thank you!

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Re: Starting from a Windows Command Prompt

[Andrey Repin]

Greetings, Ugly Leper!

> Starting from a Windows Command Prompt, and using a syntax recommended
> from years ago I still start a bash shell with
> start /wait bin\bash (i.e. not just bin\bash)
> and a mintty shell with

mintty is not a shell, it's a terminal emulator.

> start bin\mintty (i.e. not just bin\mintty)
> and yet experiment shows that both simplified forms in brackets "work".
> Am I gaining / losing anything by sticking with the older longer
> syntax, or can I just dive in, as in brackets?

There's no gain or lose, it all depends on where and why you are using START.
If it's from a shortcut, then both is just a waste of resources.


-- 
With best regards,
Andrey Repin
Wednesday, July 12, 2017 13:04:31

Sorry for my terrible english...


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Re: Starting from a Windows Command Prompt

[Brian Inglis]

On 2017-07-12 00:16, Ugly Leper wrote:
> Starting from a Windows Command Prompt, and using a syntax recommended
> from years ago I still start a bash shell with
> start /wait bin\bash (i.e. not just bin\bash)
> and a mintty shell with
> start bin\mintty (i.e. not just bin\mintty)
> and yet experiment shows that both simplified forms in brackets "work".
> Am I gaining / losing anything by sticking with the older longer
> syntax, or can I just dive in, as in brackets?

Running with start, like cygstart, spawns a separate window process for the
program, as does running mintty with or without start or cygstart.
The difference with bash and start /wait is you currently keep a cmd shell
window hanging around rather than running bash as a subshell in your cmd window.

Why not take advantage of Windows, and pin Cygwin shortcuts to your Start Menu
and/or Taskbar, so you can more easily start mintty or bash in their own windows
with just a click, almost like a real Unix X Window environment? ;^>

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Re: Starting from a Windows Command Prompt

[Andrey Repin]

Greetings, Brian Inglis!

> On 2017-07-12 00:16, Ugly Leper wrote:
>> Starting from a Windows Command Prompt, and using a syntax recommended
>> from years ago I still start a bash shell with
>> start /wait bin\bash (i.e. not just bin\bash)
>> and a mintty shell with
>> start bin\mintty (i.e. not just bin\mintty)
>> and yet experiment shows that both simplified forms in brackets "work".
>> Am I gaining / losing anything by sticking with the older longer
>> syntax, or can I just dive in, as in brackets?

> Running with start, like cygstart, spawns a separate window process

Not necessarily.
Ref: START /B


-- 
With best regards,
Andrey Repin
Wednesday, July 12, 2017 23:14:46

Sorry for my terrible english...


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Re: Starting from a Windows Command Prompt

[Brian Inglis]

On 2017-07-12 14:15, Andrey Repin wrote:
> Brian Inglis wrote:
>> On 2017-07-12 00:16, Ugly Leper wrote:
>>> Starting from a Windows Command Prompt, and using a syntax recommended
>>> from years ago I still start a bash shell with
>>> start /wait bin\bash (i.e. not just bin\bash)
>>> and a mintty shell with
>>> start bin\mintty (i.e. not just bin\mintty)
>>> and yet experiment shows that both simplified forms in brackets "work".
>>> Am I gaining / losing anything by sticking with the older longer
>>> syntax, or can I just dive in, as in brackets?
> 
>> Running with start, like cygstart, spawns a separate window process
> 
> Not necessarily.
> Ref: START /B

Only in that case does it start a background console process sharing the cmd
window for output, like Unix shell jobs, but the program apparently goes
squirrelly if it tries to do any console input, although msg and dialogue boxes
work.

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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