Table of Contents

Project description

Dark Moon Project GNU is an Open Source project developed since 2013 by Mehdi Boutayeb Ferkatou for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 integrating XFCE and Bash and for Windows 2000/XP/2003/2008/7/8, Windows Server 2008/2012/2012 R2 not integrating XFCE but integrating Bash

Dark Moon is the only embedded subsystem emulating POSIX functionalities thanks to the Cygwin.dll.

This project is the only Linux distribution independent of the Microsoft WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) to be deployed on the Microsoft Store today.

The Dark Moon subsystem is easy to install, you have nothing to configure beforehand as it is the case with the Linux subsystems available on the Microsoft store this strengthens the intuitive side of this software

versions

There are 2 versions of this software:

The Cmdow utility is a virus?

Dark Moon Project GNU embeds the Cmdow tool to hide processes, here’s what the developer of the utility says about it:

Of course not! However, not everyone agrees... One of Cmdow's many features allow the user to hide program windows which has led to 40% of anti-virus vendors classifying Cmdow as anything from a hacking tool to a trojan†. On the other hand, 60% of anti-virus vendors regard Cmdow as completely safe.

You can view the anti-virus scan results yourself. Download and extract the latest version of the Cmdow archive, then upload cmdow.exe to VirusTotal. You'll end up at a page like this: https://virustotal.com/en/file/767b877e735c425bf05c34683356abfde4070b092f17a4741ea5ac490611f3de/analysis/ (note, the long hexadecimal string in the URL matches the SHA256 checksum of cmdow.exe, v1.4.8 in this instance).

Obviously, if you have any doubts about the safety of Cmdow then don't use it or audit the source code yourself. Auditing should be fairly straightforward as the code is self explanatory with liberal comments and there is no assembly or binary blobs. It compiles without errors or warnings using the free Code::Blocks IDE. There is even a Code::Blocks project file (cmdow.cbp) included in the Cmdow download.

† Ten vendors actually regard passing a zero to the Windows API function ShowWindowAsync as enough to create a trojan!

Install the project:

If you have downloaded the archive from Github, simply extract it and click on the "Linux-compiled-files" directory and launch "Linux.exe"

De-archiving and installation will be done without human intervention.

List of linux commands

Here is the list of commands available on the terminal:

Voi job_spec [&]                            history [-c] [-d offset] [n] or hist>
 (( expression ))                        if COMMANDS; then COMMANDS; [ elif C>
 . filename [arguments]                  jobs [-lnprs] [jobspec ...] or jobs >
 :                                       kill [-s sigspec | -n signum | -sigs>
 [ arg... ]                              let arg [arg ...]
 [[ expression ]]                        local [option] name[=value] ...
 alias [-p] [name[=value] ... ]          logout [n]
 bg [job_spec ...]                       mapfile [-d delim] [-n count] [-O or>
 bind [-lpsvPSVX] [-m keymap] [-f file>  popd [-n] [+N | -N]
 break [n]                               printf [-v var] format [arguments]
 builtin [shell-builtin [arg ...]]       pushd [-n] [+N | -N | dir]
 caller [expr]                           pwd [-LP]
 case WORD in [PATTERN [| PATTERN]...)>  read [-ers] [-a array] [-d delim] [->
 cd [-L|[-P [-e]] [-@]] [dir]            readarray [-n count] [-O origin] [-s>
 command [-pVv] command [arg ...]        readonly [-aAf] [name[=value] ...] o>
 compgen [-abcdefgjksuv] [-o option] [>  return [n]
 complete [-abcdefgjksuv] [-pr] [-DE] >  select NAME [in WORDS ... ;] do COMM>
 compopt [-o|+o option] [-DE] [name ..>  set [-abefhkmnptuvxBCHP] [-o option->
 continue [n]                            shift [n]
 coproc [NAME] command [redirections]    shopt [-pqsu] [-o] [optname ...]
 declare [-aAfFgilnrtux] [-p] [name[=v>  source filename [arguments]
 dirs [-clpv] [+N] [-N]                  suspend [-f]
 disown [-h] [-ar] [jobspec ... | pid >  test [expr]
 echo [-neE] [arg ...]                   time [-p] pipeline
 enable [-a] [-dnps] [-f filename] [na>  times
 eval [arg ...]                          trap [-lp] [[arg] signal_spec ...]
 exec [-cl] [-a name] [command [argume>  true
 exit [n]                                type [-afptP] name [name ...]
 export [-fn] [name[=value] ...] or ex>  typeset [-aAfFgilnrtux] [-p] name[=v>
 false                                   ulimit [-SHabcdefiklmnpqrstuvxPT] [l>
 fc [-e ename] [-lnr] [first] [last] o>  umask [-p] [-S] [mode]
 fg [job_spec]                           unalias [-a] name [name ...]
 for NAME [in WORDS ... ] ; do COMMAND>  unset [-f] [-v] [-n] [name ...]
 for (( exp1; exp2; exp3 )); do COMMAN>  until COMMANDS; do COMMANDS; done
 function name { COMMANDS ; } or name >  variables - Names and meanings of so>
 getopts optstring name [arg]            wait [-n] [id ...]
 hash [-lr] [-p pathname] [-dt] [name >  while COMMANDS; do COMMANDS; done
 help [-dms] [pattern ...]               { COMMANDS ; }

