Newbie trying to install GCC under Linux

Newbie trying to install GCC under Linux

[Richard Dybowski]

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I am trying to install GCC for the very first time, and I am not clear
what to do. The installation is being attempted under Linux 2.2.12 
on an Intel i586 processor.

I have uncompressed gcc-2.95.2.tar.gz in /root/gcctemp and included
/root/gcctemp/gcc-2.95.2/gcc in the "path" statement. What I
want is to have GCC installed in the subdirectory /root/gcc. In
accordance with the instructions given on the page called
"Installing GCC: Configuration"
( http://gcc.gnu.org/install/configure. html ),
I have proceeded as follows from /root:
mkdir gcc
cd gcc
/root/gcctemp/gcc-2.95.2/configure

but all I get is the help message associated with the file
"configure". Nothing else happens. I do not know what to write
for "[target]" and "[options]" after
"configure". I am assuming that /gcc-2.95.2 is meant to be the
source directory and that /gcc is meant to be the object directory, but I
am not sure if this assumption is correct (I cannot find definitions for
the terms "source directory" and "object directory"
anywhere in the GCC web site). Also, the help message for
"configure" refers to "host" and "target"
but I do not understand what these terms mean in the context of a GCC
installation; therefore, I do not know what values to use for these
terms. Is "target" the place where one is trying to install
GCC, and is "object directory" the same as
"target"?

All I want to do is install GCC in the subdirectory /root/gcc . Please
help.

Richard

BTW: I do not have an early version of GCC installed under Linux, but I
understand that EGCS 1.1.2 is available with Red Hat 6.1, which I have.
In order to install GCC 2.95.2, where should I install EGCS 1.1.2?
 

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Richard Dybowski, 143 Village Way, Pinner, Middlesex  HA5 5AA,
UK
Tel (mobile): 079 76 25 00 92