Need *already compiled* GCC for XP

[Peahippo]

I've a hankering to get some simple functions done on my banking network (usually powered by Windows NT/2K servers, with Windows XP clients in the main office, and 95 or NT clients in the branches). These simple functions are entirely on the order of remote examination ... basically looking at the registry entries, free disk space, etc. of machines on the network. I can see the need to do this because of the annoying misunderstandings that can naturally happen, resulting in arriving at a bank branch with the wrong replacement computer, etc.

So, I'm looking for an already compiled version of GCC that I can plop on my XP machine (I have the privileges to do so), so I can take advantage of some functions (shown here:

http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/security/library/s-regacc.html?dwzone=security)

and get exactly what I want done.

(As long as I can run the resulting prog from a command line, I'll be happy, and maybe the thing can be carried around on a floppy.)

Where do I obtain such a beast? I surfed to the Bloodshed site (

http://www.bloodshed.net/devcpp.html)

but wasn't sure I'd be able to get the Intel-and-XP-compatible executables ... Dev-c++ seems to just be libraries. Is there an executable GCC available for Windows XP?

 

[Peahippo]

I surfed a bit more at home and decided to investigate Cygwin more closely.

It appears that Cygwin will work for me, and I installed it onto a Win98 computer at home. The environment depends upon Cygwin's DLL which acts as a translating layer between the Windows OS and the GNU programs and shells. I now start it up and get a bash shell window, where I can run GNU commands all I desire. It also allows Unix and Microsoft API calls, and the usage seems almost transparent.

GCC came in its own package, and once un-tar'd I was presented with my holy grail ... gcc.exe. W00t!

I'm a bit leery of using Cygwin on my XP machine at work, considering the security concerns (read: paranoia) that I must have on a daily basis. Heck, we just got done chasing the Deborm virus off our network. It looks like I'll have to program up my machine-snooper on my home network (the ICS-based thing I laughably call a "network&quot and take in the resulting executable to try on my XP machine. That'll also keep me free from the Program Gestapo who run a validation tool on each machine that looks for unapproved software.

 

[Kalisto]

As an alternative to Cygwin, you could have looked at DJGPP, which has windows libraries for it.

 

[damunzy]

Peahippo,

I have had good luck using Dev-C++ on my XP system at home and on my 2000 system at work. I believe the compiler, which is gcc, is a bit slower than Visual Studio, but the price is right! Also, Dev-C++ has a bin directory that contains gcc.exe so you can use command line also if you wish.

Kalisto,
I never had much luck with DJGPP running on my XP system.

 

[jstreich]

DJGPP is better off than Cygwin, and that is where I'd suggest you look. A link to it can be found from GNU's website gnu.org ... It's still shaky with XP though. If it doesn't have to gcc, then you may want to look into Borland or Dev-C++...

 

[bevkpope]

Windows Developer Magazine has benchmarking article in their Fall 2003 issue (comparing C/C++/C#/D Languages performance). They mentioned a free Digital Mars compiler at

http://www.digitalmars.com/

I've not looked at that compiler, so I don't know anything about it or whether it could be a replacement for GNU C++.