How to Install GCC Compiler on Windows Using MSYS2 (Step-by-Step Guide)
How to Install GCC Using MSYS2 on Windows Great choice! MSYS2 is a powerful and flexible environment for GCC development on Windows. Here’s a step-by-step guide to install GCC using MSYS2: How to Install GCC Using MSYS2 on Windows Step 1: Download and Install MSYS2 Go to the official MSYS2 website: 👉 https://www.msys2.org Download the installer for 64-bit Windows: msys2-x86_64-XXXXXX.exe (where XXXXXX is the version number) Run the installer and install MSYS2 to a simple directory like: C:\msys64 Step 2: Update MSYS2 Package Database Open the MSYS2 MSYS terminal from the Start menu (search for MSYS2 MSYS). Run the following command to update the core system: pacman -Syu If you’re prompted to close the window after this update, do so. Then reopen MSYS2 MSYS and run: pacman -Su Step 3: Install the GCC Compiler (C/C++) In the MSYS2 terminal, install GCC with: pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-gcc This installs the 64-bit version of GCC (recommended). If you need 32-bit for some reason, use: pacman -S mingw-w64-i686-gcc Step 4: Use GCC Open the terminal: MSYS2 MinGW 64-bit from the Start Menu (this is important — don’t use the plain “MSYS” terminal for compiling). In that terminal, test GCC: gcc –version Now compile a simple C program: Create a file called hello.c: #include <stdio.h> int main() { printf(“Hello, MSYS2!\n”); return 0; } Compile and run: gcc hello.c -o hello.exe ./hello.exe Tip: Optional Useful Packages You can also install other useful tools like: pacman -S make gdb git vim
