Consider the simplest program which I would like to compile as a simple binary file without headers:

#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
printf("Test file\n");
return 0;
}

The reason that I would like to compile it as a binary is so that I can experiment with LILO and mkbootdisk (or other equivalents), place the file on a floppy, and watch the prgress of the "boot" process.

When I compile and link using:

gcc -o test.bin input.c

everything works fine and just running the "program" ( ./test.bin ) produces the desired results. However when I try the following:

gcc -c input.c

ld input.o -o test.bin -oformat binary

I get an error that states that printf() is an undefined function. This is confusing. gcc -c should take it through preprocessing and compiling up to the point of linking. Why wasn't the include statement preprocessed? Or... what is the answer...where is my thinking incorrect?
How do I correct this? Also, while you are here...do you have any suggestions for getting the file to the correct position on a floppy (and to a correct position in memory when loaded) and direct LILO to also load the correct loader commands to the MBR?

That's because printf is part of libc which is usually a shared library since lots of programs use it. And I don't think you want to include a static version of libc in your binary file. Which on my system is almost 1 MB.

Anyways you might want to read some stuff on this site:
http://linuxassembly.org

I think that's kind of the direction you want to go. Look at the asmutils they seem kinda nice.

Which on my system is almost 1 MB.
gcc -O2 -static -o crap crap.c (aprox 1.6Mb)
strip crap (aprox 360Kb)
upx -9 crap (leaves 153Kb)

just my 2 cents,
upx btw is a freeware,no-performance-blocking exe compressor