What makes Cygwin better is the ample userland where wider and better supported range of 3rd party program packages built into the default install than SFU.
Now if pkgsrc fixes that issue, I might switch over more.
I expect you haven't visited The Interix Tools site then http://www.interopsystems.com/tools/. We use pkg_add (it's BSD based) for a load of additional utilities and libraries for Interix. These are binary packages BTW. So no futtzing with an builds. Packages include bash, openssh, zsh, BIND9, etc.
But AFAIK InterOp had nothing to do with SFU/Interix itself.
Actually Interop Systems does.
I was the one of the developers of Interix while it was at Softway Systems (I didn't go to MS in the buyout, reasons skipped for now). Currently I'm the last of the Softway crew still directly doing things with Interix. Interop Systems does sell Motif and OpenGL, but we also supply loads of free software packages for Interix; new things not shipped with SFU and patches/updates (including security fixes) that MS hasn't done since getting the code from Softway. Heck, for the 3.5 release MS used the X11R6.6 and ftp updates from the Interop Tools ftp site.
Anyway, we do things occationally for MS such as review documents they publish about Interix and help users and ISV's using Interix.
The facts you and other quote have not been accurate for years at this point. Microsoft stopped shipping the "old POSIX" system that you are discussing years ago. Interix is what ships with SFU 3.5 and is what will be part of the OS release.
Interix (the new subsystem) was developed by Softway Systems during the mid-1990's as a Unix Subsystem. Softway was taking Interix to the Open Group to get the Unix Branding (SUS). Interix was then bought by MS in Sept, 1999. That got MS Interix version 2.2 and plus the development work of Softway's next release code named "Firebrand". Firebrand was set for release in 1999. It was finally released by MS 3 years later as part of SFU version 3.0. Microsoft has continued to do development with SFU since then (hence the 3.5 release). The release that is part of W2K3/R2 is named SUA (Subsystem for Unix Applications) which is really Interix version 5.2.
The difference between the "old POSIX" and Interix is functionally huge. At this point Interix can be viewed as another Unix implmentation. Without too much effort it could get the Unix branding (but I don't know if MS wants to go there).
The real story is not that SFU is ending, but rather that it is becoming part of the regular distribution. Since January, 2004 SFU version 3.5 has been available as a free download from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/sfu) with no restrictions, etc. So this change has been expected for some time.
Complaints in other posting about "missing" applications are pretty hollow: two compilers are available (gcc 3.3 and MSVC {a free version of MSVC is available}, OpenSSH, bash, zsh, etc. They can be picked up freely from the Interix Tools site http://www.interopsystems.com/tools.
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What makes Cygwin better is the ample userland where wider and better supported range of 3rd party program packages built into the default install than SFU.
Now if pkgsrc fixes that issue, I might switch over more.
I expect you haven't visited The Interix Tools site then http://www.interopsystems.com/tools/. We use pkg_add (it's BSD based) for a load of additional utilities and libraries for Interix. These are binary packages BTW. So no futtzing with an builds. Packages include bash, openssh, zsh, BIND9, etc.But AFAIK InterOp had nothing to do with SFU/Interix itself.
Actually Interop Systems does.
I was the one of the developers of Interix while it was at Softway Systems (I didn't go to MS in the buyout, reasons skipped for now). Currently I'm the last of the Softway crew still directly doing things with Interix. Interop Systems does sell Motif and OpenGL, but we also supply loads of free software packages for Interix; new things not shipped with SFU and patches/updates (including security fixes) that MS hasn't done since getting the code from Softway. Heck, for the 3.5 release MS used the X11R6.6 and ftp updates from the Interop Tools ftp site.Anyway, we do things occationally for MS such as review documents they publish about Interix and help users and ISV's using Interix.
The facts you and other quote have not been accurate for years at this point. Microsoft stopped shipping the "old POSIX" system that you are discussing years ago. Interix is what ships with SFU 3.5 and is what will be part of the OS release.
Interix (the new subsystem) was developed by Softway Systems during the mid-1990's as a Unix Subsystem. Softway was taking Interix to the Open Group to get the Unix Branding (SUS). Interix was then bought by MS in Sept, 1999. That got MS Interix version 2.2 and plus the development work of Softway's next release code named "Firebrand". Firebrand was set for release in 1999. It was finally released by MS 3 years later as part of SFU version 3.0. Microsoft has continued to do development with SFU since then (hence the 3.5 release). The release that is part of W2K3/R2 is named SUA (Subsystem for Unix Applications) which is really Interix version 5.2.
The difference between the "old POSIX" and Interix is functionally huge. At this point Interix can be viewed as another Unix implmentation. Without too much effort it could get the Unix branding (but I don't know if MS wants to go there).
Hardly shocking information since it was announced back on April, 26, 2005 in the Interix Forums (http://www.interopsystems.com/tools/forum). So this has been known *publicly* for over 4 months now with a lot more detail than is in the other articles. The link is http://www.interopsystems.com/tools/forum/tm.aspx? m=5623
The real story is not that SFU is ending, but rather that it is becoming part of the regular distribution. Since January, 2004 SFU version 3.5 has been available as a free download from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/sfu) with no restrictions, etc. So this change has been expected for some time.
Complaints in other posting about "missing" applications are pretty hollow: two compilers are available (gcc 3.3 and MSVC {a free version of MSVC is available}, OpenSSH, bash, zsh, etc. They can be picked up freely from the Interix Tools site http://www.interopsystems.com/tools.