How to Install GCC on Ubuntu 26.04

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The default Ubuntu repositories contain a meta-package named build-essential that includes the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), GNU Debugger (GDB), and other development libraries and tools required for compiling software.

Update the System

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First, update your package list and install the required packages:

apt update
apt install build-essential -y

Install GCC Package Dependencies

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Install the additional manual pages for development:

apt install manpages-dev -y

After installation, check the installed version of GCC:

gcc --version

Output:

root@server:~# gcc --version
gcc (Ubuntu 15.2.0-16ubuntu1) 15.2.0
Copyright (C) 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

✅ That's it. GCC and related development tools are now installed on your Ubuntu 26.04 system.

Compiling a basic C or C++ program using GCC is straightforward. Let's create a simple Hello World C program.

Create a new file called hello.c:

nano hello.c

Add the following code:

// hello.c
#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Hello, world!\n");
    return 0;
}

Save and exit the file.

Now compile the program and run it:

gcc -o hello hello.c
./hello

Output:

Hello, world!

🎉 Done! You have successfully installed GCC and compiled your first C program on Ubuntu 26.04.