Switching between DOS and UNIX mode

[Igor Pechtchanski]

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004, Jason Pearce wrote:

> >Use the 'mount' command.  In fact, you should be able to simply mount some
> >particular directories (e.g., the ones the checkout is done into) in text
> >(DOS) mode for those developers that need this, and leave the Cygwin
> >installation itself in binary (Unix) mode.  Note: mounts in Cygwin are
> >(currently) persistent.
> >       Igor
>
> Does the selection of unix / dos at installation time actually make any
> difference?

Not currently, AFAIK (in a sense that if you plan to set all mounts to
binary eventually, you may do so either at install time, or later via the
'mount' command).  It may make a difference for postinstall scripts and
the like, though.

> Can't everything be redefined later via the mount command?

Yes, it can.  I've posted the exact incantation to the list a few times --
searching the archives for "remount binary" should unearth at least one.

> I selected DOS at install time, is there an advanteage to installing in
> unix mode?

It makes your files look like Unix files, which helps if you need to
transfer them back and forth between Cygwin and a Unix machine, or use
utilities that expect only binary mounts (e.g., X is notorious for missing
the O_BINARY attribute when opening files, so /tmp and the fonts directory
have to be binary-mounted under Cygwin if you want to use it).  Most
Cygwin packages are tested in mixed mount mode environments, however, and
most maintainers will accept reports of wrong behavior on text mounts as
bug reports (and try to fix them).

> I am encountering different behaviour between a few machines with
> regards to CR LFs. I am trying to work my way through it but it is quite
> perplexing! I need to do more investigations in order to ask a decent
> question, but do the mount settings effect the behaviour of any
> non-cygwin application? I would not expect any effect, is that so?

Non-Cygwin applications don't see Cygwin mounts, so these settings by
themselves should not affect non-Cygwin applications.  However, if you're
using a *mix* of Cygwin and non-Cygwin apps, the Cygwin apps in the mix
*will* be affected (i.e., they may write the files differently), and that,
in turn, may affect the non-Cygwin ones.

> Thanks,
> Jason

HTH,
	Igor
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