how to start windows applications

[thetrystero]

i've just installed cygwin and am noticing some inconsistencies between executing commands from the command line versus executing them through a batch file. for example when I try to do

start excel a.xls

I get "bash: start: command not found"

but if I put this in a batch file, a.bat say, and the subsequently executing a.bat the the cmd line, it works fine.
Another one is changing directories. Say I'm in C: and I'd like to change to U:\temp. The following sequence works in the batch file but not at the command line:

U:
cd \temp

Any help will be much appreciated!

[Morche Matthias]

"start" is a builtin of cmd.

try "cygstart a.xls" instead.

  matthias




-----Original Message-----
From: cygwin-xfree-owner@...
[mailto:cygwin-xfree-owner@...] On Behalf Of thetrystero
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 11:23 AM
To: cygwin-xfree@...
Subject: how to start windows applications


i've just installed cygwin and am noticing some inconsistencies between
executing commands from the command line versus executing them through a
batch file. for example when I try to do

start excel a.xls

I get "bash: start: command not found"

but if I put this in a batch file, a.bat say, and the subsequently
executing
a.bat the the cmd line, it works fine.
Another one is changing directories. Say I'm in C: and I'd like to
change to
U:\temp. The following sequence works in the batch file but not at the
command line:

U:
cd \temp

Any help will be much appreciated!





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[Larry Hall (Cygwin X)]

thetrystero wrote:

> i've just installed cygwin and am noticing some inconsistencies between
> executing commands from the command line versus executing them through a
> batch file. for example when I try to do
>
> start excel a.xls
>
> I get "bash: start: command not found"
>
> but if I put this in a batch file, a.bat say, and the subsequently executing
> a.bat the the cmd line, it works fine.
> Another one is changing directories. Say I'm in C: and I'd like to change to
> U:\temp. The following sequence works in the batch file but not at the
> command line:
>
> U:
> cd \temp
>
> Any help will be much appreciated!

Cygwin is not DOS.  That's really the crux of your problem.  You've already
been given one alternative way of doing what you want with "start" in a
Cygwin/POSIX/Linux way.  For the "cd", "cd /cygdrive/u/temp" will do what
you want.  If you plan to use Cygwin tools and shells, you should try to
work with the environment rather than against it.  A read through the Cygwin
User's Guide <http://cygwin.com/cygwin-ug-net/> should help some.
Linux/Unix guides and tutorials should help too.


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RFK Partners, Inc.                      [phone] - RFK Office
216 Dalton Rd.                          [phone] - FAX
Holliston, MA 01746

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