[Drifting off-topic...]
In article <7Y************ *************** ***@giganews.co m>,
David T. Ashley <dt*@e3ft.comwr ote:
>b)Microsoft' s Visual C++ has come way down in price (about $120 now, I
think). This might be an option. It will operate in "C only" mode.
Microsoft will even let you use it without charging you for it, if you
choose the right version.
For somebody who's already running Windows and just trying to get started
with a C compiler, this is probably the best choice, though it does take
a little bit of Clue to bludgeon VC++ into submission if you want it to
act like a conforming C compiler.
>c)If you have a spare PC, you can just download Fedora and set up a Linux
box. gcc is automatically part of that.
I believe the usual Linux recommendation is Ubuntu these days.
(Personally, I'd go with one of the BSDs, but that might be a bit on the
new-user-unfriendly side for somebody who's just trying to get started
with C.)
If the OP doesn't mind installing some kind of virtualization software
(also available at no cost if you choose the right package and version),
this can even be done without a spare machine. But that's probably not
worth the effort unless you're looking for more than just a C compiler.
>d)If you can get an account on a *nix machine somewhere, you could always
use a compiler remotely. This might seem awkward, but with Putty or another
terminal emulator you can edit competently ... it works fine.
Perhaps I'm just old-fashioned, but it seems to me that the OP's school
should have a Unix machine in a closet somewhere for exactly this purpose.
It's also worth checking whether the school has suitable software
available to students at no cost.
See also:
http://cpax.org.uk/prg/portable/c/re...#FreeCompilers
dave
--
Dave Vandervies
dj******@csclub .uwaterloo.ca
Thankfully that's beyond the capacities of most spammers
(else they'd be smart enough not to be spammers?).
--Giles Malet in uw.mfcf.gripe
