Installing C in Ubuntu: An Essential Tool for Developers
C programming language is one of the most popular and powerful languages in the field of computer science. It is the basic language that forms the foundation for learning other programming languages. It is highly efficient and flexible, which makes it a go-to choice for system software like OS kernels, game development, and has several applications in graphic and web design, SEO and other areas. However, first things first, if you want to dive into the compelling world of C programming, particularly in Ubuntu, an open-source operating system, you’ll need to know how to install it. This article got you covered.
Contents
Understanding The Prerequisite: The GCC Compiler
Before installing C, it’s important to better understand some underlying terminologies. One of those is the GCC compiler. The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) is a powerful toolset that supports various programming languages, including C. In the context of C, it converts the human-readable C code into a language that your system understands.
Installing C on Ubuntu: The Step-by-Step Guide
Installing C on Ubuntu is relatively straightforward and barely takes a few commands to get the job done. These steps explicitly explain how to install it.
- First, open your terminal.
- Update and upgrade your system using the commands
sudo apt update
, followed by
sudo apt upgrade
.
- To install build-essential package which includes the gcc compiler, utilize the command
sudo apt install build-essential
.
- Check the installation with
gcc --version
command.
The ‘Hello World’ of C: A Small Program Demonstration
Post installation, it’s customary to write a small “Hello, World!” program to verify the successful installation and experience your first interaction with the language. Here’s how you can do it.
#include<stdio.h>
int main(){
printf("Hello, World!");
return 0;
}
To compile this, save the file with a .c extension, say hello.c, and utilize the command
gcc hello.c
. This compiles the code and creates an executable named ‘a.out’. To run the program, type
./a.out
in the terminal.
The world of C is now open to you and is ready to welcome an array of creations. As with any language or tool, practice is the key to mastering it. While this installation guide sets the stage, the real performance begins with writing, debugging and enhancing code. Happy coding!
