dynamic conpty loading

[avih]

Note: I'm not subscribed to the list so this is a reply to:
https://cygwin.com/pipermail/cygwin/2025-November/259012.html


>> Where exactly is conpty.dll coming from? Does it have a public repo on
>> github or is it proprietary?
>
> It's here: https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/tree/main/src/winconpty
>
> Microsoft distributes a pre-compiled version of it via NuGet. The source code
> license is MIT.
> 
>> Can we build it ourselves?
>
> It uses a vcxproj file for building. Would need MSBuild.
>
> Regards
>
> Oliver Old

As far as I know conpty.dll is only an interface to (new) conhost.exe,
which, at the Windows Terminal distribution is called OpenConsole.exe .

Other terminals (non-cygwin) typically either distribute both together
with their binaries (e.g. WezTerm) or support putting these two files
near their binary, and attempt the local conpty.dll first (e.g. Alacritty).

I'm _guessing_ the conhost/openconsole binary is:
https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/tree/main/src/host

conhost seems to consist of much more source files than conpty.dll,
and it might be trickier to build (did not try myself).

So if a conpty package is maintained in cygwin, it would likely
require to include also a new conhost/openconsole with it.

Just FYI,
avih