How to Install GCC on Linux: A Practical Engineer’s Guide

No Linux development node is fully functional without GCC. Whether building bespoke software, troubleshooting legacy binaries, or bootstrapping tools for continuous integration, the GNU Compiler Collection remains an essential component.

Scenario: You’re tasked with compiling a modern C++ application on Ubuntu 22.04 or provisioning a CentOS 7 staging host for automated build pipelines. Is gcc already present, and is the version sufficient? Let’s check and, if needed, install (and test) GCC with minimal disruption.

Quick Check: Is GCC Already Present?

Seasoned engineers rarely skip the initial check:

gcc --version

Expected:

gcc (Ubuntu 11.4.0-1ubuntu1~22.04) 11.4.0
...

No output or "command not found"?
Plan for install; the system isn’t ready for C-family software builds.

Installation: Major Linux Distributions

Installation is invariably tied to system package managers. Each brings subtle differences.

Ubuntu/Debian

1. Synchronize package index (always safe; outdated indexes often cause 404s):

   sudo apt update
   

2. Install build-essential (not just gcc; brings g++, make, headers):

   sudo apt install build-essential
   

   • To install just GCC:
     sudo apt install gcc

   Gotcha:
   Fresh minimal containers may lack basic build tooling—using only gcc may leave out libc6-dev and make.

3. Verify:

   gcc --version
   

   • Confirm major version:
     gcc-10 or higher is recommended for modern codebases using C++17+.

Fedora

Fedora’s process is direct. For C/C++:

sudo dnf install gcc gcc-c++

• Group install for build environments:

  sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"
  

  This installs make, gdb, and other critical build tools, not merely the C/C++ compilers.

CentOS / RHEL

CentOS 7 and up (including Stream and RHEL variants) often default to older compiler versions—somewhat risky for new codebases. Still, for “stock” installs:

sudo yum groupinstall "Development Tools"

or, on newer releases:

sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"

• Note:
  On CentOS 7, default GCC is v4.8—ancient by modern standards. For contemporary C++ projects (e.g., requiring C++17), activate Software Collections (scl) or consider devtoolset:

  sudo yum install centos-release-scl
  sudo yum install devtoolset-11-gcc devtoolset-11-gcc-c++
  scl enable devtoolset-11 bash
  

Sanity Test: Compile a Program

Create and compile a trivial “Hello, world” (save as hello.c):

#include <stdio.h>
int main() { printf("Hello, World\n"); return 0; }

Build:

gcc -Wall -O2 hello.c -o hello

• -Wall enables common warnings (miss them and common bugs remain hidden)
• -O2 is typical for production-grade builds; omit for debugging

Run:

./hello

Expected:

Hello, World

Troubleshooting & Side Notes

• Known issue:
  Sometimes apt installations, especially in Docker, produce temporary DNS resolution problems—retry or use a mirror.

• Alternative:
  For version pinning or reproducibility, consider containers (e.g., gcc:latest from Docker Hub).

Closing Thoughts

GCC installation is routine—but details matter. Distributions differ; minimal setups require extra awareness. Always validate version, and don’t neglect the rest of the toolchain.

For persistent build environments or CI/CD, freeze compiler versions to avoid subtle build regressions.

Practical tip:
For one-off, isolated compiles, the official GCC Docker image saves time:

docker run --rm -v "$PWD":/src -w /src gcc:13 bash -c "gcc -o hello hello.c"

Further questions or notes on toolchain quirks? Capture practical findings before moving on. No two environments are exactly alike.