probably fairly simple problem building gcc

[bentaylor]

probalby a fairly simple config problem, anyone able to shed any light on what I might be missing?

linux:/installers/gccbuild # ../gcc4.1.1/configure
bash: ../gcc4.1.1/configure: No such file or directory
linux:/installers/gccbuild # ../gcc-4.1.1/configure
loading cache ./config.cache
checking host system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking target system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking build system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking for a BSD compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c
checking whether ln works... yes
checking whether ln -s works... yes
checking for gcc... gcc
checking whether the C compiler (gcc  ) works... no
configure: error: installation or configuration problem: C compiler cannot create executables.
linux:/installers/gccbuild #

[Number33]

Umm... it's saying that you don't have a C compiler installed or atleast not anywhere that the configure script to find.

Any specific reason why you're trying to compile gcc yourself instead of using the RPMS that Suse provides?

[bentaylor]

well, I had an issue building vsftpd, see my other thread:
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/sus...ng-vsftpd.html

so I just wanted to know whether it was an issue with gcc or an issue with vsftpd.
So I thought to test gcc it would be a good idea to try to build something else, so I thought why not try gcc itself. But from the output from trying to build gcc it looks like a fairly fundamental problem?

[Number33]

You're other thread says you installed gcc from rpmfind.net. Your distro should include gcc and probably a newer version too. What distro are you running (probably already said but I'm being lazy).

You may be missing some other build tools as well. Any specific reasons why you're compiling instead of using the packaged RPMS that are available (learning is a valid answer).

[bentaylor]

You're other thread says you installed gcc from rpmfind.net. Your distro should include gcc and probably a newer version too. What distro are you running (probably already said but I'm being lazy).

You may be missing some other build tools as well. Any specific reasons why you're compiling instead of using the packaged RPMS that are available (learning is a valid answer).

Yes, learning basically - both to learn more about gcc and linux in general, and also more specifically to learn why the gcc that I have installed from rpm doesn't work to compile vsftpd. You see, the reason it won't compile vsftpd could either be a problem with gcc, i.e. it isn't set up correctly to compile anything, like you say I might be missing some libraries, OR it could be a problem just with vsftpd, say I'm missing a dependency that it requires but that gcc doesn't require to compile most other things.
I also want to be confident that I've got a working gcc should I want to compile anything in the future, because most linux programs that you download are from source. It's a right old dilemma because I tried fedora core 6, and it had gcc already installed and worked to compile quite a few things, but I couldn't get its nvidia drivers to work - tried suse, graphics card drivers work straight away - but gcc doesn't work. Aaaagggh!! Otherwise, to all intents and purposes it's proving to be a much better OS than windows in almost every way, so I'm definitely sticking with it, I just need to iron this out.
I strongly suspect it's the former - that gcc doesn't work to compile anything, but I don't know why, I suspect it is that I haven't got some necessary library installed, but what? You see the reason I'm confused is that the error output in my original post basically says point blank that gcc 'doesn't work' - but if I type gcc -v from the command line, gcc runs and prints its version information.... see where I'm coming from?
Anyway thanks for your input, it's much appreciated.
I've got suse 9.1.

[Number33]

Ok... cool beans....


Suse 9.1? Good but old. If you're interested download and install the latest OpenSuse. Then in yast software manager install gcc. That will grab all the deps that you need for a basic compiling environment. There's even an installation pattern in groups that can be selected to install LOTS of dev tools, but most are not needed for compiling lots of them are for source control and coordination, group effort stuff.

Grab something smaller and easier to compile (less deps) and see if that works. Just to verify your gcc install.