Found the sticky atop Linux General whilst trying to figure out how to install Mplayer, Firefox, and an updated Kopete. After the "./configure" command I got a bunch of messages ending in this:

checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl... no

No compiler. So how do I install gcc?

This is my first day using Linux, having migrated from Mac OS X. I'm looking to buy a ThinkPad and installing MEPIS so I wanted to get used to KDE. So far I'm having these problems:

1. Browser sometimes delays resolving host.

2. Unable to login to my MSN account with Kopete--says can't connect to server loginnet.passport.com

3. Can't install Mplayer, Firefox, updated Kopete.

Any tips or direction would be much appreciated.

>> No compiler. So how do I install gcc?
you search the web (google ("gcc")), then you select `binaries', then you select your architechture, then you read the INSTALL (or similar).

I'm guessing you can't install mplayer and FF because you don't have gcc --- but have you tried the package system? I don't know YDL (I'm guessing that's a distro name -- and btw, click User CP and add your distro to the information page, so we can all help you that much better). As I was saying, I don't know YDL (YggDrasiL?), but I assume you don't run a source-based distro. So check with the package system.

Regarding Kopete: I've had decent success with Gaim -- very good and stable for icq, irc, yahoo! and aim; decent for MSN. I've also heard good things about centericq.

Hope this helps,

Jonas Kölker

YDL stands for YellowDog Linux, it's a PPC distro. Don't have the hang of the package handler. Guess I'll keep googling.

GAIM won't connect either. There seems to be a mini-issue with my DNS.

YDL -> YellowDog ... of course...

I think I can safely say that using the package manager is by far the easiest solution, but of course, there's something cool about compiling your programs yourself -- one thing being that gcc can optimize more agressively, knowing your architecture.

regarding DNS: well, grab a large trout and a pitchfork, and go slap your ISP around (unless of course you've set up your own DNS).

Best of luck,

Jonas

There's definitely a DNS issue here. If I type "66.7.161.3" into my browser,
it brings me to yellowdoglinux.com instantaneously. If, however, I type
"yellowdoglinux.com" and press return, it spends about 10-15 seconds
"resolving host." Once it brings me to the URL the subpages tend to load
instantaneously.

No DNS problems when I'm running this dual-booting machine with Mac OS X. I may have to learn to set up my own DNS.

I'll read up on the YDL package manager but I really would like to learn to compile from source.