Thread: Problems with MinGW

Im trying to do a tutorial and it says to install MinGW to use GCC. I have installed minGW to my external hdd and also to my internal hdd.
The tutorial says that i must add the compiler to the PATH environmental variables so i can run it better in cmd.
Im adding "c:\mingw\bin" (without the quotes) to the end of the my path variable. But when i run cmd and type in "gcc" like the tutorial saysim getting this message:
" 'gcc' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file."

The tutorial says that if an error message comes up, to repeat the step. However, i have followed the step 5 times and the same message comes up.
Should i use a different compiler? do all compilers run in the Command line or CMD?
im really confused because im just starting out, like a previous post of mine has stated already.
Thanks for any help.

1. Make sure c:\mingw\bin is where your gcc executable lives.

2. At your command prompt, type "echo %PATH%" (without quotes, natch) and make sure it's what you want it to be. You should see lots of folders separated by semicolons.

Okay thanks, i will try those and will reply with an update
thank you

Okay, i have replaced the c:\mingw\bin with F:\Software\GNU Compiler Collection\MinGW, which is the location of the compiler on my external hard drive and still it comes up with the message saying it isnt an executional program :|
Are there any other compilers i can run using the cmd or command line (not sure :P )

Is there a gcc.exe exactly in the directory F:\Software\GNU Compiler Collection\MinGW? Not in a subdirectory (like \bin) of that directory? (Subdirectories don't count, in a path.)

I trust you looked at your path after you started cmd to verify.

No, theres only subs and in the Bin directory theres a few application programs but none of them work. They bring up cmd for like half a second.
And i looked at the path when the tutorial told me to edit it, then went to the cmd to see if it worked.

So first: if gcc.exe is in the bin subdirectory, then that's what you have to use in your path. Humor me: show me the output of "echo %PATH%" from your cmd.

Second: There's "a few" application programs in bin? I have 59 .exe files in my MinGW\bin directory, and while some of them are "extra" (like g77) I would think you had better have more than "a few". Also, if you don't give them an input file they are not happy programs, so clicking them may not give you much effect.

How do i show you the output? :P
i mean, ive entered "echo %PATH%" but how do i get that on here?

C:\Users\Corey>echo %PATH%
%CommonProgramFiles%\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live;C:\Windows\system32;C:\Window
s;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Roxio Shared\10.0\DLLSh
ared\;c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\;c:\Program Files\Mic
rosoft SQL Server\100\DTS\Binn\;C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTSystem\F:\Software\
GNU Compiler Collection\MinGW

So when we say "you need to use the bin subdirectory" that means you need to use the bin subdirectory. When we say "you need semicolons between your directories" that means you need to use semicolons between the subdirectories. Go back to your instructions, find the semicolon that you have ignored up to now, and use it. The end of your path needs to look like

C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTSystem;C:\MinGW\bin

Make it happen.

You could type: "path > path.txt"
(without quotes), then,
open path.txt file with notepad and do a cut'n'paste.

Ahh, thank you. Sorry for such a newbie mistake, i'll pay more attention next time. Thank you.

If you were following my guide let me know, and let me know what part confused you so I can make sure others don't make the same mistake.