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FAQ for Interix and SUA

Below are some frequently asked questions about Interix. Interix is currently available as part of Microsoft's Services for Unix (SFU) and Microsoft's SUA (Subsystem for Unix Applications). SFU is a free download that is at version 3.5 and runs on Windows 2000, Windows 2003 and XP (Server and Profrssional editions). SUA is available as part of the OS ditribution with Windows 2003/R2 and Vista.

Where's the X server?

Interix doesn't come with an X-server. You have to get an X-server separately. Interix does come with the X-client libraries and several X-applications.

I can't find the shells bash or zsh. Where can I get them?

Bash is pretty popular. You can go to the /Tools site to download a load a pre-built package of bash. You can also get zsh there. There are packages for utilities, applications and libraries. The site is: http://www.interopsystems.com/tools

I can't find the utility XXX. Where can I get it?

You can go to the /Tools site to download a load of pre-built packages. There are packages for utilities, applications and libraries. The site is: http://www.interopsystems.com/tools

Does Interix come with a compiler?

Yes, Interix comes with the gcc compiler. You have to choose the custom installation to select that it will be installed. Interix can also use the MSVC compiler too. Again, you need to do a custom installation. Select during the installation for both Interix SDK and Interix GNU SDK.

Can I set my shell windows with colours/colors?

Yes, you can! It's a great way of helping organize the desktop. Once you set the colours and sizes I find it best to have several shortcuts. This way I can easily select Blue, Yellow, Gray, etc. windows.

Open the properties menu. You can do this by right clicking the mouse on the title bar of the shell window or by right clicking a shell shortcut. Go to the color tab and pick the foreground and background colours. I can recommend white on blue, black on gray and black on yellow. Then save the changes.

I'll also recommend that you increase the buffer size for scrolling if you are a developer. Choosing Quick Edit and Insert modes from the Options tab will allow you to cut and paste easily between the shell window and other windows.

Can I get ls to work in colours/colors?

The updated ls on the /Tools site works with colour. Refer to the man page that comes with it. Starting with the Vista/6.0 release of Interix a colour ls is part of the base distribution.

What are the difference releases or version of Interix?

Refer to the History Page for this information.

Perl is acting funny. CPAN not working.

With the Interix released with SFU 3.5 and SUA 5.2 the Interix Perl is older. I would recommend that you don't choose to install the one that comes from Microsoft. Instead get the version from /Tools. It's newer and by all accounts works with CPAN.

Sendmail, TLS and SASL

The sendmail that comes with Interix is a pretty basic version. It has no TLS or SASL capabilities. Microsoft only supports it for local mail delivery (i.e. for 'cron') or for sending to a hub. A hub that doesn't need TLS or SASL capabilties. You can get a version of sendmail from the /Tools site that does TLS and SASL, and comes with the 'm4' scripts too.

How long will Interix 3.5 be available?

Interix 3.5 is shipped as a component of Services for Unix (SFU) 3.5. It will be available for download from the Microsoft web site until some time in 2009. General support will continue until 2011. Note that for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 (regular not R2) can only run Interix 3.5.

Can I get an enhancement or extension to a utility?