How to compile samples? I'm at my wit's end

Question

I'm on Win8.1 x64.
I've done extensive googling and the most comprehensive instructions came from here: Crossbridge wont compile with updated cygwin
Since the included cygwin package doesn't work on win8.1, I've installed stand-alone cygwin32 and JDK 1.8.0_05 64-bit, and added the following minimal path to my cygwin.bat:
set PATH=C:\java\jdk1.8\bin;C:\windows\system32;C:\windows;C:\windows\System32\Wbem;
The only thing I haven't tried from that thread is installing cygwin32 to the cygwin directory inside crossbridge.  If that is necessary, I'll do it, but it didn't seem necessary.
java -version from inside cygwin produces the following, so I know it's finding the 64-bit JDK:
$ java -version
java version "1.8.0_05"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_05-b13)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.5-b02, mixed mode)
according to LLVM ERROR: Error: Unable to launch the Java Virtual Machine, I've added -jvmopt=-Xmx1G to Makefile.common
And here's what I get when trying to compile the Hello World sample.  Can anyone help me?
$ make
-------- Sample 1 --------
First let's compile it as a projector:
"/cygdrive/c/crossbridge/sdk/usr/bin/gcc" -Werror -Wno-write-strings -Wno-trigra
phs -jvmopt=-Xmx1G hello.c -o hello.exe
cc1: error in backend: Failed to run /cygdrive/c/crossbridge/sdk/usr/bin/../../u
sr/bin/llc with args: -jvm=C:\java\jdk1.8\bin\java -filetype=obj C:\cygwin\tmp\c
c6xiTAa.o -o C:\cygwin\tmp\cc6xiTAa.o -jvmopt -Xmx1G
Error:
LLVM ERROR: Failed to run C:/cygwin/bin/cygpath.exe with args: -at mixed C:/cygw
in/tmp/LLVM_7444/alctmp-411599.as
Error:
Stack dump:
0.      Program arguments: C:\crossbridge\sdk\usr\bin\llc.exe -jvm=C:\java\jdk1.
8\bin\java -filetype=obj C:\cygwin\tmp\cc6xiTAa.o -o C:\cygwin\tmp\cc6xiTAa.o -j
vmopt -Xmx1G
Makefile:2: recipe for target 'T01' failed
make: *** [T01] Error 1

Answer 1

Update: I made my own hello.c program, with the following code and no makefile:
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
     printf("Hello World!\n");
And this is the output of running gcc:
$ /cygdrive/c/crossbridge/sdk/usr/bin/gcc hello.c
      0 [main] cygpath 5260 C:\cygwin\bin\cygpath.exe: *** fatal error - Interna
l error: TP_NUM_C_BUFS too small: 6815827 > 10
229066 [main] cygpath 5260 cygwin_exception::open_stackdumpfile: Dumping stack
trace to cygpath.exe.stackdump
cc1: error in backend: Failed to run /cygdrive/c/crossbridge/sdk/usr/bin/../../u
sr/bin/llc with args: -jvm=C:\java\jdk1.8\bin\java -filetype=obj C:\cygwin\tmp\c
c78v8jE.o -o C:\cygwin\tmp\cc78v8jE.o -jvmopt -Xmx1500M
Error:
LLVM ERROR: Failed to run C:/cygwin/bin/cygpath.exe with args: -at mixed C:/cygw
in/tmp/LLVM_10616/alctmp-862292.as
Error:
      0 [main] cygpath 5260 C:\cygwin\bin\cygpath.exe: *** fatal error - Interna
l error: TP_NUM_C_BUFS too small: 6815827 > 10
229066 [main] cygpath 5260 cygwin_exception::open_stackdumpfile: Dumping stack
trace to cygpath.exe.stackdump
Stack dump:
0.      Program arguments: C:\crossbridge\sdk\usr\bin\llc.exe -jvm=C:\java\jdk1.
8\bin\java -filetype=obj C:\cygwin\tmp\cc78v8jE.o -o C:\cygwin\tmp\cc78v8jE.o -j
vmopt -Xmx1500M