I'm trying to install pidgin from source.
$./configure
checking build system type... x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
checking host system type... x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
checking target system type... x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
checking for a BSD-compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c
checking whether build environment is sane... yes
checking for gawk... no
checking for mawk... mawk
checking whether make sets $(MAKE)... yes
checking for sed... /bin/sed
checking for gcc... gcc
checking for C compiler default output file name...
configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables
See `config.log' for more details.

It gave me this error.
I have AMD64.

You need all that it is gcc ralated headers, everything. You can use Synaptics and you should install all that is related to gcc. I had the same problem, I do not remember which ones I really installed but I did choose all of them and it worked. I guess it will ask you for one more thing but I do not remember which. When you get the error message go through Synaptics again and install the missing dependencies.

Let me know if you need more help. Good Luck!!

Hello

You can find a good explanation in the "9. Compiling from source" section in http://www.linux.com/articles/54945

Bye

Koen