Voi job_spec [&]                            history [-c] [-d offset] [n] or hist>
 (( expression ))                        if COMMANDS; then COMMANDS; [ elif C>
 . filename [arguments]                  jobs [-lnprs] [jobspec ...] or jobs >
 :                                       kill [-s sigspec | -n signum | -sigs>
 [ arg... ]                              let arg [arg ...]
 [[ expression ]]                        local [option] name[=value] ...
 alias [-p] [name[=value] ... ]          logout [n]
 bg [job_spec ...]                       mapfile [-d delim] [-n count] [-O or>
 bind [-lpsvPSVX] [-m keymap] [-f file>  popd [-n] [+N | -N]
 break [n]                               printf [-v var] format [arguments]
 builtin [shell-builtin [arg ...]]       pushd [-n] [+N | -N | dir]
 caller [expr]                           pwd [-LP]
 case WORD in [PATTERN [| PATTERN]...)>  read [-ers] [-a array] [-d delim] [->
 cd [-L|[-P [-e]] [-@]] [dir]            readarray [-n count] [-O origin] [-s>
 command [-pVv] command [arg ...]        readonly [-aAf] [name[=value] ...] o>
 compgen [-abcdefgjksuv] [-o option] [>  return [n]
 complete [-abcdefgjksuv] [-pr] [-DE] >  select NAME [in WORDS ... ;] do COMM>
 compopt [-o|+o option] [-DE] [name ..>  set [-abefhkmnptuvxBCHP] [-o option->
 continue [n]                            shift [n]
 coproc [NAME] command [redirections]    shopt [-pqsu] [-o] [optname ...]
 declare [-aAfFgilnrtux] [-p] [name[=v>  source filename [arguments]
 dirs [-clpv] [+N] [-N]                  suspend [-f]
 disown [-h] [-ar] [jobspec ... | pid >  test [expr]
 echo [-neE] [arg ...]                   time [-p] pipeline
 enable [-a] [-dnps] [-f filename] [na>  times
 eval [arg ...]                          trap [-lp] [[arg] signal_spec ...]
 exec [-cl] [-a name] [command [argume>  true
 exit [n]                                type [-afptP] name [name ...]
 export [-fn] [name[=value] ...] or ex>  typeset [-aAfFgilnrtux] [-p] name[=v>
 false                                   ulimit [-SHabcdefiklmnpqrstuvxPT] [l>
 fc [-e ename] [-lnr] [first] [last] o>  umask [-p] [-S] [mode]
 fg [job_spec]                           unalias [-a] name [name ...]
 for NAME [in WORDS ... ] ; do COMMAND>  unset [-f] [-v] [-n] [name ...]
 for (( exp1; exp2; exp3 )); do COMMAN>  until COMMANDS; do COMMANDS; done
 function name { COMMANDS ; } or name >  variables - Names and meanings of so>
 getopts optstring name [arg]            wait [-n] [id ...]
 hash [-lr] [-p pathname] [-dt] [name >  while COMMANDS; do COMMANDS; done
 help [-dms] [pattern ...]               { COMMANDS ; }

