I am trying to upgrade on a machine that has 2.0.46 installed from the RPMs when the operating system was installed to 2.2.6 from the course tar ball. I have performed the steps below and read the documentation at apache.org. I get an error when executing the configure command. Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong?

1) rpm --erase httpd-2.0.46
(this appears to work, rpm -qa| grep httpd shows nothing)
2) get 2.2.6 source tarball, untar it and execute:

cd /usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6

/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/configure --prefix=/etc/httpd
configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables

config.log shows:
===================
This file contains any messages produced by compilers while
running configure, to aid debugging if configure makes a mistake.

It was created by configure, which was
generated by GNU Autoconf 2.60. Invocation command line was

$ /usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/configure --prefix=/etc/httpd --enable-ssl

## --------- ##
## Platform. ##
## --------- ##

hostname = test0801stuff1
uname -m = i686
uname -r = 2.4.21-40.ELsmp
uname -s = Linux
uname -v = #1 SMP Thu Feb 2 22:22:39 EST 2006

/usr/bin/uname -p = unknown
/bin/uname -X = unknown

/bin/arch = i686
/usr/bin/arch -k = unknown
/usr/convex/getsysinfo = unknown
/usr/bin/hostinfo = unknown
/bin/machine = unknown
/usr/bin/oslevel = unknown
/bin/universe = unknown

PATH: /usr/local/ilc/bin
PATH: /usr/kerberos/sbin
PATH: /usr/kerberos/bin
PATH: /usr/local/ilc/bin
PATH: /usr/java/jdk1.5.0_05/bin
PATH: /usr/local/ActiveTcl/bin
PATH: /usr/apache-tomcat/apache-tomcat-5.5.15/bin
PATH: /usr/local/sbin
PATH: /usr/local/bin
PATH: /sbin
PATH: /bin
PATH: /usr/sbin
PATH: /usr/bin
PATH: /usr/X11R6/bin
PATH: /usr/sbin
PATH: /sbin
PATH: /root/bin


## ----------- ##
## Core tests. ##
## ----------- ##

configure:2261: checking for chosen layout
configure:2263: result: Apache
configure:3068: checking for working mkdir -p
configure:3084: result: yes
configure:3101: checking build system type
configure:3119: result: i686-pc-linux-gnu
configure:3141: checking host system type
configure:3156: result: i686-pc-linux-gnu
configure:3178: checking target system type
configure:3193: result: i686-pc-linux-gnu
configure:3265: checking for APR
configure:3347: result: reconfig

## ---------------- ##
## Cache variables. ##
## ---------------- ##

ac_cv_build=i686-pc-linux-gnu
ac_cv_env_CC_set=
ac_cv_env_CC_value=
ac_cv_env_CFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_CFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_CPPFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_CPPFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_CPP_set=
ac_cv_env_CPP_value=
ac_cv_env_LDFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_LDFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_build_alias_set=
ac_cv_env_build_alias_value=
ac_cv_env_host_alias_set=
ac_cv_env_host_alias_value=
ac_cv_env_target_alias_set=
ac_cv_env_target_alias_value=
ac_cv_host=i686-pc-linux-gnu
ac_cv_mkdir_p=yes
ac_cv_target=i686-pc-linux-gnu

