Cygwin (Cygnus GNU Windows) is a Linux-like environment for Windows operating systems, developed as a free and open source software package by Red Hat. It provides a Unix-like command line interface and a Unix-like programming environment, and is a popular choice for Linux and Unix developers who need to work on Windows systems.
One of the most popular uses of Cygwin is to execute Windows shortcut files (also known as “.lnk” files). These are small files that contain a link to a program, executable, or other file. By using Cygwin, you can open and run .lnk files from the command line, without having to manually load the program or file.
To use Cygwin to execute Windows shortcut files, you first need to install it on your system. This is done by downloading the setup executable from the Cygwin website, and then running the installer. Once the installation is complete, you will need to open the Cygwin terminal and navigate to the directory where the shortcut file is located. Then, you can use the “cygstart” command to open the .lnk file.
For example, if the shortcut file is located in the “C:\\Program Files\\MyApp\\MyApp.lnk” directory, the command you would use is “cygstart C:\\Program Files\\MyApp\\MyApp.lnk”. When this command is executed, the program or file associated with the shortcut will be opened.
If you need to open multiple shortcut files at once, you can use the “cygstart -m” command. This command allows you to specify multiple shortcut files to open, and will execute each of them in sequence. For example, if you want to open three shortcut files located in the “MyApp” directory, the command you would use is “cygstart -m C:\\Program Files\\MyApp\\MyApp1.lnk C:\\Program Files\\MyApp\\MyApp2.lnk C:\\Program Files\\MyApp\\MyApp3.lnk”.
There are a few other useful commands that can be used with Cygwin for executing Windows shortcut files. The “cygstart -w” command allows you to specify a working directory, so that the program or file associated with the shortcut will be opened in the specified directory. For example, if you want to open a shortcut file and have it open in the “MyApp” directory, the command you would use is “cygstart -w C:\\Program Files\\MyApp\\MyApp.lnk”.
The “cygstart -s” command allows you to specify a command line argument, so that the program or file associated with the shortcut will be opened with the specified argument. For example, if you want to open a shortcut file and have it open with the argument “-v”, the command you would use is “cygstart -s -v C:\\Program Files\\MyApp\\MyApp.lnk”.
Using Cygwin is a great way to quickly and easily execute Windows shortcut files from the command line. It provides a powerful and flexible way to open and run .lnk files, and allows you to easily specify arguments and working directories. Whether you’re a Linux or Unix user needing to work on Windows systems, or just an IT admin looking for an efficient way to open and run shortcut files, using Cygwin to execute Windows shortcut files can be a great choice.
