MSYS SDL-2.0 "C compiler cannot create executables"

Question

I'm trying to use MSYS to create the MinGW SDL libraries from the latest SDL 2.0 Mercurial repository. (As of this posting.) I'm following this tutorial, and when I need to configure using MSYS I enter

$ ./configure --prefix=/mingw --enable-stdio-redirect=no

into MSYS. It sputters out the following:

configure: WARNING: Libtool does not cope well with whitespace in `pwd`
checking build system type... i686-pc-mingw32
checking host system type... i686-pc-mingw32
checking for gcc... gcc
checking for C compiler default output file name... 
configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables
See `config.log' for more details.

I'm using gcc version 2.95 (According to "gcc -v"), the latest MSYS/MSYS-dtk, and the latest SDL 2.0 Mercurial sources. Does anyone know why MSYS might be giving me this error, or has anybody successfully built MinGW binaries from the current SDL 2.0 sources?

EDIT: Here's the config.log file generated by ./config:

This file contains any messages produced by compilers while
running configure, to aid debugging if configure makes a mistake.

It was created by configure, which was
generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61.  Invocation command line was

  $ ./configure --prefix=/mingw --enable-stdio-redirect=no

## --------- ##
## Platform. ##
## --------- ##

hostname = NFLODUDE
uname -m = i686
uname -r = 1.0.10(0.46/3/2)
uname -s = MINGW32_NT-6.1
uname -v = 2004-03-15 07:17

/usr/bin/uname -p = unknown
/bin/uname -X     = unknown

/bin/arch              = unknown
/usr/bin/arch -k       = unknown
/usr/convex/getsysinfo = unknown
/usr/bin/hostinfo      = unknown
/bin/machine           = unknown
/usr/bin/oslevel       = unknown
/bin/universe          = unknown

PATH: .
PATH: /usr/local/bin
PATH: /mingw/bin
PATH: /bin
PATH: /c/Python25/
PATH: /c/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Windows Live
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Windows Live
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft DirectX SDK (August 2007)/Utilities/Bin/x86
PATH: /c/Perl/site/bin
PATH: /c/Perl/bin
PATH: /c/Windows/system32
PATH: /c/Windows
PATH: /c/Windows/System32/Wbem
PATH: /c/Windows/System32/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0/
PATH: /c/Program Files/Dell/Dell Wireless WLAN Card
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/OpenLibraries/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files/Trend Micro/AMSP
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/MySQL/MySQL Server 5.5/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Java/jdk1.6.0_23/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft ASP.NET/ASP.NET Web Pages/v1.0/
PATH: /c/Program Files/MySQL/MySQL Server 5.5/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft SQL Server/100/Tools/Binn/
PATH: /c/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server/100/Tools/Binn/
PATH: /c/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server/100/DTS/Binn/
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Java/jdk1.6.0_23/bin
PATH: /c/perl_op/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/gtk2/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/mlt/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/OpenLibraries/bin
PATH: /c/Windows/SysWOW64
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Windows Live/Shared
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/GtkSharp/2.12/bin
PATH: .
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/QuickTime/QTSystem/
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Google/google_appengine
PATH: /c/Free Pascal Compiler/2.4.4/bin/i386-Win32
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Heroku
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/git/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/git/cmd
PATH: /c/PHP/
PATH: /c/PHP/ext
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/CMake 2.8/bin
PATH: /c/Users/Owner/Documents/Code Projects/Java Projects/LWJGL/lwjgl-2.8.3/native/windows
PATH: /c/Program Files/TortoiseGit/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files/TortoiseHg/
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft SDKs/Windows/v7.0A/Bin
PATH: /c/Ruby193/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Java/jdk1.6.0_23/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/g95/bin
PATH: /c/MinGW/bin
PATH: /c/Program Files (x86)/Nmap
PATH: /c/GNUstep/bin


