I can't find a compiler on my machine, PLEASE HELP!
 

I keep trying to install programs that need me to compile the packages but the configure file in these packages is unable to find a compiler in my path. Doesnt linux distrutions come with a compiler? If they do, where would it be located? If not, where can I get one? gcc?

they're on your installation cds. usually to get them installed you need to choose to install the development packages when installing linux.

PLEASE HELP!
 

I installed the development packages, I think. Im pretty sure. Part of purpose of me using linux is for me to learn how to program on linux. I would have included something like that in my installation. As you know, microsoft applications do all of this stuff for you. Im getting ticked off. Nothing is working for me. This is a whole other world from windows. I appreciate the knowledge that comes with learning to use a system like this but I only have an associates degree and minimal experience. Its as if I have to have written a compiler in order to use one.


I was just looking at installing c compilers and I have no idea what Im doing. They want me to download these packages of all these files, figure out how to piece them together and compile them without a compiler. They are telling me that I have to have a compiler to get a compiler. What the hell is that?! DAMN! Im not reinstalling linux..... I cant put those packages in after ive already installed the system? What am I going to do if I didnt install those packages? Thats dumb too cause everything ive come across installing needs me to have a compiler, but that doesnt make me a "developer".
Why do I have to be a developer to download and install a dvd player?

Okay. Take a moment to remember to breathe.
Breathing again? Good.

Are you using Red Hat 9? I'm going to asume you are, because if you're not I can't help you since I've only ever used RH distros.

Open a console and type (without the $. That's just there to indicate a prompt);
$ rpm -q gcc

You should get something like:

gcc-3.2.2-5

as output.
If not you don't have gcc installed, which probably means you didn't install the development packages when you started.

No worries though. On the pop-up menu on the panel, go to

System settings>Add/Remove Programs.

Run that and install the development packages.

Hope that helps.

I must not have gcc installed either, but I'm running just in text mode. Is there a text based utility to manage packages as well?

I think so.
The binary for add/remove programs is:

/usr/bin/redhat-config-packages

Try running that from the console. it might work

Well, the package isn't installed and its not on my installation disk. The distrobution I have says that I have the developers packages on the box. So first I tried installing them the way you suggested, but found no gcc packages(only gcc documentation) and then I ran the linux installation on an empty computer that I happen to have sitting around, and there was no such option to include such packages in the installation.

Where can I get a precompiled gcc package?

Im still having problems. I don't know enough to get this done. I keep learning these little things along the way, commands and what not, but Im so far from getting this resolved. Anyway, I found 2 gcc packages on the intallation disk. For some reason they dont show in the installation or the install programs interface but they are shown in the directory of the cd.

First I attempted to open the different packages through my mnt/cdrom icon on my desktop. That tells me that they are already installed. Then why won't rpm -q gcc find anything?

So then I went to the directory form the console and ran the rpm -i on the packages and got this error:
"Cannot open packages index using db3-operation not permitted.

At this point screw the DVD's. Ill just watch them on the tv or with windows when im on the plane, bus or grandmas house, but I still want to learn how to do this. I want to get this figured out. Is there somone out there that will walk through this with me? Hold my hand?

Sorry I don't know enough to help you anymore than I already have.

However, for the DVD player, try downloading Ogle or Mplayer. Both have rpms available that you shouldn't have to compile - you can get them from freshrpms.net

Good luck