Beginner question: Cygwin bash vs. cygwin/bin directory in DOS

[Nathan Green]

I am a newbie using Cygwin.  I noticed that Linux commands can be
executed by running commands in the Windows Command Prompt in the
cygwin/bin directory.  What is the purpose of the bash shell provided
by clicking on the Cygwin icon?  How can I use the cygwin bash shell
to run commands like 'gcc' and 'make'?  Right now I can't do anything.

Thanks!!!

--
Unsubscribe info:      http://cygwin.com/ml/#unsubscribe-simple
Problem reports:       http://cygwin.com/problems.html
Documentation:         http://cygwin.com/docs.html
FAQ:                   http://cygwin.com/faq/