How can I execute a.exe using the Cygwin shell?
I created a C file in Eclipse on Windows and then used Cygwin to navigate to the directory. I called gcc on the C source file and a.exe was produced. I would like to run a.exe.
asked Aug 30, 2008 at 14:45
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9 Answers
./a.exe at the prompt
answered Aug 30, 2008 at 14:50
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./aalso works; Cygwin is smart enough to figure to treata.exeasa(for compatibility with Unix, which doesn't use a default.exesuffix for executables). Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 21:18
you should just be able to call it by typing in the file name. You may have to call ./a.exe as the current directory is usually not on the path for security reasons.
just type ./a in the shell
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1Do you know why this works. ./a.exe makes sense but without extension this should not run. Any specific reason? Commented Oct 10, 2013 at 15:47
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1That would probably be cygwin figuring out things and being smart. UNIX-programs usually don't have a file extension, so if cygwin aims to give a UNIX-feeling on Windows it makes sense to give the option to let out the program file extension.– lindheCommented Dec 18, 2014 at 22:23
gcc under cygwin does not generate a Linux executable output file of type " ELF 32-bit LSB executable," but it generates a windows executable of type "PE32 executable for MS Windows" which has a dependency on cygwin1.dll, so it needs to be run under cygwin shell. If u need to run it under dos prompt independently, they cygwin1.dll needs to be in your Windows PATH.
-AD.
answered Nov 10, 2010 at 11:16
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How can i eliminate this dependancy if i want to run my program in another computer without cygwin Commented Feb 24, 2012 at 15:46
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You can try to use -mno-cygwin to remove it, but then you are missing all the UNIX APIs it provides; -mno-cygwin is usually used with MinGW (www.mingw.org). Commented Mar 15, 2012 at 15:48
To execute a file in the current directory, the syntax to use is: ./foo
As mentioned by allain, ./a.exe is the correct way to execute a.exe in the working directory using Cygwin.
Note: You may wish to use the -o parameter to cc to specify your own output filename. An example of this would be: cc helloworld.c -o helloworld.exe.
answered Aug 30, 2008 at 14:58
Thomas wrote:
Apparently, gcc doesn't behave like the one described in The C Programming language
It does in general. For your program to run on Windows it needs to end in .exe, "the C Programming language" was not written with Windows programmers in mind. As you've seen, cygwin emulates many, but not all, features of a POSIX environment.
Apparently, gcc doesn't behave like the one described in The C Programming language, where it says that the command cc helloworld.c produces a file called a.out which can be run by typing a.out on the prompt.
A Unix hasn't behaved in that way by default (so you can just write the executable name without ./ at the front) in a long time. It's called a.exe, because else Windows won't execute it, as it gets file types from the extension.
Just call it
> a
Make sure it will be found (path).
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Putting the current directory
.in your$PATHis a bad idea. If you want to execute a command in your current directory, type./a. Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 21:18
When you start in Cygwin you are in the "/home/Administrator" zone, so put your a.exe file there.
Then at the prompt run:
cd a.exe
It will be read in by Cygwin and you will be asked to install it.
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cdchanges to a specified directory. And if you've just created a.exefile by invoking the compiler you're not going to be asked to install anything. (And normally you won't be in/home/Administrator; you'll be in the home directory for your user name.) Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 21:16