Hi everyone,

I am new to linux, but not new to computers. I attempted to use linux years ago, but just could not validate spending 2-3 hours installing one program. But I decided to give it another go. So, I purchased a copy of Linux Format, which came with a copy of Mandriva LE 2005. I installed it, and was very impressed with how much easier they have made the installation. It installed flawlessly, and soon enough I was in KDE. So I decided to download some software, that was compressed. After extracting the software, i tried to do. ./configure and I recieved the following error: "C++ Compiler cannot create executables".
Now, of course, I googled this error message and found tons of other people who have experienced this problem, but the only conclusion I have been able to draw is that I am missing gcc. So I tried to download gcc (in the rpm form) but that requires something else (gcc-gnat) then when I tried to get that, it wouldnt install because it wanted a newer version of autoconf. How could it possibly be efficient to have to download this many things just to get one thing to run?

I really want to use linux, and im not giving up just yet, I just really need a solution to this problem, in very simple terms.

I also tried to use RPMdrake, but gcc was not in there. From what I understand, gcc is supposed to come standard?

thanks in advance for any help

Rob Kirchoff

AIM: medic4life2385

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

It was created by genchemlab configure 0.1, which was
generated by GNU Autoconf 2.57. Invocation command line was

$ ./configure

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

hostname = RobKirchoff
uname -m = i686
uname -r = 2.6.11-6mdk
uname -s = Linux
uname -v = #1 Tue Mar 22 16:04:32 CET 2005

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

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

PATH: /sbin
PATH: /usr/sbin
PATH: /bin
PATH: /usr/bin
PATH: /usr/X11R6/bin
PATH: /usr/local/bin
PATH: /usr/local/sbin


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

configure:1300: checking for a BSD-compatible install
configure:1354: result: /usr/bin/install -c
configure:1365: checking whether build environment is sane
configure:1408: result: yes
configure:1441: checking for gawk
configure:1457: found /bin/gawk
configure:1467: result: gawk
configure:1477: checking whether make sets $(MAKE)
configure:1497: result: yes
configure:1717: checking for g++
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for c++
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for gpp
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for aCC
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for CC
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for cxx
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for cc++
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for cl
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for FCC
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for KCC
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for RCC
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for xlC_r
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1717: checking for xlC
configure:1746: result: no
configure:1759: checking for C++ compiler version
configure:1762: g++ --version </dev/null >&5
./configure: line 1763: g++: command not found
configure:1765: $? = 127
configure:1767: g++ -v </dev/null >&5
./configure: line 1768: g++: command not found
configure:1770: $? = 127
configure:1772: g++ -V </dev/null >&5
./configure: line 1773: g++: command not found
configure:1775: $? = 127
configure:1799: checking for C++ compiler default output
configure:1802: g++ conftest.cc >&5
./configure: line 1803: g++: command not found
configure:1805: $? = 127
configure: failed program was:
| #line 1778 "configure"
| /* confdefs.h. */
|
| #define PACKAGE_NAME "genchemlab"
| #define PACKAGE_TARNAME "genchemlab"
| #define PACKAGE_VERSION "0.1"
| #define PACKAGE_STRING "genchemlab 0.1"
| #define PACKAGE_BUGREPORT "herger@chemistry.gatech.edu"
| #define PACKAGE "genchemlab"
| #define VERSION "0.1"
| /* end confdefs.h. */
|
| int
| main ()
| {
|
| ;
| return 0;
| }
configure:1844: error: C++ compiler cannot create executables
See `config.log' for more details.

