[PLUG] tools for windows-haters?

[M. Edward (Ed) Borasky]

Eric Wilhelm wrote:
> Help!  I have to use windows to make cross-platform open source software 
> work on windows so that windows users won't have an excuse to use 
> windows.
> 
> I've tried cygwin and sshd, but the login time (with key authentication) 
> is about 2 seconds.  I can't find anything in the internets about slow 
> sshd on cygwin.  But even if I could, I'm not sure that would solve the 
> problem.
> 
> What I really want is a remote shell with access to the gui (but not a 
> gui shell), decent job control, tab complete.  You know: linux.  Is 
> there any way to do this on win2k?
> 
> I'm already suffering huge headaches with everything else that's wrong 
> about windows, but the cmd shell makes me feel like I'm working through 
> a fog and cygwin (if it doesn't make things foggier) is only a small 
> flashlight vs the soup.
> 
> Any suggestions on how I might minimize the swearing?
> 
> Thanks,
> Eric

Well, I don't know about the Cygwin sshd server, but I couldn't live
without Cygwin X on a Windows box as a client. You start the X server,
and then open up real X terminals. I forget whether rxvt is there -- I
don't use it anyhow. Quite a few of the Linux GUI apps have been ported
to Cygwin, although many of them also have native Windows ports. But if
you're a bash/xterm type of person, Cygwin X is great.

For remote access to a Windows machine from Linux, you have two
reasonable options. If the server supports Remote Desktop Protocol,
either "rdesktop" or "krdc" will work. If it doesn't, you'll need to
install RealVNC on the Windows server and use either "kdrc" or
"vncviewer". But VNC with a Windows server is dog-slow -- RDP is much
faster.