How to Compile a C Program in Ubuntu

Ubuntu, a widely-used distribution of the Linux operating system, provides a conducive environment for software development. For budding developers or those new to the Linux ecosystem, compiling a C program might seem daunting. This article aims to demystify the process, offering a step-by-step guide to compiling and running C programs in Ubuntu.

Detailed Steps to Compile a C Program in Ubuntu

Steps to compile a C program In Ubuntu are:

Writing Your First C Program

• Let’s begin by writing simple C program in a text editor of your choice.
• Save the file with a .c extension to desired location, e.g., hello.c.

// Simple Hello World Program In C

#include <stdio.h>  // Include the standard input/output library.

int main() {
    // This is the main function, where program execution starts.

    // Print a message to the console.
    printf("Hello, World!\n"); // The '\n' represents a newline character.

    // Return 0 to indicate successful execution to the operating system.
    return 0;
}

Checking if GCC is Installed

• Before compiling, it’s crucial to ensure you have the GCC compiler.
• In the terminal, type:

  gcc --version

• If GCC is installed, this command will display its version.
• If not, you’ll need to install it.

A C compiler is a vital tool in software development, responsible for translating human-readable C source code into machine-readable binary code. It not only detects syntax and semantic errors but also optimises code to enhance efficiency and performance, resulting in faster and more reliable software execution.562CD9

Installing the GCC Compiler (if not installed)

• Use the command to install GCC using APT package manager:

  sudo apt install gcc

• This installs the GNU Compiler Collection, which includes the C compiler.

Generating Object File

• Compilation translates the human-readable C code into machine code. So for this, we will use the GCC compiler installed above.
• The command compiles the hello.c file. The -o flag specifies the output file, which in this case is named hello. If no file name is specified for object file, by default object file is created by name a.out.

 gcc -o hello hello.c

• This process generates an object file in the current folder, which is a binary file that can be executed.

Note: In the above command, you need to specify the path to locate a .c file if it is located in a different directory.

Storing the Object File in a Different Location

• Alternatively, you can specify a path along with the name to determine where the compiled object file will be stored.
• For example, if you want to store the object file in a directory named bin, you can use:

  gcc -o bin/hello hello.c

• This will compile hello.c and store the resulting object file hello in the bin directory.
• Ensure the directory exists before compiling, or you’ll receive an error. If it doesn’t exist, you can create it using the command mkdir bin.

Running the Compiled Program

• Post compilation, you can run the program using:

 ./hello

• The ./ prefix indicates that the executable is in the current directory.

Running the Object File from a Different Location

• If you’ve stored the object file in a different directory, you’ll need to navigate to that directory or specify its path when running the file.
• For the above example, from the main directory, you can run the program using:

  ./bin/hello

Key Takeaways

• GCC compiler needs to be installed to compile C programs on Ubuntu. The command gcc --version checks if it’s installed.
• To compile a C program ‘hello.c’, use gcc -o hello hello.c. This generates an executable object file named ‘hello’.
• The -o flag in the GCC command specifies the output file name for the compiled program.
• To run the compiled program, use ./hello if the object file is in the current directory. Use a path like ./bin/hello if the object file is stored elsewhere.
• Compilation converts human-readable C code to machine code (object file) that can then be executed on the OS.

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