Segmentation Fault Debug with GDB, GCC compiled with --enable-checking?!

["Gregor Velz" <g dot velz at gmx dot net>]

Hi! 
I'm a newbie concerning Linux, but I have to write a C multithread
application. Unfortunately I have a Segmention Fault and I can't find
the error. I tried with GDB to debug it, but I get always "Couldn't get
registers: No such process" or "Cannot fetch general-purpose registers
for thread 1074119840: generic error" if I try to use "backtrace" or
"print". 
I've read that gcc has to be compiled with an option --enable-checking
to could use GDB and per default it isn't in distributions (I'm using
Red Hat 9, gcc -v is confirming this [--disable-checking]). 
How can I recompile gcc or downloading an rpm where --enable-checking is
activated? 
I don't want to use the method of gcc.gnu.org, I don't understand any
thing! ;o)

Thanks a lot! 

Greetz from Belgium