Copy the package to a directory and unzip the archives. Some packages must be installed in their default directories (usually c:\progra~1\<packagename>), or you have to set corresponding environment variables or set options at the command line; see the documentation of the package, or, when available, the installation instructions on the package page. Packages newer than March 31, 2002 may be installed in any directory, provided the subdirectory structure is maintained; native language support, if supplied by the package, is also active.
Binaries are in <package>-<version>-bin.zip. This
includes the dynamic link libraries (DLL) of the package, as well
as text versions of the man pages.
If you wish to compile yourself, then read the Notes on compilation.
The developer sub-package <package>-<version>-lib.zip contains include files and libraries for developing programs. The libraries are: a static GCC library (suffix: .a) and a GCC (suffix: .dll.a) import library for using the dynamic link library (DLL) that is contained in the binary sub-package.
The documentation sub-package <package>-<version>-doc.zip contains documentation in Html, MS-Windows Help, Postscript, PDF and TeX DVI format. The file <package>-<version>-bin.zip contains text versions of the man pages.
All packages require MS Windows 95 / 98 / XP / 2000 / NT with
msvcrt.dll. If msvcrt.dll is not in your Windows\System folder,
get it from SimTel
or by installing Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher.
Some packages require other packages as well (and these may
require still other packages!). Usually they require only the
dynamic link library (DLL), contained in <package>-<version>-bin.zip.
Be careful not to use another version of a library that depends on crtdll.dll; any call to an executable with an implicit dependence on both msvcrt.dll and crtdll.dll, crashes. In particular zlib.dll from WinImage (http://www.winimage.com) depends on crtdll.dll and does not work with packages depending on both msvcrt.dll and zlib.dll.; instead use zlib.dll from GnuWin32; see also the documentation on MSDN. Similarly, you should not mix CygWin dll's with native dll's.