Babun

Babun is a free and open source Unix-like command line interface (CLI) and shell environment for Windows operating systems. It provides a powerful command line experience for Windows users, bundling a pre-configured Cygwin installation with many add-ons and developer tools, so the Unix-based tools known from Linux and Mac OS X environments, such as git, curl, wget, Python and Perl, are available on Windows.

Babun uses the Unix-like file system structure of Cygwin, making it easier for users who know Linux to navigate through different directories and files. It also includes a number of helpful tools, such as an integrated package manager called pact, which works like apt-get or yum and makes it easy to install, search, upgrade and remove Cygwin packages. Additionally, Babun is built on Cygwin, which allows users to execute Unix and Linux commands in the Windows environment.

Babun also includes a number of helpful features to make using the command line easier. The default shell is zsh with oh-my-zsh, which supports tab completion, allowing users to type in the beginning of a command and then hit the Tab key to auto-complete the rest of the command. Additionally, git comes pre-configured with syntax highlighting and many aliases, and the mintty console is xterm-256 compatible.

Babun provides a convenient way to manage a powerful Unix-like environment on Windows.

Babun also has a plugin-oriented architecture, and oh-my-zsh themes let users customize the look and feel of their command line interface. HTTP proxy settings are added to the .babunrc file, an "Open Babun Here" entry in the Explorer context menu opens the shell in the current folder, and a self-update feature updates the Babun core, its plugins and Cygwin while keeping the local configuration. Furthermore, users can read the FAQ and watch a short screencast on the project website to get started.

Overall, Babun is a useful tool for Windows users who want to take advantage of the powerful tools available in the Unix and Linux environments. It is easy to install: the dist archive is unpacked and install.bat is run, without admin rights and without interfering with an existing Cygwin installation. Note that the project is no longer developed; its website marks it as discontinued, so the bundled Cygwin and tools are not updated any more.