diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 183f5f0..f520966 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,8 +1,23 @@
 
-HOS = hos
-MKISOFS = genisoimage
-ISO = $(HOS).iso
-QEMU = qemu-system-x86_64
+KERNEL_FILE := hos.gz
+MKISOFS     := genisoimage
+ISO         := hos.iso
+QEMU        := qemu-system-x86_64
+export PLATFORM := $(shell if [[ `uname` =~ "CYGWIN" ]]; then \
+                             echo cygwin; \
+                           else \
+                             echo unix; \
+                           fi)
+ifeq ($(PLATFORM), cygwin)
+export LD		:= i586-elf-ld
+export CC		:= i586-elf-gcc
+export CXX		:= i586-elf-g++
+else
+export LD      := ld
+export CC      := gcc
+export CXX     := g++
+endif
+export NASM    := nasm
 
 # default target: build the kernel and ISO image
 all: kernel iso
@@ -10,14 +25,14 @@ all: kernel iso
 # build the kernel
 .PHONY: kernel
 kernel:
-	make -C kernel
+	make -C $@
 
 # build the ISO image
 .PHONY: iso
 iso: $(ISO) kernel
 
 $(ISO): kernel
-	cp kernel/$(HOS) iso/boot
+	cp kernel/$(KERNEL_FILE) iso/boot
 	$(MKISOFS) -R -b boot/grub/stage2_eltorito -no-emul-boot \
 		-boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -o $(ISO) iso
 
@@ -28,4 +43,4 @@ qemu: iso
 .PHONY: clean
 clean:
 	make -C kernel clean
-	-rm -f $(ISO) iso/boot/$(HOS)
+	-rm -f $(ISO) iso/boot/$(KERNEL_FILE)
diff --git a/iso/boot/grub/menu.lst b/iso/boot/grub/menu.lst
index 447f187..d986727 100644
--- a/iso/boot/grub/menu.lst
+++ b/iso/boot/grub/menu.lst
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ timeout 10
 default 0
 
 title HOS
-kernel /boot/hos
+kernel /boot/hos.gz
diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index 39644b4..5aa9f1f 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -1,16 +1,19 @@
 
-KERNEL = hos
-LDFLAGS = -T link.ld
+KERNEL  := hos
+LDFLAGS := -T link.ld
 
-.PHONY: clean
+.PHONY: all
+all: $(KERNEL).gz
 
-all: $(KERNEL)
+$(KERNEL).gz: $(KERNEL)
+	gzip -c $< > $@
 
 $(KERNEL): boot.o
-	ld $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $<
+	$(LD) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 
 boot.o: boot.asm
-	nasm -f elf -o boot.o boot.asm
+	$(NASM) -f elf -o $@ $<
 
+.PHONY: clean
 clean:
-	-rm -f *~ $(KERNEL) *.o
+	-rm -f *~ $(KERNEL) $(KERNEL).gz *.o