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# Installing GCC

## Installation of GCC

Install GCC by running the following commands:

> `mkdir $LFS/usr/src/gcc-build &&`
> `cd $LFS/usr/src/gcc-build &&`
> `../gcc-2.95.2.1/configure --prefix=/usr \`
> `--enable-languages=c,c++ --disable-nls \`
> `--disable-shared &&`
> `make -e LDFLAGS=-static bootstrap &&`
> `make prefix=$LFS/usr install &&`
> `cd $LFS/lib &&`
> `ln -s ../usr/bin/cpp &&`
> `cd $LFS/usr/lib &&`
> `ln -s ../bin/cpp &&`
> `cd $LFS/usr/bin &&`
> `ln -s gcc cc`

## Command explanations

`--enable-languages=c,c++:` This only builds the C and C++ compilers and not the other available compilers as they are, on the average, not often used. If those other compilers are needed, the --enable-languages parameter can be omitted.

`ln -s ../usr/bin/cpp:` This creates the $LFS/lib/cpp symlink. Some packages explicitly try to find cpp in /lib.

`ln -s ../bin/cpp:` This creates the $LFS/usr/lib/cpp symlink as there are packages that expect cpp to be in /usr/lib.

## Contents

The GCC package contains compilers, preprocessors and the GNU C++ Library.

## Description

### Compiler

A compiler translates source code in text format to a format that a computer understands. After a source code file is compiled into an object file, a linker will create an executable file from one or more of these compiler generated object files.

### Preprocessor

A preprocessor pre-processes a source file, such as including the contents of header files into the source file. It's a good idea to not do this manually to save a lot of time. Someone just inserts a line like #include <filename>. The preprocessor inserts the contents of that file into the source file. That's one of the things a preprocessor does.

### C++ Library

The C++ library is used by C++ programs. The C++ library contains functions that are frequently used in C++ programs. This way the programmer doesn't have to write certain functions (such as writing a string of text to the screen) from scratch every time he creates a program.

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