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Idea #8867: Remove GCC or install build-essential

Written by Eldmannen the 20 May 08 at 20:42. Category: Others. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Ubuntu 8.04 comes with the GCC compiler but without the 'build-essentials' metapackage.
This makes GCC useless; its not even possible to compile a simple "Hello world" program.

Either have GCC not installed by default or have the 'build-essential' metapackage installed by default so that GCC works.
Tags: gcc

287
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #8867
Written by Eldmannen the 20 May 08 at 20:42.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #8867 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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holizz wrote on the 21 May 08 at 00:07
I agree. build-essential is one of the first things I install.

gQuigs wrote on the 21 May 08 at 00:17
I agree. Remove gcc (from default install) :P

Auzy wrote on the 21 May 08 at 01:24
I can see where this is coming from, but I feel that future technologies (like an auto-recompiling module manager, that automatically upgrades modules when installing a new kernel), will need GCC.

So I agree for adding build-essential.


Vadim P. wrote on the 21 May 08 at 01:33
Agree, remove gcc.

ahmadtarek wrote on the 21 May 08 at 07:27
Agree, add build-essential

loonyphoenix wrote on the 21 May 08 at 08:48
Agree, remove gcc. :)

PeterKraus wrote on the 21 May 08 at 11:11
Add build essential.

DanRabbit wrote on the 21 May 08 at 14:09
I say add build essential. Its not like its a huge package, and it can save a couple headaches of going, "what the hell? why can't I compile?"

durand wrote on the 21 May 08 at 15:00
The best thing to do is to add build essential. It can't be that big and its a very important package.

Eldmannen wrote on the 21 May 08 at 16:14
Yeah, I think 'build-essentials' is about 8 megabyte, not sure.
It would be good if it was included.

When GCC was included but not build-essentials, then I tried to compile stuff and it didn't work, and I didn't know why.

Endperform wrote on the 21 May 08 at 16:20
+1 for adding build-essentials

drinkypoo wrote on the 21 May 08 at 16:41
All I know is that I installed from the alternate CD, and was immediately able to compile the nvidia driver.

It says it's not automatically installed, but I certainly didn't install it.

Maybe the nvidia driver will install requirements these days? I had the cdrom in the drive. Shrug.

gcc and build-essentials should be included so that people who have to build drivers can do so.

lattera wrote on the 21 May 08 at 18:27
gcc is included in order to build third-party drivers from source. build-essential may not be needed in mainstream, so don't include it. -1

maybeway36 wrote on the 21 May 08 at 19:04
At least add GNU make if you don't want to get rid of gcc.

Eldmannen wrote on the 21 May 08 at 20:01
lattera,
I was unable to compile helloworld.c on my system with GCC but without build-essential. So I don't see how having GCC included could be used to build third-party drivers from source.

Vadim P. wrote on the 21 May 08 at 20:26
build-essential is like 50mb. Plus, not everybody compiles. At least, they shouldn't on Ubuntu...

shootfast wrote on the 22 May 08 at 05:18
Definitely add build essential. It's a very useful set of tools.

lattera wrote on the 22 May 08 at 14:53
Eldmannen, third-party drivers use kernel headers, not libc's headers. That is why you don't need build-essential installed.

sapwnage wrote on the 26 May 08 at 00:55
Add build-essential. It's probably the first package that I install when I install Ubuntu.

maybeway36 wrote on the 30 May 08 at 19:10
Maybe not build-essential, but just GNU make. dpkg-dev probably isn't necessary.

lavinog wrote on the 1 Jun 08 at 23:00
Ubuntu should not have a bloated default install...There is another OS for that.
If you are going to be compiling you should just know that you need to install build-essential.

Maybe gcc could be made to give a better error message.

saivann (Brainstorm moderator) wrote on the 2 Sep 08 at 15:18
Thanks for your participation.

This idea contains in fact two ideas, so it's not possible for developers to know what people are voting for. If you want to see your vote counts, please write and vote ideas with clearer descriptions.

Ex. idea 4522 for the inclusion of build-essential


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