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

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_CXXFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_CXXFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_CXX_set=
ac_cv_env_CXX_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_path_install='/usr/bin/install -c'
ac_cv_prog_AWK=gawk
ac_cv_prog_make_make_set=yes

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

ACLOCAL='${SHELL} /home/rob/chem/genchemlab-1.0/missing --run aclocal-1.7'
AMDEPBACKSLASH=''
AMDEP_FALSE=''
AMDEP_TRUE=''
AMTAR='${SHELL} /home/rob/chem/genchemlab-1.0/missing --run tar'
AUTOCONF='${SHELL} /home/rob/chem/genchemlab-1.0/missing --run autoconf'
AUTOHEADER='${SHELL} /home/rob/chem/genchemlab-1.0/missing --run autoheader'
AUTOMAKE='${SHELL} /home/rob/chem/genchemlab-1.0/missing --run automake-1.7'
AWK='gawk'
CC=''
CCDEPMODE=''
CFLAGS=''
CPP=''
CPPFLAGS=''
CXX='g++'
CXXDEPMODE=''
CXXFLAGS=''
CYGPATH_W='echo'
DEFS=''
DEPDIR=''
ECHO_C=''
ECHO_N='-n'
ECHO_T=''
EXEEXT=''
INSTALL_DATA='${INSTALL} -m 644'
INSTALL_PROGRAM='${INSTALL}'
INSTALL_SCRIPT='${INSTALL}'
INSTALL_STRIP_PROGRAM='${SHELL} $(install_sh) -c -s'
LDFLAGS=''
LIBOBJS=''
LIBS=''
LN_S=''
LTLIBOBJS=''
MAKEINFO='${SHELL} /home/rob/chem/genchemlab-1.0/missing --run makeinfo'
MY_SUBDIRS=''
OBJEXT=''
PACKAGE='genchemlab'
PACKAGE_BUGREPORT='herger@chemistry.gatech.edu'
PACKAGE_NAME='genchemlab'
PACKAGE_STRING='genchemlab 0.1'
PACKAGE_TARNAME='genchemlab'
PACKAGE_VERSION='0.1'
PATH_SEPARATOR=':'
RANLIB=''
SET_MAKE=''
SHELL='/bin/sh'
STRIP=''
VERSION='0.1'
ac_ct_CC=''
ac_ct_CXX='g++'
ac_ct_RANLIB=''
ac_ct_STRIP=''
am__fastdepCC_FALSE=''
am__fastdepCC_TRUE=''
am__fastdepCXX_FALSE=''
am__fastdepCXX_TRUE=''
am__include=''
am__leading_dot='.'
am__quote=''
bindir='${exec_prefix}/bin'
build_alias=''
datadir='${prefix}/share'
exec_prefix='NONE'
host_alias=''
includedir='${prefix}/include'
infodir='${prefix}/info'
install_sh='/home/rob/chem/genchemlab-1.0/install-sh'
libdir='${exec_prefix}/lib'
libexecdir='${exec_prefix}/libexec'
localstatedir='${prefix}/var'
mandir='${prefix}/man'
oldincludedir='/usr/include'
prefix='NONE'
program_transform_name='s,x,x,'
qtlibname=''
sbindir='${exec_prefix}/sbin'
sharedstatedir='${prefix}/com'
sysconfdir='${prefix}/etc'
target_alias=''
top_builddir='/home/rob/chem/genchemlab-1.0'

## ----------- ##
## confdefs.h. ##
## ----------- ##

#define PACKAGE "genchemlab"
#define PACKAGE_BUGREPORT "herger@chemistry.gatech.edu"
#define PACKAGE_NAME "genchemlab"
#define PACKAGE_STRING "genchemlab 0.1"
#define PACKAGE_TARNAME "genchemlab"
#define PACKAGE_VERSION "0.1"
#define VERSION "0.1"

configure: exit 77

When you go to install a linux distro there are things it doesn't automatically install. All distros come with a development kit. This is all your gcc, g++, autoconf, aclocal, automake. So just find the development module, and chech the box next to it. Then update. Now you should have everything you need to compile from source. I have every faith you can do linux. Rome was not built in a day.

Welcome to LQ, Rob!

