Running setup-x86_64.exe from cmd does nothing but works from cygwin itself

[Brian Inglis]

On 2024-02-12 14:37, matthew patton via Cygwin wrote:
> On Monday, February 12, 2024 at 02:44:16 PM EST, Jon Turney via Cygwin wrote:
>> On 12/02/2024 01:05, wsnyder--- via Cygwin wrote:
>>> I have a Windows Version 10.0.19044 Build 19044 system with Cygwin
>>> installed a while ago.
>>>
>>> Opening the cygwin terminal (which works fine), I see it is running:
>>>
>>> CYGWIN_NT-10.0-19044 version 3.3.6-341.x86_64 (corinna@calimero) (gcc
>>> version 11.2.0 20210728 (Fedora Cygwin 11.2.0-2) (GCC) ) 2022-09-05
>>> 11:15 UTC
>>>
>>> I needed to install some packages so downloaded setup-x86_64.exe onto
>>> my desktop. When I run it from the desktop I get the "busy" cursor
>>> for a fraction of a second and nothing happens.  When I open the
>>> native Windows cmd prompt as administrator, and run
>>> "setup-x86_64.exe" or "setup-x86_64.exe -v" or "setup-x86_64.exe
>>> --asdjasdjaskdhj", I just get the prompt back.
>>>
>>> If, however I startup the cygwin terminal (vs cmd window) and run
>>> setup-x86_64.exe, it starts correctly.  However I'm afraid to run it
>>> this way as if it crashes I'll presumably never be able to run setup
>>> again.
>> 
>> This seems highly speculative.
>> 
>>> This is a work machine so while I have admin, it's completely
>>> possible they've added some broken virus checker rule that is now
>>> preventing it from running. But, I get no alert, which I normally
>>> would doing something unusual, and that it works under cygwin itself
>>> seems odd.
>> This is very odd behaviour.
>> 
>> If you really suspect some AV problems, it may help to try the
>> uncompressed setup executable, available from [1]

> Huh, when did this start?

Over 20 years ago - possibly since Cygwin Setup was originally released.

> Nobody pays by BW anymore so what was the rationale behind a "self altering"
> executable?

You may find if you go to a country where the government PTT provides all 
telecommunication, you are using a laptop over a mobile data connection, or 
roaming, or on board a ship or plane, you may still be paying a hefty price for 
BW e.g. 250mb (bytes?) for 25 euro, may be device, speed, or download limits, or 
extra charges for those, extra devices, per person, requesting it once on-board, 
or for activation fees.

> No wonder it would experience havoc in an A/V environment since the extracted
> temp file may well be located on a non-executable location and or EXEC would
> have been shimmed by AV and it doesn't correctly return control from an
> ephemeral location.
Never been an issue.

 >> [1] https://cygwin.com/setup/

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis              Calgary, Alberta, Canada

La perfection est atteinte                   Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter  not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retirer     but when there is no more to cut
                                 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry