Clang: Error: No Such File or Directory

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Level 1

2 points

Clang: Error: No Such File or Directory

Hello Mac Communities,

I have recently installed Xcode 6.1.1, but currently just want to compile C files. I would like some help with a rather irritating error.

Here are the commands I try and their results.

command: gcc -c /Users/(my username)/Documents/C/helloworlddot1.c

result: error: no such file or directory: filename.c

or, after filename is changed to helloworld00.c;

command: ]gcc -c /Users/(my username)/Documents/c/helloworld00.c

result: (no text is displayed) The file helloworld00.o is created

That seemed to work for the moment, until I tried to compile/convert the machine code into a program:

command: gcc -c /Users/(my username)/Documents/c/helloworld00.o

result: clang: error: no input files

...which is weird.

Can anyone help with this?

P.S. Is this the best community to post this type of thing to?

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1), null

Posted on Jan 24, 2015 5:31 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

etresoft

Level 8

46,098 points

Jan 24, 2015 6:00 PM in response to Lvk3

You can work entirely in Xcode by using the command-line tool template in C. Xcode > File > New > Project > Command-Line Tool > Next > Language: C > Next > Create.

If you do want to work on the command line, you may as well just use the "clang" program instead. The "gcc" tool is just a compatibility tool for existing scripts that are expecting the actual "gcc" program. Apple hasn't used the real "gcc" for years. (Read up on the GPLv3 for more information.)

The gcc/clang arguments are the same. The "-c" flag instructs the compiler to only compile a single .c file into a .o object file. It won't create an executable. If you are only compiling a single source file, just omit the "-c" flag and the compiler will create an executable named "a.out" that you can run by typing "./a.out". You can specify "-o <executable name>" if you want to specify a name. Once you get more than a handful of source files, using the terminal starts to become a hassle. At that point, you definitely want to start using Xcode.

I'm not sure why you would try to compile "helloworlddot1.c" and then get an error message about "filename.c". Something else is wrong.

If you are working in the Terminal, it is easiest to use the "cd" command to move into the same directory as your source files. Then you don't have to keep typing the full path.

It is hard to say what the "best" community is. There are many to choose from.

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Answer 2

Lvk3 Author

Level 1

2 points

Jan 25, 2015 7:25 AM in response to etresoft

The "helloworlddot1" and :filename" thing is a mistake when I was typing this question; I was using generic examples, then decided to just use the actual file names. Sorry for the confusion. Everything else was excellent advice.

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Answer 3

Lvk3 Author

Level 1

2 points

Jan 26, 2015 8:21 PM in response to etresoft

I will try your solution. Thanks for all the help.

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