gcc compiled binaries give "cannot execute binary file"

Question

I compile this program:

#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
    printf("Hello World!");
    return 0;
}

With this command:

  gcc -c "hello.c" -o hello

And when I try to execute hello, I get

bash: ./hello: Permission denied

Because the permissions are

-rw-r--r-- 1 nathan nathan   856 2010-09-17 23:49 hello

For some reason??

But whatever... after changing the permissions and trying to execute again, I get

bash: ./hello: cannot execute binary file

I'm using gcc (Ubuntu 4.4.3-4ubuntu5) 4.4.3

What am I doing wrong here? It's gotta be obvious... it's just too late for me to keep using my tired eyes to try and figure out this simple problem....

P.S. I do (sometimes) work on programs more sophisticated than Hello World, but gcc is doing this across the board...

Execute: file hello and paste the result here. You should be compiling with: gcc hello.c -o hello — karlphillip
– karlphillip, Commented Sep 18, 2010 at 4:01
Always ask all warnings and debugging information (e.g. gcc -Wall -g hello.c -o hello) — Basile Starynkevitch
– Basile Starynkevitch, Commented Jan 6, 2016 at 15:53

kelm · Accepted Answer · 2010-09-18 04:01:31Z

28

Take the -c out. That's for making object files, not executables.

answered Sep 18, 2010 at 4:01

kelm

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1 Comment

Starkey Over a year ago

Just to add, the hello file your making is an object file (if that wasn't obvious). It should be named hello.o if you build with the -c option.

eldarerathis · Accepted Answer · 2010-09-18 04:02:17Z

7

The -c flag tells it not to link, so you have an object file, not a binary executable.

In fact, if you ran this without the -o flag, you would find that the default output file would be hello.o.

For reference (and giggles), the man entry on the -c flag:

-c  Compile or assemble the source files, but do not link.  The linking stage simply is not done.
    The ultimate output is in the form of an object file for each source file.

    By default, the object file name for a source file is made by replacing the suffix .c, .i, .s,
    etc., with .o.

    Unrecognized input files, not requiring compilation or assembly, are ignored.

answered Sep 18, 2010 at 4:02

eldarerathis

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Comments

karlphillip · Accepted Answer · 2010-09-18 04:02:53Z

3

Compile with: gcc hello.c -o hello

answered Sep 18, 2010 at 4:02

karlphillip

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