UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi all,

I dont have much knowledge about linux, but want to learn.

I have installed Plop linux(PLoP - Home) on USB Flashdrive. I want to install gcc compiler to it. The installation of C compiler ask for make command, which is not found in the distribution. When I tried to install gnu make, it give the message that no C compiler found.
So how to install any one of them without having the other?

Please help me
Thanks in advance

Quote from the PLoP homepage I assume you tried to install both make and gcc from source. Since both are coded in C, they will require an already installed C compiler. Since a rescue disk probably has no package management (which isn't really required as you seldom need to make changes) you're pretty much out of luck here. Your only option would be to unpack the distribution, compile gcc linked against the libraries there, and pack it again.
If you're new to Linux, I'd suggest starting with [Ku,Xu,U]buntu or Mint, or, if you don't want to install anything, Knoppix, since it will let you create a file on a existing drive to use for user data.

"Your only option would be to unpack the distribution, compile gcc linked against the libraries there, and pack it again."

Is it like compiling the gcc on a different linux system with C compiler available, and then copy the object files to Plop linux?

Please explain this to me in little more detail.

Thanks a lot for your reply

Not quite. You'd have to unpack the distribution, compile gcc while making sure that the linker doesn't search in it's default location(s) (usually /usr/lib), but in those of the distribution, while at the same time making sure that the paths for said libraries do not derivate from the running distribution. Also, it's advisable to compile gcc on a system running the same Kernel version as the distribution and is not optimized for an other architecture.
More information can be found on the Linux from Scratch homepage [0][1][2]

Besides, why do you want to use PLoP? As stated on the homepage, it's not really intended for new users but as a rescue disk. Other Live distributions are much more user-friendly, and most even come with a complete development chain.

[0] 5.5.*GCC-4.3.2 - Pass 1
[1] 5.12.*GCC-4.3.2 - Pass 2
[2] 6.14.*GCC-4.3.2

Edit: Quick question: did you even look at the homepage for PLoP? There's a whole entry on adding new software

Thanks for all the info you have given, especially Linux from Scratch.

I found that Plop linux is very small and also support NTFS( read only). But I wanted to add NTFS-3g driver to it adding write support, for which I needed C compiler. No special reason for choosing Plop.

Anyway, now as per your intructions, will try out the things.

Once again, Thanks a lot