## ----------------- ##
## Output variables. ##
## ----------------- ##

APACHECTL_ULIMIT=''
APR_BINDIR=''
APR_CONFIG=''
APR_INCLUDEDIR=''
APR_VERSION=''
APU_BINDIR=''
APU_CONFIG=''
APU_INCLUDEDIR=''
APU_VERSION=''
AP_BUILD_SRCLIB_DIRS=''
AP_CLEAN_SRCLIB_DIRS=''
AP_LIBS=''
AWK=''
BUILTIN_LIBS=''
CC=''
CFLAGS=''
CORE_IMPLIB=''
CORE_IMPLIB_FILE=''
CPP=''
CPPFLAGS=''
CXX=''
CXXFLAGS=''
DEFS=''
DSO_MODULES=''
ECHO_C=''
ECHO_N='-n'
ECHO_T=''
EGREP=''
EXEEXT=''
EXTRA_CFLAGS=''
EXTRA_CPPFLAGS=''
EXTRA_CXXFLAGS=''
EXTRA_INCLUDES=''
EXTRA_LDFLAGS=''
EXTRA_LIBS=''
GREP=''
HTTPD_LDFLAGS=''
HTTPD_VERSION=''
INCLUDES=''
INSTALL=''
INSTALL_DSO=''
INSTALL_PROG_FLAGS=''
LDFLAGS=''
LIBOBJS=''
LIBS=''
LIBTOOL=''
LN_S=''
LTCFLAGS=''
LTFLAGS=''
LTLIBOBJS=''
LT_LDFLAGS=''
LYNX_PATH=''
MKDEP=''
MKINSTALLDIRS=''
MK_IMPLIB=''
MODULE_CLEANDIRS=''
MODULE_DIRS=''
MOD_ACTIONS_LDADD=''
MOD_ALIAS_LDADD=''
MOD_ASIS_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHNZ_LDAP_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHN_ALIAS_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHN_ANON_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHN_DBD_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHN_DBM_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHN_DEFAULT_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHN_FILE_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHZ_DBM_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHZ_DEFAULT_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHZ_GROUPFILE_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHZ_HOST_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHZ_OWNER_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTHZ_USER_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTH_BASIC_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTH_DIGEST_LDADD=''
MOD_AUTOINDEX_LDADD=''
MOD_BUCKETEER_LDADD=''
MOD_CACHE_LDADD=''
MOD_CASE_FILTER_IN_LDADD=''
MOD_CASE_FILTER_LDADD=''
MOD_CERN_META_LDADD=''
MOD_CGID_LDADD=''
MOD_CGI_LDADD=''
MOD_CHARSET_LITE_LDADD=''
MOD_DAV_FS_LDADD=''
MOD_DAV_LDADD=''
MOD_DAV_LOCK_LDADD=''
MOD_DBD_LDADD=''
MOD_DEFLATE_LDADD=''
MOD_DIR_LDADD=''
MOD_DISK_CACHE_LDADD=''
MOD_DUMPIO_LDADD=''
MOD_ECHO_LDADD=''
MOD_ENV_LDADD=''
MOD_EXAMPLE_LDADD=''
MOD_EXPIRES_LDADD=''
MOD_EXT_FILTER_LDADD=''
MOD_FILE_CACHE_LDADD=''
MOD_FILTER_LDADD=''
MOD_HEADERS_LDADD=''
MOD_HTTP_LDADD=''
MOD_IDENT_LDADD=''
MOD_IMAGEMAP_LDADD=''
MOD_INCLUDE_LDADD=''
MOD_INFO_LDADD=''
MOD_ISAPI_LDADD=''
MOD_LDAP_LDADD=''
MOD_LOGIO_LDADD=''
MOD_LOG_CONFIG_LDADD=''
MOD_LOG_FORENSIC_LDADD=''
MOD_MEM_CACHE_LDADD=''
MOD_MIME_LDADD=''
MOD_MIME_MAGIC_LDADD=''
MOD_NEGOTIATION_LDADD=''
MOD_OPTIONAL_FN_EXPORT_LDADD=''
MOD_OPTIONAL_FN_IMPORT_LDADD=''
MOD_OPTIONAL_HOOK_EXPORT_LDADD=''
MOD_OPTIONAL_HOOK_IMPORT_LDADD=''
MOD_PROXY_AJP_LDADD=''
MOD_PROXY_BALANCER_LDADD=''
MOD_PROXY_CONNECT_LDADD=''
MOD_PROXY_FTP_LDADD=''
MOD_PROXY_HTTP_LDADD=''
MOD_PROXY_LDADD=''
MOD_REWRITE_LDADD=''
MOD_SETENVIF_LDADD=''
MOD_SO_LDADD=''
MOD_SPELING_LDADD=''
MOD_SSL_LDADD=''
MOD_STATUS_LDADD=''
MOD_SUEXEC_LDADD=''
MOD_UNIQUE_ID_LDADD=''
MOD_USERDIR_LDADD=''
