I'm setting up a Linux box (Red Hat 8), and I'd like to use the latest version of GCC/GNU MAKE rather than the version that comes on the install CDs. I've tried a couple ways to do this, but haven't had any success. The first thing I tried was installing RH8 as normal, then I downloaded the source for the latest GCC, and built/installed the new version on top on the already installed compiler. With this setup, not only was I not able to compile any new programs, most of my installed software (including X-Windows) failed to run at all. I formatted the thing and went on to plan B. This time, I didn't install any development tools going through the Red Hat installer, thinking that I would set up GCC without an older version to conflict with. Problem: it seems MAKE and GCC are required to build GCC, and GCC is necessary to create MAKE. As such, I was stuck with no way to even compile GCC, let alone test it. So now I'm asking the folks who know more about this stuff than I do. Personally, I would prefer to do something along the line of my plan B: install GCC/MAKE without any conflicting with previous versions. I've seen mention of "cross compilers" on a few sites i found Googling, but I have no idea what those are or what to do with them. What's the best way to get the latest GCC on a system with no development tools? And, looking ahead, once I have this set up, what's the best way to upgrade my compiler without screwing up existing software? Thanks in advance for any help.
