4.4. GNU Compiler Toolchain (UNIX And UNIX-like Platforms)
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## 4.4. GNU Compiler Toolchain (UNIX And UNIX-like Platforms)

### 4.4.1. gcc (GNU Compiler Collection)

The GCC C compiler is available for most UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems.

If GCC isn’t already installed or available as a package for your platform, you can get it at: https://gcc.gnu.org/.

After correct installation, typing at the bash command line prompt:

    $ gcc --version

should result in something like

    gcc (Ubuntu 4.9.1-16ubuntu6) 4.9.1
    Copyright (C) 2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
    warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Your version string may vary, of course.

### 4.4.2. gdb (GNU Project Debugger)

GDB is the debugger for the GCC compiler. It is available for many (if not all) UNIX-like platforms.

If you don’t like debugging using the command line, many GUI frontends for it available, including Qt Creator, CLion, and Eclipse.

If gdb isn’t already installed or available as a package for your platform, you can get it at: https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/gdb.html.

After correct installation:

    $ gdb --version

should result in something like:

    GNU gdb (GDB) 8.3
    Copyright (C) 2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
    This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
    There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Your version string may vary, of course.

### 4.4.3. make (GNU Make)

| GNU make isn’t supported either for Windows
GNU Make is available for most of the UNIX-like platforms.

If GNU Make isn’t already installed or available as a package for your platform, you can get it at: https://www.gnu.org/software/make/.

After correct installation:

    $ make --version

should result in something like:

    GNU Make 4.0
    Built for x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
    Copyright (C) 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    Licence GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
    This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
    There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Your version string may vary, of course.

### 4.4.4. Ninja

Ninja is an alternative to make, and is available for many of the UNIX-like platforms. It runs builds faster than make does.

It is designed to have its build files generated by tools such as CMake; to generate build files for Ninja, run CMake with the `-G Ninja` flag.

If Ninja isn’t already installed, see the list of suggestions for Ninja packages at: https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja/wiki/Pre-built-Ninja-packages.

If Ninja isn’t already installed and isn’t available as a package for your platform, you can get it from: https://ninja-build.org. You can download the source code or binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows (we have not tested Ninja on Windows).

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