Website: cygwin.com
This website appears legitimate based on AI analysis.
Cygwin is a large collection of GNU and open-source tools that provide functionality similar to a Linux distribution on Windows. It includes a DLL (cygwin1.dll) that offers substantial POSIX API functionality. However, it's important to note that Cygwin is not a way to run native Linux apps on Windows. If you want to run your application on Windows, you must rebuild it from source. Additionally, Cygwin is not a means to make native Windows apps aware of Unix functionality; again, you need to build your apps from source to take advantage of Cygwin's features. The most recent version of the Cygwin DLL is 3.4.9, and it is compatible with recent commercially released x86_64 versions of Windows, starting with Windows 7. However, it's worth noting that Cygwin 3.4 is the last major version that supports Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2012. To install Cygwin, you can run the setup-x86_64.exe program. This setup program allows you to perform a fresh installation or update an existing one. It's important to keep in mind that individual packages in the distribution are updated separately from the DLL, so the Cygwin DLL version is not a general Cygwin distribution release number. For support related to Cygwin, the website provides resources such as the FAQ, user's guide, and mailing list archives. If you have questions, observations, suggestions, or bug reports, it's recommended to check these resources first. If you can't find the information you need, you can send an email to the appropriate mailing list. However, it's advised not to send personal emails with quick questions to individual Cygwin contributors; the mailing lists are the preferred place for all questions. The Cygwin DLL and utilities are copyrighted by Cygwin authors, and other packages included in Cygwin have their own copyrights. Additionally, the website mentions that UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries. Overall, Cygwin is a legitimate and widely used tool for enabling a Linux-like environment on Windows systems. It's not a scam but rather a well-established and respected open-source project."