How to install a C compiler

Choose a compiler

GCC and Clang both support standard C. The command is usually gcc or clang; either is suitable for this course.

Install on Linux

Use your distribution's development package, which normally includes a compiler, linker, and standard headers.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential
# Fedora alternative:
sudo dnf group install "Development Tools"

Install on macOS or Windows

On macOS, run xcode-select --install for Clang. On Windows, install MSYS2 and its UCRT64 GCC toolchain, then use the UCRT64 terminal.

# macOS:
xcode-select --install

# MSYS2 UCRT64 terminal:
pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gcc

Verify the installation

Open a new terminal and print the compiler version. A version banner confirms that the executable is on your PATH.

gcc --version
# or:
clang --version