What packages should I install with Cygwin to make it not bloated but also have everything I would need as a developer?

Question

Normally, I run Linux in a VM, however, most of my VMs are on an external HDD and I might or might not have one with me. I figure Cygwin would be a good alternative for lightweight functionality when I need something Linux like and don't have a VM on my laptop. But I'm having trouble getting the configuration right - I want the bare minimum for development + X11. Has anyone used Cygwin in this manner? If so, what suggestions do you have?

Answer 1

Update: I've switched over to WSL since posting this answer. If you're still using Cygwin give it a try. It's not a drop-in replacement but it's nicer in a number of ways.

Personally, I find having to exit Cygwin just to install new packages annoying enough to try to avoid the just-in-time strategy, and fortunately there's a tool to make this much easier: apt-cyg. This way you actually can just-in-time install packages without having to quit Cygwin.

That said, here's a list of common packages you might want to install, whether via the installer or via apt-cyg:

• bash-completion
• lynx (to install apt-cyg), wget and curl
• vim
• hg, git, and maybe svn and git-svn
• diffutils and patchutils
• python and python3

There's tons of Cygwin setup posts out on the internet too, I referenced this one.

Answer 2

First option: don't worry about "bloat" - install everything that comes to mind.

With a permanently-available internet connection, I've also taken a "just in time" approach - the Cygwin installer makes it easy to download and install whatever you need, as and when you discover you need it.

Answer 3

The only way here is trial-and-error. Start with an absolute minimal installation and add things as you find that you need them.