Re: [Mingw-users] Mounting usb-drives without closing msys-processes

[Keith M. <kei...@us...>]

On 21/08/12 13:52, Konrad Hambrick wrote:
>> LRN rn...@gm... sez:
>>
>> On 21.08.2012 11:08, yu...@gm... wrote:
>>> Hello!
>>>
>>> I use MSYS for doing my daily rsync-based backup to an external
>>> hard drive.
>>
>> You're doing it wrong. MSYS is not an environment to run arbitrary
>> *nix programs on W32. MSYS is an environment to _build_ software, that
>> has *nix-oriented buildsystems, on W32.

Utter nonsense!!  See http://mingw.org and read the description of MSYS 
on the home page.  Sure, building software is one of its capabilities, 
but it is offered as a general purpose replacement for cmd.exe, for 
those who prefer a Bourne shell environment.  If it works for the OP's 
usage case, then that's an appropriate usage.

>> You might have better luck with cygwin (though i'm not sure if it has
>> the things you're looking for).
>>
> Jeebus, I hope not !

So do I, but then I know that this statement is inspired by a troll, and 
is completely untrue.

> I've been using MSys to run portable UNIX /bin/sh Data Conversion Scripts
> on Win32 for nearly 10 years now ...

As have I, to manage a document processing system to generate fully
cross referenced PDF operating manuals, from plain text sources held in
a Mercurial repository, (formerly a CVS repository), filtering through
'groff -mpdfmark | ghostscript', without having to endure the pain of
fighting with, and the general ineffectiveness of Microsoft Weird. This
could hardly be described as "building software", but it is a real 
workplace example for which I have found MSYS to be eminently suited, 
given that my employer (myopically) will not allow me to use Linux.

-- 
Regards,
Keith.