DJGPP

DJGPP is a free C++ compiler, teh thing which takes what you write and makes it into a program, a .exe file. DJGPP is considered one of the best compilers around, even though it's free, Doom, and Quake by id software were both created in DJGPP.

How to download

Despite this, DJGPP has a confusing setup and download process. Goto http://www.delorie.com/djgpp. This is the main web site for DJGPP. Click on Zip-Picker, let it choose an FTP site for you, choose to build and run programs with djgpp, choose your operating system for the next box, and choose yes to the online documentation question. Check the checkboxes for C, C++, and Assembler, in the next list of check boxes, under Integrated Development Enviroment and Tools Choose RHIDE, then in the drop down list, select no to the gdb debugger. Lastly, check extra document formats, and Allegro, and RSX. Then Click on Tell me which files I need.

The files and setup I just told you are pretty standard, and you shouldn't need much else, so I'd stick to it.
Once you've chosen those files and loaded up the files page, scroll down to where you see all of the links, download all of those files, and unzip them into the same directory(c:\DJGPP is standard), if you don't put them in the same directory it'll mess up, so be sure you do this.
Next you have to add something to your autoexec.bat to tell DJGPP where you put it. Start up notepad and open c:\autoexec.bat, add these lines to the bottom of it:

set DJGPP=C:\DJGPP\DJGPP.ENV

set PATH=C:\DJGPP\BIN;%PATH%

Reboot.

Now, just so you may be able to start exploring if you already know a little C, and to speed up the lesson beginning, you run DJGPP by going to c:\DJGPP\bin, and clicking on rhide.exe.

OK, I know that setup sucked, and it's really annoying and they should write a setup program for it, but I couldn't help that. My lesson should be more fun, I'll be sure to explain how to use DJGPP as well as explaining the C++ language in my lesson. If you have any problems getting it to run, feel free to ask me on IRC.

Xepo, Xepo@aol.com, 4363851