gcc 3.2

[Eljay Love-Jensen]

Hi Shakeeb,

> I have downloaded the source file gcc-3.2.1.tar but
> when I unpack it and run ./configure i get the
> following error:

Note that "./configure" is not supported, as per the GCC instructions.

http://gcc.gnu.org/install/configure.html

If you've unpacked GCC into:
~/gcc-3.2.1

Create a peer build directory, and run configure from that cwd:
mkdir ~/gcc-3.2.1-build
cd ~/gcc-3.2.1-build
../gcc-3.2.1/configure

Also note all the required components that need to be present to build GCC.

> How do I install without a previous compiler present.

Building GCC requires a compiler be present.  (It's a chicken-and-egg kind
of problem.)

Instead, download a pre-built compiler, and run the installer for that
pre-built GCC.

(A "configure" and "make" is not the same as an "install".)

> I have searched for the binary file but to no avail.

Since you are using Cygwin, isn't there an installable GCC compiler via
Cygwin SETUP.EXE?  If there are different pre-built GCC versions, they
should be selectable through the SETUP interface.

If your target is Cygwin as the platform, use Cygwin's GCC.

Cygwin: http://cygwin.com/

If your target is native Windows as the platform (without requiring the
Cygwin layer), you might want to use MinGW.

MinGW: http://www.mingw.org/

(I think these days Cygwin's GCC can be installed as a hybrid Cygwin /
MinGW, if so desired.  It can target either platform:  Cygwin and it's POSIX
magic-goo CYGWIN.DLL, or native Win32 via MinGW.)

I'm not sure (since I don't use them), but other options on Windows may be
MKS, Interix, or MS-SFU.  I'm not sure if they include a compiler or not;
and if not, whether a compiler is available for those Windows environments.

And finally, another 'nother option is Microsoft's Visual C++ 2008 Express
Edition:
http://www.microsoft.com/express/default.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/

Borland may have a free (or perhaps "free") C++ compiler as well.

HTH,
--Eljay