To add GCC to the path in Linux, you can follow these steps:
1. Open the terminal window: In most Linux distributions, you can open the terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for “Terminal” in the applications menu.
2. Check if GCC is already installed: Before adding GCC to the path, it’s a good idea to check if it’s already installed on your system. You can do this by typing the following command in the terminal: `gcc –version`. If GCC is installed, you will see the version information. If not, you will need to install it before proceeding.
3. Find the path to GCC: Once you have confirmed that GCC is installed, you need to find the path to the GCC executable. You can do this by using the `which` command. Type the following command in the terminal: `which gcc`. This will display the path to the GCC executable.
4. Edit the .bashrc file: To add the GCC path to the system’s PATH variable, you need to edit the .bashrc file. This file is located in your home directory. You can open it for editing using a text editor like nano or vim. Type the following command in the terminal to open the .bashrc file: `nano ~/.bashrc`.
5. Add the GCC path to the PATH variable: In the .bashrc file, go to the end of the file and add the following line:
“`
Export PATH=”/path/to/gcc:$PATH”
“`
Replace “/path/to/gcc” with the actual path to the GCC executable that you obtained in step 3. For example, if the path is “/usr/bin/gcc”, the line would be:
“`
Export PATH=”/usr/bin/gcc:$PATH”
“`
6. Save and exit the .bashrc file: After adding the line, save the changes by pressing Ctrl+O, and then exit the editor by pressing Ctrl+X.
7. Update the PATH variable: To make the changes take effect, you need to update the PATH variable in the current terminal session. Type the following command in the terminal: `source ~/.bashrc`. This will reload the .bashrc file and update the PATH variable.
8. Verify the GCC installation: To verify that GCC has been added to the path successfully, you can type `gcc –version` again in the terminal. If the installation was successful, you should see the GCC version information.
That’s it! You have successfully added GCC to the path in Linux. Now you can use GCC from any directory in the terminal without specifying the full path to the executable.
Note: The steps mentioned above assume a basic understanding of the Linux command line. If you are new to Linux, it’s recommended to follow a tutorial or seek assistance to ensure a smooth process.
Personal experience: I have been using Linux for several years, and adding software to the path is a common task when working with the command line. I have often used the above steps to add GCC to the path on various Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, and CentOS. It has always worked well for me, allowing me to compile and run C/C++ programs from any directory without hassle.