GCC

About GCC

The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) is a compiler system produced by the GNU Project supporting various programming languages. GCC is a key component of the GNU toolchain and the standard compiler for most projects related to GNU and Linux, including the Linux kernel. The Free Software Foundation (FSF) distributes GCC under the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL).

How to Obtain GCC

Installation files and instructions are available on the GCC website.

Mac Instructions for Use

• Open a Terminal window by doing one of the following: Click the Launchpad icon in the Dock, type Terminal in the search field, then click Terminal; or, In the Finder, open the /Applications/Utilities folder, then double-click Terminal.
• Test to see if you have gcc installed. Enter the following command into the terminal window: gcc
  • If you get a message saying The gcc command requires the command line developer tools. Would you like to install them now? then click the Install option.
• To check the installation was successful, type gcc in the terminal window and hit return. If you see an error message similar to clang: error: no input files, you are all set. This means the gcc command/compiler exists on your system and you need to enter a C program for compilation.

Windows Instructions for Use

• Browse to http://www.cygwin.com and click the Install Cygwin link near the top of the teal-colored box on the left-hand side of the page, then follow the instructions. Make sure you use the 64-bit version of the setup program if you have a 64-bit computer.
• Answer all the questions using the default answers. You are asked to select a location from which to download. Pick any location; some will be slow and some will be fast. Hopefully, you’ll pick a fast location. At some point, you see a Select Packages screen. Click on plus signs next to:
  • Devel and click on the Skip column entry next to the gcc-core, gcc-g++, gdb, and make entries. (By default, the installation will skip these packages. By clicking the skip, it becomes unskip, and it will install the packages.)
  • Editors and click on the Skip labels next to the emacs, vim, and vim-common entries.
  • Net and click on the Skip label next to the openssh and rsync entry.
• Finally, click on the Next button in the lower right corner and continue accepting defaults.
• After installation, open a Cygwin terminal (there should be an icon on your Desktop).
• Type gcc in a Cygwin terminal window. If you see gcc: fatal error: no input files, you are all set. This means the gcc command/compiler installed and you need to enter a C program for compilation.

The College of Engineering offers support in installing engineering software tools. Contact support@eng.ua.edu for assistance.