MOD_USERTRACK_LDADD=''
MOD_VERSION_LDADD=''
MOD_VHOST_ALIAS_LDADD=''
MPM_LIB=''
MPM_NAME=''
MPM_SUBDIR_NAME=''
NOTEST_CFLAGS=''
NOTEST_CPPFLAGS=''
NOTEST_CXXFLAGS=''
NOTEST_LDFLAGS=''
NOTEST_LIBS=''
OBJEXT=''
OS=''
OS_DIR=''
OS_SPECIFIC_VARS=''
PACKAGE_BUGREPORT=''
PACKAGE_NAME=''
PACKAGE_STRING=''
PACKAGE_TARNAME=''
PACKAGE_VERSION=''
PATH_SEPARATOR=':'
PCRE_CONFIG=''
PICFLAGS=''
PILDFLAGS=''
PKGCONFIG=''
PORT=''
POST_SHARED_CMDS=''
PRE_SHARED_CMDS=''
RANLIB=''
RM=''
RSYNC=''
SHELL='/bin/sh'
SHLIBPATH_VAR=''
SHLTCFLAGS=''
SH_LDFLAGS=''
SH_LIBS=''
SH_LIBTOOL=''
SSL_LIBS=''
UTIL_LDFLAGS=''
ab_LTFLAGS=''
abs_srcdir=''
ac_ct_CC=''
ap_make_delimiter=''
ap_make_include=''
bindir='${exec_prefix}/bin'
build='i686-pc-linux-gnu'
build_alias=''
build_cpu='i686'
build_os='linux-gnu'
build_vendor='pc'
cgidir='${datadir}/cgi-bin'
checkgid_LTFLAGS=''
datadir='${prefix}'
datarootdir='${prefix}/share'
docdir='${datarootdir}/doc/${PACKAGE}'
dvidir='${docdir}'
errordir='${datadir}/error'
exec_prefix='${prefix}'
exp_bindir='/etc/httpd/bin'
exp_cgidir='/etc/httpd/cgi-bin'
exp_datadir='/etc/httpd'
exp_errordir='/etc/httpd/error'
exp_exec_prefix='/etc/httpd'
exp_htdocsdir='/etc/httpd/htdocs'
exp_iconsdir='/etc/httpd/icons'
exp_includedir='/etc/httpd/include'
exp_installbuilddir='/etc/httpd/build'
exp_libdir='/etc/httpd/lib'
exp_libexecdir='/etc/httpd/modules'
exp_localstatedir='/etc/httpd'
exp_logfiledir='/etc/httpd/logs'
exp_mandir='/etc/httpd/man'
exp_manualdir='/etc/httpd/manual'
exp_proxycachedir='/etc/httpd/proxy'
exp_runtimedir='/etc/httpd/logs'
exp_sbindir='/etc/httpd/bin'
exp_sysconfdir='/etc/httpd/conf'
host='i686-pc-linux-gnu'
host_alias=''
host_cpu='i686'
host_os='linux-gnu'
host_vendor='pc'
htcacheclean_LTFLAGS=''
htdbm_LTFLAGS=''
htdigest_LTFLAGS=''
htdocsdir='${datadir}/htdocs'
htmldir='${docdir}'
htpasswd_LTFLAGS=''
httxt2dbm_LTFLAGS=''
iconsdir='${datadir}/icons'
includedir='${prefix}/include'
infodir='${datarootdir}/info'
installbuilddir='${datadir}/build'
libdir='${exec_prefix}/lib'
libexecdir='${exec_prefix}/modules'
localedir='${datarootdir}/locale'
localstatedir='${prefix}'
logfiledir='${localstatedir}/logs'
logresolve_LTFLAGS=''
mandir='${prefix}/man'
manualdir='${datadir}/manual'
nonssl_listen_stmt_1=''
nonssl_listen_stmt_2=''
oldincludedir='/usr/include'
other_targets=''
pdfdir='${docdir}'
perlbin=''
prefix='/etc/httpd'
progname=''
program_transform_name='s,x,x,'
proxycachedir='${localstatedir}/proxy'
psdir='${docdir}'
rel_bindir='bin'
rel_cgidir='cgi-bin'
rel_datadir=''
rel_errordir='error'
rel_exec_prefix=''
rel_htdocsdir='htdocs'
rel_iconsdir='icons'
rel_includedir='include'
rel_installbuilddir='build'
rel_libdir='lib'
rel_libexecdir='modules'
rel_localstatedir=''
rel_logfiledir='logs'
rel_mandir='man'
rel_manualdir='manual'
rel_proxycachedir='proxy'
rel_runtimedir='logs'
rel_sbindir='bin'
rel_sysconfdir='conf'
rotatelogs_LTFLAGS=''
runtimedir='${localstatedir}/logs'
sbindir='${exec_prefix}/bin'
shared_build=''
sharedstatedir='${prefix}/com'
sysconfdir='${prefix}/conf'
target='i686-pc-linux-gnu'
target_alias=''
target_cpu='i686'
target_os='linux-gnu'
target_vendor='pc'

