# Unix-like command shell for windows other than Cygwin

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unix-like-command-shell-for-windows-other-than-cygwin/476129>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 7, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unix-like-command-shell-for-windows-other-than-cygwin/476129 "2008-12-07T14:32:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unix-like-command-shell-for-windows-other-than-cygwin/476129/1 "2008-12-07T14:32:20Z")

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I’m using Cygwin. Since it runs in cmd.exe, it is subject to all the limitations of the “DOS” window including horrifically lame cut-and-paste behavior. Does anyone know of a Windows command shell that behaves better in this regard? Or alternately, a way for Cygwin to run "standalone?

(Windows is the standard desktop OS where I work, so switching to Linux is not an option. Switching jobs is also not an option at the moment).

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unix-like-command-shell-for-windows-other-than-cygwin/476129/2 "2008-12-07T14:57:34Z")

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If you’ve installed the Cygwin X11 server, you can use xterm or any other fancy graphical terminal app.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unix-like-command-shell-for-windows-other-than-cygwin/476129/3 "2008-12-07T18:33:28Z")

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I use rxvt to get an xterm-like window (which has trivial cut-and-paste). No need for a running X-server.

Links:

[http://www.zieg.com/faqs/cygwin/#cygwin\_rxvt](http://www.zieg.com/faqs/cygwin/#cygwin_rxvt)

[http://www.rxvt.org/](http://www.rxvt.org/)

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**Author:** ![Omphaloskeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bcef8e/32.png) [@Omphaloskeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omphaloskeptic)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unix-like-command-shell-for-windows-other-than-cygwin/476129/4 "2008-12-07T19:53:28Z")

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You have “Quick Edit” mode enabled, right? With that turned off, I agree that having to navigate the window menu to copy a region is incredibly annoying. With Quick Edit enabled (mouse click-and-drag automatically selects; right-click or Enter copies), I like the ability to select a rectangle, and I don’t mind the nonstandard event bindings.

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**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unix-like-command-shell-for-windows-other-than-cygwin/476129/5 "2008-12-07T21:42:57Z")

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> [@Omphaloskeptic](#):
>
> You have “Quick Edit” mode enabled, right? With that turned off, I agree that having to navigate the window menu to copy a region is incredibly annoying. With Quick Edit enabled (mouse click-and-drag automatically selects; right-click or Enter copies), I like the ability to select a rectangle, and I don’t mind the nonstandard event bindings.

For what it’s worth, I find Quick Edit mode kind of irritating (can’t exactly remember why), so I’ve just gotten used to using the keyboard shortcut to enter text selection mode in the shell window: alt-space,e,k (hit alt-space, then e, then k). alt-space,e,p to paste. Very handy and reasonably quick.