## ----------- ##
## Core tests. ##
## ----------- ##

configure:2098: WARNING: Libtool does not cope well with whitespace in `pwd`
configure:2127: checking build system type
configure:2145: result: i686-pc-mingw32
configure:2167: checking host system type
configure:2182: result: i686-pc-mingw32
configure:2252: checking for gcc
configure:2268: found /c/Free Pascal Compiler/2.4.4/bin/i386-Win32/gcc
configure:2279: result: gcc
configure:2517: checking for C compiler version
configure:2524: gcc --version >&5
2.95
configure:2527: $? = 0
configure:2534: gcc -v >&5
Using builtin specs.
gcc version 2.95 19990728 (release)
configure:2537: $? = 0
configure:2544: gcc -V >&5
gcc.exe: argument to `-V' is missing
configure:2547: $? = 1
configure:2570: checking for C compiler default output file name
configure:2597: gcc    conftest.c  >&5
Usage: cpp [switches] input output
Switches:
  -include <file>           Include the contents of <file> before other files
  -imacros <file>           Accept definition of marcos in <file>
  -iprefix <path>           Specify <path> as a prefix for next two options
  -iwithprefix <dir>        Add <dir> to the end of the system include paths
  -iwithprefixbefore <dir>  Add <dir> to the end of the main include paths
  -isystem <dir>            Add <dir> to the start of the system include paths
  -idirafter <dir>          Add <dir> to the end of the system include paths
  -I <dir>                  Add <dir> to the end of the main include paths
  -nostdinc                 Do not search the system include directories
  -nostdinc++               Do not search the system include directories for C++
  -o <file>                 Put output into <file>
  -pedantic                 Issue all warnings demanded by strict ANSI C
  -traditional              Follow K&R pre-processor behaviour
  -trigraphs                Support ANSI C trigraphs
  -lang-c                   Assume that the input sources are in C
  -lang-c89                 Assume that the input is C89; deprecated
  -lang-c++                 Assume that the input sources are in C++
  -lang-objc                Assume that the input sources are in ObjectiveC
  -lang-objc++              Assume that the input sources are in ObjectiveC++
  -lang-asm                 Assume that the input sources are in assembler
  -lang-chill               Assume that the input sources are in Chill
  -std=<std name>           Specify the conformance standard; one of:
                            gnu89, gnu9x, c89, c9x, iso9899:1990,
                            iso9899:199409, iso9899:199x
  -+                        Allow parsing of C++ style features
  -w                        Inhibit warning messages
  -Wtrigraphs               Warn if trigraphs are encountered
  -Wno-trigraphs            Do not warn about trigraphs
  -Wcomment{s}              Warn if one comment starts inside another
  -Wno-comment{s}           Do not warn about comments
  -Wtraditional             Warn if a macro argument is/would be turned into
                             a string if -traditional is specified
  -Wno-traditional          Do not warn about stringification
  -Wundef                   Warn if an undefined macro is used by #if
  -Wno-undef                Do not warn about testing undefined macros
  -Wimport                  Warn about the use of the #import directive
  -Wno-import               Do not warn about the use of #import
  -Werror                   Treat all warnings as errors
  -Wno-error                Do not treat warnings as errors
  -Wall                     Enable all preprocessor warnings
  -M                        Generate make dependencies
  -MM                       As -M, but ignore system header files
  -MD                       As -M, but put output in a .d file
  -MMD                      As -MD, but ignore system header files
  -MG                       Treat missing header file as generated files
  -g                        Include #define and #undef directives in the output
  -D<macro>                 Define a <macro> with string '1' as its value
  -D<macro>=<val>           Define a <macro> with <val> as its value
  -A<question> (<answer>)   Assert the <answer> to <question>
  -U<macro>                 Undefine <macro> 
  -u or -undef              Do not predefine any macros
  -v                        Display the version number
  -H                        Print the name of header files as they are used
  -C                        Do not discard comments
  -dM                       Display a list of macro definitions active at end
  -dD                       Preserve macro definitions in output
  -dN                       As -dD except that only the names are preserved
  -dI                       Include #include directives in the output
  -ifoutput                 Describe skipped code blocks in output 
  -P                        Do not generate #line directives
  -$                        Do not include '$' in identifiers
  -remap                    Remap file names when including files.
  -h or --help              Display this information
cpp: Too many arguments
configure:2600: $? = 1
configure:2638: result: 
configure: failed program was:
| /* confdefs.h.  */
| #define PACKAGE_NAME ""
| #define PACKAGE_TARNAME ""
| #define PACKAGE_VERSION ""
| #define PACKAGE_STRING ""
| #define PACKAGE_BUGREPORT ""
| #define _GNU_SOURCE 1
| /* end confdefs.h.  */
| 
| int
| main ()
| {
| 
|   ;
|   return 0;
| }
configure:2645: error: C compiler cannot create executables
See `config.log' for more details.

## ---------------- ##
## Cache variables. ##
## ---------------- ##

ac_cv_build=i686-pc-mingw32
ac_cv_env_CCC_set=
ac_cv_env_CCC_value=
ac_cv_env_CC_set=
ac_cv_env_CC_value=
ac_cv_env_CFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_CFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_CPPFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_CPPFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_CPP_set=
ac_cv_env_CPP_value=
ac_cv_env_CXXCPP_set=
ac_cv_env_CXXCPP_value=
ac_cv_env_CXXFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_CXXFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_CXX_set=
ac_cv_env_CXX_value=
ac_cv_env_LDFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_LDFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_LIBS_set=
ac_cv_env_LIBS_value=
ac_cv_env_XMKMF_set=
ac_cv_env_XMKMF_value=
ac_cv_env_build_alias_set=
ac_cv_env_build_alias_value=
ac_cv_env_host_alias_set=
ac_cv_env_host_alias_value=
ac_cv_env_target_alias_set=
ac_cv_env_target_alias_value=
ac_cv_host=i686-pc-mingw32
ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_CC=gcc

