How to install development tools on an unmanaged server

When you are configuring a new server, you may have to build programs from source. However, a new unmanaged server (VPS or dedicated) contains a very basic set of software packages. By default, compilers and other development tools are not included.

The following procedures demonstrate how to install compilers and other development tools that are required to build programs from source. Use the procedure appropriate for the Linux distribution on your server.

CentOS

To install development tools on a server running CentOS, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the server using SSH.
2. As the root user, type the following command, and then press Enter:

   yum groupinstall "Development Tools"

   The “Development Tools” group installation contains numerous packages, including:
   

   • autoconf
   • automake
   • gcc / g++
   • gdb
   • git
   • patch

3. Type the following command, and then press Enter:
   

   yum install libffi-devel

   You now have the essential development tools installed on the server.

   Depending on the programs or packages you want to build, you may need to install additional dependencies to ensure the build process completes. Check the documentation for the relevant project.

Debian and Ubuntu

To install development tools on a server running Debian or Ubuntu, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the server using SSH.
2. As the root user, type the following command, and then press Enter:

   apt-get install build-essential

3. Type the following command, and then press Enter:
   

   apt-get install autoconf automake gdb git libffi-dev zlib1g-dev libssl-dev

   You now have the essential development tools installed on the server.

   Depending on the programs or packages you want to build, you may need to install additional dependencies to ensure the build process completes. Check the documentation for the relevant project.