Voi job_spec [&]                            history [-c] [-d offset] [n] or hist>
 (( expression ))                        if COMMANDS; then COMMANDS; [ elif C>
 . filename [arguments]                  jobs [-lnprs] [jobspec ...] or jobs >
 :                                       kill [-s sigspec | -n signum | -sigs>
 [ arg... ]                              let arg [arg ...]
 [[ expression ]]                        local [option] name[=value] ...
 alias [-p] [name[=value] ... ]          logout [n]
 bg [job_spec ...]                       mapfile [-d delim] [-n count] [-O or>
 bind [-lpsvPSVX] [-m keymap] [-f file>  popd [-n] [+N | -N]
 break [n]                               printf [-v var] format [arguments]
 builtin [shell-builtin [arg ...]]       pushd [-n] [+N | -N | dir]
 caller [expr]                           pwd [-LP]
 case WORD in [PATTERN [| PATTERN]...)>  read [-ers] [-a array] [-d delim] [->
 cd [-L|[-P [-e]] [-@]] [dir]            readarray [-n count] [-O origin] [-s>
 command [-pVv] command [arg ...]        readonly [-aAf] [name[=value] ...] o>
 compgen [-abcdefgjksuv] [-o option] [>  return [n]
 complete [-abcdefgjksuv] [-pr] [-DE] >  select NAME [in WORDS ... ;] do COMM>
 compopt [-o|+o option] [-DE] [name ..>  set [-abefhkmnptuvxBCHP] [-o option->
 continue [n]                            shift [n]
 coproc [NAME] command [redirections]    shopt [-pqsu] [-o] [optname ...]
 declare [-aAfFgilnrtux] [-p] [name[=v>  source filename [arguments]
 dirs [-clpv] [+N] [-N]                  suspend [-f]
 disown [-h] [-ar] [jobspec ... | pid >  test [expr]
 echo [-neE] [arg ...]                   time [-p] pipeline
 enable [-a] [-dnps] [-f filename] [na>  times
 eval [arg ...]                          trap [-lp] [[arg] signal_spec ...]
 exec [-cl] [-a name] [command [argume>  true
 exit [n]                                type [-afptP] name [name ...]
 export [-fn] [name[=value] ...] or ex>  typeset [-aAfFgilnrtux] [-p] name[=v>
 false                                   ulimit [-SHabcdefiklmnpqrstuvxPT] [l>
 fc [-e ename] [-lnr] [first] [last] o>  umask [-p] [-S] [mode]
 fg [job_spec]                           unalias [-a] name [name ...]
 for NAME [in WORDS ... ] ; do COMMAND>  unset [-f] [-v] [-n] [name ...]
 for (( exp1; exp2; exp3 )); do COMMAN>  until COMMANDS; do COMMANDS; done
 function name { COMMANDS ; } or name >  variables - Names and meanings of so>
 getopts optstring name [arg]            wait [-n] [id ...]
 hash [-lr] [-p pathname] [-dt] [name >  while COMMANDS; do COMMANDS; done
 help [-dms] [pattern ...]               { COMMANDS ; }

Add programs

You can add other programs with the following tools:

git 
wget 
setup-x86_64 (packages available on cygwin mirror sites are fully compatible with Darkmoon as it is emulated by cygwin dll)

Software launch mode

There are 2 versions of this software:

Darkmoon in the Windows command line

Launch Bash and XFCE from cmd and powershell

apt-cyg

Install and run cyg-apt:

FAQs

What is the difference between Darkmoon and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL 2)?

The Microsoft subsystem is a Linux kernel integrated with Windows however, WSL requires very low level virtualization to work.

WSL is not Open Source, it is a proprietary technology that only works on Windows 10.

The difference with Darkmoon is that the software is a port of Linux programs on Windows.

The development tools built into Darkmoon will build you a Windows executable, while WSL will build you a Linux executable.

It may happen that the resulting Linux executable will not run properly on WSL.

Also, unlike the WSL, you can run . exe and access all the files in the kernel, something that is not yet possible with WSL/Bash due to the security of Windows 10.

The last difference is that Darkmoon is a "portable" kernel, you can transport it to any folder or device that can run on versions prior to Windows 10

What is the difference between the Darkmoon version available on Github and the Microsoft Store ?

Darkmoon UWP (Microsoft Store) does not require any human intervention for the installation and everything is automated, from the moment the user clicks on "upload" to the moment XFCE launches.

With the Microsoft Store version, the user will run a Microsoft-approved version for Windows 10

The application will install on a predefined folder (%systemdrive/Linux).

With the Win32 version, the user can modify the installation program to install it in the installation directory of his choice.

Screenshots

Screenshot of DarkMoon

dark moon xfc

dark moon terminal

dark moon terminal

gedit on darkmoon

nano on darkmoon

midnight commander on darkmoon

darkmoon terminal

Updates

Versions Date Changes
1.0.3 2019-06-29 Added xfce4-session, gcc-objc, gcc-objc++ ,gcc-fortrangtk+,wget, tcl, rsync, perl, grep, OpenSSL
1.0.2 2018-08-01 Added C, C ++, Ada and Python compilers,OpenSSH,make, nano and vim, mc...
1.0.1 2013-01-12 DarkMoon created.

Privacy Policy (for Microsoft Store only)

Darkmoon accesses the following features of your computer:

License

Code released under GNU License