Don't panic! You can do this!

hey pal......
things like yum and up2date are what there is to take care of such situations.
these automatically fetch the rpm headers from the repo sites and install resolving dependencies along with.
If you really wanna use linux as a pro then first you need to get around with its methods. Its not difficult but well its not as easy as windows too.

wow thanks for all the responses guys, im glad to see how much support there is.

i tried installing the development kit, through RPM drake, but that didnt work for some reason. The only box that was there was C, so I clicked on it, and it told me it could not install like 8 or 9 of the components for various reasons.

What is Yum and how do I get it?

Thanks again everyone

Rob

yum => yellow dog update manager. It comes as an rpm. try to see if there is a command as yum on your box. just type yum on the command line and see what it says.
if no errors like bad file name........... the see the man page of yum. You shall be going in minutes with your updates.

Also do the same for up2date, and see if there is an up2date command on your box. It it is there, then read its man page also. This one is also easy.

yum requires python. So if u may have to install it then try the following before.
type this command and check the output.
rpm -qa|grep -i "python"

it will list all rpm installed on box that have the name python in it.

Also do you have direct assess to inetrnet or do you use a proxy server.

Yum and up2date are both Redhat/Fedora-specific utilities as far as I know. They aren't really interchangable between distrobutions so that's probably not the best advice. Any anway, Mandriva already has stuff installed that do all the jobs those two programs handle out of the box.

Mandriva has a great CLI package manager for you called urpmi. Just type in urpmi at a terminal followed by the name of the package you want to install. It'll find it, download it, check what dependancies it needs and download them too. once it's got everything it needs, it installs them all for you!

Go to this site for a ton more info and a tutorial for setting it up

okay i think were making progress!

I gotten urpmi to get gcc for me, but ./configure still isnt working, so I think its just a matter of downloading the right stuff.

Based on the info I gave you guys, is there any way you could tell me what I need to get through urpmi (and what is does if possible, so I can learn )

and I thought organic chem was complex :P
Thanks
Rob

oh and also, can someone explain where to find the program / run it once it has been "make instal"'ed ?

Rob

I would say to give Debian a try, as installing software to a Debian system is sooooo easy. However you may not like the fact that when you install Debian, it does not automatically install kde and x-windows for you.

Personally I like and use Gnome instead of kde, and installing Gnome was dead easy using apt-get :

(All Debian ISO's I have used will install a suitable sources.list for you upon setup so that you can get software straight away)

apt-get install x-windows
apt-get install gnome

The great thing about apt-get is that it will install all of the dependencies for the software you wish to install, for you. It really is a great system.

For most software there is no compiling, no worrying about dependencies, Debian's apt-get command really makes it easy.

Admittedly there are some programs that you cannot apt-get, however Debian has enough software covered in this system to get you by, and later on, when your more fluent with Linux, you can spend some time to learn how to solve compiling problems etc, eventually you will be saying to yourself.

Its not that difficult to get a lot out of Linux and you will enjoy using Linux more than you would Windows.


Cheers,
Greenie

Linux user for 8 weeks and counting . . .

cobblers to debian, not for you at all, and moreover one of the only good things about debian, i.e. apt, is now available for most rpm based distro's too.

I got it working! I just Urpmi all the gcc stuff, then ./configure worked. Now the problem occurs when I make install, however this is only with some programs ive downloaded. I think I am going to stick to RPMs when I can, much easier to deal with. So now on to my next issue... which would not fall under this forum.

I do have a question though.

When you guys get software from freshmeat or whatever, do you usually take it in the tar.gz form or the RPM form. What is the difference between these? (other than the ease in installation)
Rob

Right now I'm in a tar.gz (or "tarball") phase. Compiling from source produces binaries that are configured to run on your system, which may, or may not, result in better performance.
RPMs are compiled for a generic setup, which runs on more systems, but sacrifices performance to do so.

go to lq bookmark
search for easyurpmi (.zarb.org)

tarballs are great to learn about, but sometimes you will enjoy ready made rpms