configure: exit 1

For a start ("compiler cannot create executables") it looks like you don't have all the necessary building tools installed on your system. You should install the compiler, linker and a bunch of other stuff before you can do any compilations. If you use the graphical add/remove thing, search for programming-related tools or if you can't find, start off by installing gcc and binutils and whatever they depend on.

Once you have the building tools installed, re-try with the configuration step. And only continue to make when you get no errors, and only continue further when you get no errors from make.

A tip: you don't need to write the full path names all the time; this works just as well:
The dot refers to the current working directory (two dots to the directory in which this current directory is).

The server already contains the prerequisite tools mentioned on http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/install.html.

gcc version 3.2.3
libtool version 1.4.3
make 3.79.1

The PATH variable includes all of the the above. So I am still at a loss why Apache will not build.

I was able to get past the configure failure by using a different version of /lib/libc.so.6 which was symbolically linked to /lib/libc-2.3.2.so. I don't know why this worked.

However, now make fails. Below is partial output. Google reveals similar sounding problems but no solutons. Any ideas?

/usr/local/apr-httpd/build-1/libtool --silent --mode=link gcc -g -O2 -static -o libmod_alias.la mod_alias.lo
/usr/local/apr-httpd/build-1/libtool --silent --mode=compile gcc -g -O2 -DLINUX=2 -D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/srclib/pcre -I. -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/os/unix -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/server/mpm/prefork -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/http -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/filters -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/proxy -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/include -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/generators -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/mappers -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/database -I/usr/local/apr-httpd/include/apr-1 -I/usr/local/apr-util-httpd/include/apr-1 -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/proxy/../generators -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/ssl -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/dav/main -prefer-non-pic -static -c mod_so.c && touch mod_so.lo
/usr/local/apr-httpd/build-1/libtool --silent --mode=link gcc -g -O2 -static -o libmod_so.la mod_so.lo
make[3]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/mappers'
make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/mappers'
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules'
Making all in support
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/support'
make[2]: Entering directory `/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/support'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/build-1/libtool --silent --mode=compile gcc -g -O2 -DLINUX=2 -D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/srclib/pcre -I. -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/os/unix -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/server/mpm/prefork -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/http -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/filters -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/proxy -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/include -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/generators -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/mappers -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/database -I/usr/local/apr-httpd/include/apr-1 -I/usr/local/apr-util-httpd/include/apr-1 -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/proxy/../generators -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/ssl -I/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/modules/dav/main -prefer-non-pic -static -c htpasswd.c && touch htpasswd.lo
/usr/local/apr-httpd/build-1/libtool --silent --mode=link gcc -g -O2 -o htpasswd htpasswd.lo -lm /usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/srclib/pcre/libpcre.la /usr/local/apr-util-httpd/lib/libaprutil-1.la -lexpat /usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.la -luuid -lcrypt -ldl
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_create'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_getspecific'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_detach'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_once'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_key_create'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_attr_setstacksize'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_sigmask'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_mutex_trylock'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_join'
/usr/local/apr-httpd/lib/libapr-1.so: undefined reference to `pthread_setspecific'
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
make[2]: *** [htpasswd] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/support'
make[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/ilc/prereqs_upgrade/apache_httpd/httpd-2.2.6/support'
make: *** [all-recursive] Error 1