compiling programs (how do I?)

[drstrangelove]

I need to download some programs (perl 6 for instance). These programs are apparently in original code and not pre-compiled .exe (or even .zip). Where do I get the appropriate tools (are they included with the OS) and how do I do this? I'm not a programmer (don't even play one on TV), but I do need to learn some scripting, and, apparently, how to compile programs.

Thanks.

[rock]

Sometimes, it's as simple as:
./configure
make all

Usually it's not that simple though. There should be a README with any and all source code you download that tells you how to compile it. Once you've done it a couple times, it'll get easier.

Afterthought: are you on Windows and downloading tar files?

[drstrangelove]

This is for Windows 2K. Is there a compiler built into the OS (MS integrates everything else for crying outloud)?

[rock]

Originally posted by drstrangelove
This is for Windows 2K. Is there a compiler built into the OS (MS integrates everything else for crying outloud)?

Nope, there's no compiler that ships with the OS. Microsoft would rather have everyone buy MS Visual Studio. There are several free C/C++ compilers out there, though, including Dev C++.

[drstrangelove]

where to i get it and how do i use it? (is it easy, intuitive?). remember, i am NOT a programmer by nature, i'm a networker, and have little desire to delve into programming on anything more than a superficial basis. It just so happens that I need a few apps and some Perl for a class I teach. So don't be afraid to dumb this down for me.

[rock]

You can download it from the link in my previous post (Scroll down to Version 4, since 5 is still Beta). There's a FAQ here and some READMEs and examples to get you started too.