Linux .C Src File Question

[N3WGUY002]

I am using Mandrake Linux 9.0 and I have like all the workstation packages installed. Anyways, I need to know how to run .c files in Linux. I understand that they need compiled first into machine code that the cpu can read, and then linked and made into executables or whatever. Anyways, assuming that I had a file called "test.c" in my /home/usr directory............ what would the steps in order be to successfully do all of the above. Also, do I do this in a term like "X" or from bash or what ? Some guy told me over MIRC to do this:

gcc -o "test" "test.c"

and go from there or whatever ? Could someone be kind enough to give me the actual working steps of running a single source .c file ? Thanx.

Adam

[rcgreen]

Yes, if you had a c source file named test.c, then you
type the command:

gcc -o "test" "test.c"

and the compiler will (if all goes well), create an executable
program with the name "test". You then run the program by
typing ./test . It is necessary to preceed the name with "./"
(dot slash) unless the file is in a directory that is named
in the path environment variable.

BTW, there is a command by the name of "test" already
on your system, so it would be best not to use it as a name
for any of your own creations.