./configure command

[Michael Hennebry]

yum gcc
will probably get gcc,
but not necessarily one the OP needs.
If they are there, he is going to
need to find the options that will
build a cross-compiler.
If they are not there,
he will have to compile from source.
Since he does not now have a compiler,
yum gcc
will still be necessary for
building the cross-compiler.
If he needs a cross-compiler
for a new-fangled machine,
he will need to do more than
just select options,
he will need to teach
gcc the instruction set of
the new-fangled machine.
Once he has built his new compiler,
he will probably need to compile a new
set of standard libraries to go with it.

About ./configure and make:

Performing ./configure and make as an
ordinary user is probably safe enough.
It's doing the make install as root
that has the potential for trouble.
My first thought in this regard
is to determine whether one really
wants the software installed as
as system software.  If not,
something like
make prefix=$HOME/verylocal install
will probably do the trick.
One does not have to become root.
If one does want the software
installed as system software,
do some testing first.
Edit Makefile,
removing any .SILENT targets.
As an ordinary user,
make -n prefix=/opt 'CP=cp -i' install 2>&1 | tee makeno.out
Examine maken.out to check whether something that
one does not want overwritten will be overwritten.
One might want to grep the patterns CP.*-f and cp.*-f .
As root perform similarly:
make -n prefix=/opt 'CP=cp -i' install 2>&1 | tee makenr.out
diff makeno.out makenr.out
Unless the chatter includes times,
there should be no difference.
If there is a difference, note the reasons.
Once satisfied that doing so is harmless,
make prefix=/opt 'CP=cp -i' install 2>&1 | tee maker.out

Package management is most useful on system
software that is used by other system software.
On software on top of the food chain it's not as useful,
though it's not necessarily useless.


-- 
Mike   hennebry at web.cs.ndsu.NoDak.edu
"Demons after money?
Whatever happened to the still-beating heart of a virgin?
No one has any standards any more."                    --  Rupert Giles