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Install GCC Compiler Collection

This guide explains how to install the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) on Debian-based systems.
GCC is a collection of compilers and libraries for multiple programming languages including C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran, Ada, Go, and D.

These instructions are specifically for Debian and Ubuntu Linux systems using the APT package manager. The examples were tested on Debian 12 (Bookworm) and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

Quick Installation

For a basic installation that includes GCC and essential build tools:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential

The build-essential package includes:

  • GCC (GNU C Compiler)
  • G++ (GNU C++ Compiler)
  • Make
  • Essential build libraries and utilities

Verification

After installation, verify that GCC was installed correctly:

gcc --version

You should see output similar to:

gcc (Debian 12.2.0-14) 12.2.0
Copyright (C) 2022 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Installing Additional Languages

To install compilers for other programming languages:

Fortran:

sudo apt install gfortran

Ada:

sudo apt install gnat

Go:

sudo apt install gccgo

Development Headers

For system development, you might also want to install essential header files:

sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Additional Notes

  • The build-essential package is a meta-package that installs multiple components
  • Some IDEs and development tools may require additional GCC-related packages
  • If you need a specific GCC version, you might need to add additional repositories
  • The installation process requires root privileges (sudo access)

GCC and its components are free software distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

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