## ----------------- ##
## Output variables. ##
## ----------------- ##

ALLOCA=''
ALSA_CFLAGS=''
ALSA_LIBS=''
AR=''
ARTSCONFIG=''
AS=''
BUILD_CFLAGS=''
BUILD_LDFLAGS=''
CC='gcc'
CFLAGS=''
CPP=''
CPPFLAGS=''
CXX=''
CXXCPP=''
CXXFLAGS=''
DEFS=''
DIRECTFBCONFIG=''
DLLTOOL=''
DSYMUTIL=''
DUMPBIN=''
ECHO_C=''
ECHO_N='-n'
ECHO_T=''
EGREP=''
ENABLE_SHARED_FALSE=''
ENABLE_SHARED_TRUE=''
ENABLE_STATIC_FALSE=''
ENABLE_STATIC_TRUE=''
ESD_CFLAGS=''
ESD_CONFIG=''
ESD_LIBS=''
EXEEXT=''
EXTRA_CFLAGS=''
EXTRA_LDFLAGS=''
FGREP=''
GREP=''
INCLUDE=''
INSTALL_DATA=''
INSTALL_PROGRAM=''
INSTALL_SCRIPT=''
LD=''
LDFLAGS=''
LIBOBJS=''
LIBS=''
LIBTOOL=''
LIPO=''
LN_S=''
LTLIBOBJS=''
LT_AGE=''
LT_CURRENT=''
LT_RELEASE=''
LT_REVISION=''
NM=''
NMEDIT=''
OBJDUMP=''
OBJECTS=''
OBJEXT=''
OTOOL64=''
OTOOL=''
PACKAGE_BUGREPORT=''
PACKAGE_NAME=''
PACKAGE_STRING=''
PACKAGE_TARNAME=''
PACKAGE_VERSION=''
PATH_SEPARATOR=':'
PKG_CONFIG=''
POW_LIB=''
RANLIB=''
SDLMAIN_OBJECTS=''
SDL_BINARY_AGE='0'
SDL_CFLAGS=''
SDL_INTERFACE_AGE='0'
SDL_LIBS=''
SDL_MAJOR_VERSION='2'
SDL_MICRO_VERSION='0'
SDL_MINOR_VERSION='0'
SDL_RLD_FLAGS=''
SDL_STATIC_LIBS=''
SDL_VERSION='2.0.0'
SED=''
SET_MAKE=''
SHELL='/bin/sh'
STRIP=''
VERSION_OBJECTS=''
WINDRES=''
XMKMF=''
X_CFLAGS=''
X_EXTRA_LIBS=''
X_LIBS=''
X_PRE_LIBS=''
ac_aux_dir='build-scripts'
ac_ct_CC='gcc'
ac_ct_CXX=''
ac_ct_DUMPBIN=''
bindir='${exec_prefix}/bin'
build='i686-pc-mingw32'
build_alias=''
build_cpu='i686'
build_os='mingw32'
build_vendor='pc'
datadir='${datarootdir}'
datarootdir='${prefix}/share'
docdir='${datarootdir}/doc/${PACKAGE}'
dvidir='${docdir}'
exec_prefix='NONE'
host='i686-pc-mingw32'
host_alias=''
host_cpu='i686'
host_os='mingw32'
host_vendor='pc'
htmldir='${docdir}'
includedir='${prefix}/include'
infodir='${datarootdir}/info'
libdir='${exec_prefix}/lib'
libexecdir='${exec_prefix}/libexec'
localedir='${datarootdir}/locale'
localstatedir='${prefix}/var'
lt_ECHO='echo'
mandir='${datarootdir}/man'
oldincludedir='/usr/include'
pdfdir='${docdir}'
prefix='/mingw'
program_transform_name='s,x,x,'
psdir='${docdir}'
sbindir='${exec_prefix}/sbin'
sharedstatedir='${prefix}/com'
sysconfdir='${prefix}/etc'
target_alias=''

## ----------- ##
## confdefs.h. ##
## ----------- ##

#define PACKAGE_NAME ""
#define PACKAGE_TARNAME ""
#define PACKAGE_VERSION ""
#define PACKAGE_STRING ""
#define PACKAGE_BUGREPORT ""
#define _GNU_SOURCE 1

configure: exit 77

I really don't know what to make of config.log, though...

Can you upgrade? gcc version 2.95 was released in 1999, so it's quite old (probably not related to your question though). — Jesse Good
Did you had a look at the config.log file mentionned at the end of the error ? Can you post the content here ? You should also try to remove all whitespaces in your directory name like the first warning says. — krtek
Just added config.log, but I still don't see any evident weird errors... — Neil Flodin
Do you use AVG antivirus? When I was trying to build SDL earlier today, AVG decided that the test programs created by configure were trojans, and began quarantining them. configure then failed for me with the same error you're getting, until I replaced AVG with another antivirus program. — Josh Townzen

Jarekczek Jarekczek · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-19T14:55:56

Short answer: your gcc is not ready, needs some dependencies.

Long answer, troubleshooting guide:

Create a simple C file, like this:

main() {}

Try to run:

gcc simple.c

You should get the same message, about creating executables. Now make a verbose gcc call, adding -v switch. You should now know what is the command it cannot run. Maybe it is as? Maybe you need binutils? Maybe you need some library.

MSYS SDL-2.0 "C compiler cannot create executables"

1 Answers