I'm new to linux having just installed slackware on this computer, I have everything working that I realise anyway, besides for one thing.

I am trying to install a file and every time I type in make I get the error.
-bash: make: command not found
now I think I'm just missing a simple file, could anyone help?

Thanks

What kind of "file" is it?

It's attually a game, but I found it odd that the command make doesn't seem to work at all. If I am trying to install this or something else, or even nothing. Here is the prompt if it helps.

root@linux:~/Desktop/BFM/bfm-0.06.1# ls
COPYING README.fi Rules.make.in configure* doc/ src/
Makefile RELASE-NOTES config.log configure.in doc-bfm/ tools/
README Rules.make config.status* data/ etlib/
root@linux:~/Desktop/BFM/bfm-0.06.1# make
-bash: make: command not found
root@linux:~/Desktop/BFM/bfm-0.06.1#

Try ./configure
make
su
make install
make sure you cd /Desktop/BFM/bfm-0.06.1 first

Heres what it gives me
root@linux:~/Desktop/BFM/bfm-0.06.1# ./configure
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl... no
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more details.
root@linux:~/Desktop/BFM/bfm-0.06.1# make
-bash: make: command not found
root@linux:~/Desktop/BFM/bfm-0.06.1# su
root@linux:~/Desktop/BFM/bfm-0.06.1# make install
bash: make: command not found
root@linux:~/Desktop/BFM/bfm-0.06.1#

Don't configue it as root,su to root when you make install,I just installed slackware-10.1 and it had gcc

I know I have gcc though, and I believe it's 10.1 I have.

Trying to ./configure another program I downloaded (a compiler because I didn't think I had one) it does this

root@linux:~/Desktop/Compiler/tcc-0.9.22# ./configure
big/little test failed
Binary directory /usr/local/bin
Library directory /usr/local/lib
Include directory /usr/local/include
Manual directory /usr/local/man
Doc directory /usr/local/share/doc/tcc
Source path /root/Desktop/Compiler/tcc-0.9.22
C compiler gcc
make make
CPU x86
Big Endian no
gprof enabled no
Creating config.mak and config.h
root@linux:~/Desktop/Compiler/tcc-0.9.22#

but make still doesn't work which is what I don't understand

Well one thing that won't help matters is it looks like you are creating some unnessesary directorys <
root@linux:~/Desktop/Compiler/tcc-0.9.22#> Just download stuff to your home dir then untar it then READ the readme/install file that came with it then if it says to do the
./configure
make
su <password>
make install
now lets see about that gcc as root
gcc -v

it comes out like this...

jason@linux:~/bfm-0.06.1$ ./configure
mchecking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl... no
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more details.
jason@linux:~/bfm-0.06.1$ mmake
-bash: mmake: command not found
jason@linux:~/bfm-0.06.1$ make
-bash: make: command not found
jason@linux:~/bfm-0.06.1$ ./configure
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl... no
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more details.
jason@linux:~/bfm-0.06.1$ make
-bash: make: command not found
jason@linux:~/bfm-0.06.1$ gcc -v
-bash: gcc: command not found
jason@linux:~/bfm-0.06.1$ cd ../tcc-0.9.22/
jason@linux:~/tcc-0.9.22$ ./configure
big/little test failed
Binary directory /usr/local/bin
Library directory /usr/local/lib
Include directory /usr/local/include
Manual directory /usr/local/man
Doc directory /usr/local/share/doc/tcc
Source path /home/jason/tcc-0.9.22
C compiler gcc
make make
CPU x86
Big Endian no
gprof enabled no
Creating config.mak and config.h
jason@linux:~/tcc-0.9.22$ make
-bash: make: command not found
jason@linux:~/tcc-0.9.22$ gcc-v
-bash: gcc-v: command not found
jason@linux:~/tcc-0.9.22$ su
Password:
root@linux:/home/jason/tcc-0.9.22# make install
bash: make: command not found
root@linux:/home/jason/tcc-0.9.22# gcc -v
bash: gcc: command not found
root@linux:/home/jason/tcc-0.9.22#

the part that the make command not found bothers me a bit, I've used it before, and I don't know how to install things without it. Also the gcc -v bothers me a bit because some can find it but oth ers can't

Look at the PATH environment variable for whomever you're trying to run the commands as.

echo $PATH

gcc & make are installed in /usr/bin with the default Slackware packages. So make sure /usr/bin is in the user's PATH. If it's not, then modify the PATH.

export PATH=/usr/bin:$PATH

I changed PATH as it was empty, but I went took a look in /usr/bin, and these are the things related to those in here.

jason@linux:/usr/bin$ ls make*
make_printerdef* make_smbcodepage* make_unicodemap* makecode*
jason@linux:/usr/bin$ ls gcc*
/usr/bin/ls: gcc*: No such file or directory
jason@linux:/usr/bin$ ls gc*
/usr/bin/ls: gc*: No such file or directory
jason@linux:/usr/bin$ ls g*
g3topbm* getent* gimp@ gnuchessc* gpgv*
gaim* getfacl* gimp-1.2* gnuchessn* gpm-root*
gaim-remote* getfattr* gimp-config@ gnuchessr* grep@
game* getfdprm* gimp-remote@ gnuchessx* groups*
gamma4scanimage* getfilename* gimp-remote-1.2* gnuplot* gtk-config*
gawk@ gethostip* gimpdoc* gnuplot_x11* gtk-demo*
gawk-3.1.3@ geticonset* gimptool@ gobject-query* gtk-query-immodules-2.0*
gdk-pixbuf-config* getkeycodes* gimptool-1.2* gouldtoppm* gunzip@
gdk-pixbuf-csource* getmail@ ginstall@ gpasswd* gview@
gdk-pixbuf-query-loaders* getpeername* glib-config* gpccard* gvim@
gemtopbm* getsockname@ glib-genmarshal* gpg* gvimdiff@
gencat* getstyle* glib-gettextize* gpg-check@ gxine*
get-wings-flags* gettext* glib-mkenums* gpg-encrypt@ gxine_client*
get-wraster-flags* getzones* glibcbug* gpg-sign@ gzexe*
get-wutil-flags* gif2tiff* gnuan* gpg-sign+encrypt@ gzip@
getconf* giftopnm* gnuchess* gpgsplit*

Empty? You sure you ran "echo $PATH" and not "echo PATH"? Anyway, doesn't look like gcc and freinds are installed. At least not via the default Slackware packages. Have a look in "/var/log/packages". The Slackware package system records everything it installs there. For gcc to work, you'll need at the very minimum binutils & gcc. But I'd install at least these:

autoconf
automake
bin86
binutils
bison
flex
gcc
gcc-g++
gettext-tools
kernel-headers
libtool
m4
make
perl
strace

All of which are in the d/ directory on the CD. Or you could just install everything in the directory if you have the space.

But I don't have make, and don't know how to install without make.

Yea, and I messed up the echo $PATH, it has /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/games:/opt/www/htdig/bin:/opt/kde/bin:/usr/lib/qt-3.2.1/bin:

Google swaret

Arg, this is getting difficult, I need to install make, but can't do that without gcc, I try to install gcc, but can't do that without bison. Then I try to install bison, and I need, gcc, and make... Anyone have an idea