Which basic Linux distro should I use for gcc?

[Emrehan]

Hi all.

I have just registered IEEExtreme Programming Contest and I want to install a new Linux for running gcc4.1.2. IEEExtreme will test my solutions with gcc4.1.2 so I should compile my codes in that version to avoid version compatibility problems.

I'm searching for a distro comes with gcc4.1.2 becuse of
linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/install-or-upgrade-newer-or-older-gcc-version-592993/


I will install OS to 2009 made netbook
ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_Detail.aspx?CategoryID=3&DetailID=1016&Det ailName=Feature&MenuID=93&LanID=0

My priorities are:

• fast in weak systems.
  can open Google Chrome.
  easy to learn.
  driver support.
  ability to intstall with USB Memory.

I will use OS for only compiling in gcc and surfing.

Which distro do you suggest and why?

ps: Links are not full because I'm a newbie on this site. Please add www prefix.

[atreyu]

I like Fedora, b/c it has:

- huge community support
- easy to install software (yum install blah)
- has a large (HUGE) repository of software packages available
- very customizable (light-weight, bloated, or somewhere in the middle)
- based on Red Hat, which has a proven track record
- great hardware compatibility

BTW, what do you mean by chrome? The browser? If so, that'll work in any modern Linux distro.

Same with gcc, virutally every distro has some version of it. The current version of Fedora (15) has gcc 4.6.0. If you specifically wanted gcc 4.1.2, that comes with Fedora 8, but that is ANCIENT. I'd rather run the current Fedora and download that old gcc from source and install it. Do you require that version specifically, or does it just have to be at least that version?

[Emrehan]

If Ferora 8 is stability and has support of hardwares I can install it.

[cynwulf]

I'm not a programmer - but you need to find out if gcc 4.1.2 is a an absolute requirement or can you use a newer version? The version you refer to is more than a few years old (I would estimate 2006 or 2007?).

[atreyu]

If Ferora 8 is stability and has support of hardwares I can install it.

Well it might be stable (-ish), and would likely run fine on older hardware, but if the hardware is more recent, you may have problems - the big culprits being network cards and graphics adapters.

If that exact older gcc version is a requirement, then I'd really recommend considering a modern version of Linux (whether it be Fedora or something else) and then downloading and compiling GCC from gnu's website. For example, I find that version of GCC at this mirror.

If you must go the Fedora 8 route and try to get help with problems, you'll find lots of people telling you to upgrade. Still, we can try to help you. What I can tell you off the bat is you'll have to point yum to the archives location, e.g.:

Index of /pub/archive/fedora/linux/releases/8/Everything/i386/os

b/c Fedora no longer considers this version to be secure/supportable, etc.