Help getting started programming in C using Linux.

Question

In the past I have dabbled a bit with c and every once in a while I mess around with some web programming i.e. javascript, xhtml, but now i actually want to start programming for real and I decided to start by learning C seeing as how it is the base for c . Right now I am using Ubuntu Linux and I think that since I am not a very adept Linux user it would be a better learning experience. My problem is that I want to compile the most basic of C programs and I can't because I dont have the C libraries. So when I try to compile a program with "#include <stdio.h>" in it the compiler tells me:

samp.c:1:19: error: stdio.h: No such file or directory

samp.c: In function ‘main’:

samp.c:5: warning: incompatible implicit declaration of built-in function ‘printf’

I am using the gcc complier from the command line, so my question is how do I get the library files necessary to get started programming in C.

Answer 1

Hi

The &#039;stdio.h&#039; file should be in the &#039;/usr/include&#039; directory.

In fact if Linux has been properly installed on your system ALL the include files should be there.

How are you compiling the code?

g++   or cpp or c++ followed by -o (that&#039;s a lower case letter o) followed by the name of the executable file followed by the program file:

E.g.

c++ -o myprog myprog.cpp

will compile and link myprog.cpp into myprog which you will be able to run by just typing ./myprog on the command line.

I hope this is of some help to you

Regards

G

Answer 2

I have a similar story to you. I will study a programming language vigorously for about two weeks then completely lose interest. I do this with spoken languages too.

The list of my attempted languages (computer and spoken).

C

Visual Basic

HTML

Python

German

Esperanto

Italian

I am using Ubuntu as well, I have been using it for about 6 months. I have started to read the beginner courses at Linux.org . While they do get dry, I would suggest reading them, because they will make you a Linux whiz in no time. Also I would suggest learning python before C. It is easier and thus will take less time and also python is compiled by C, so they probably have some similarities.