How to install latest gcc on Ubuntu LTS (12.04, 14.04, 16.04)

how-to-install-latest-gcc-on-ubuntu-lts.txt

These commands are based on a askubuntu answer http://askubuntu.com/a/581497
To install gcc-6 (gcc-6.1.1), I had to do more stuff as shown below.
USE THOSE COMMANDS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING.
ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.

If you are still reading let's carry on with the code.

sudo apt-get update && \
sudo apt-get install build-essential software-properties-common -y && \
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test -y && \
sudo apt-get update && \
sudo apt-get install gcc-snapshot -y && \
sudo apt-get update && \
sudo apt-get install gcc-6 g++-6 -y && \
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-6 60 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-6 && \
sudo apt-get install gcc-4.8 g++-4.8 -y && \
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-4.8 60 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-4.8;

When completed, you must change to the gcc you want to work with by default. Type in your terminal:
sudo update-alternatives --config gcc

To verify if it worked. Just type in your terminal
gcc -v

If everything went fine you should see gcc 6.1.1  by the time I am writing this gist

Happy coding!

See my blog post at https://www.application2000.com

Yes, gcc-10 is not available on xenial, even in the toolchain repo (see the filter dropdown):

Thank you very much!

gcc-9[-multilib] and g++-9[-multilib] are also available for Ubuntu 12.04 LTS!

I extended the steps above, as they complain with g++ can't be slave of gcc + some additions and beautifications:

#!/bin/bash

GCC_GXX_VERSION=9
gcc_alternatives=(gcc cc)
gxx_alternatives=(g++ c++ cpp)
all_alternatives=("${gcc_alternatives[@]}" "${gxx_alternatives[@]}")

remove_alternatives() {
    alternatives=("$@")
    for alt in "${alternatives[@]}"; do
        sudo update-alternatives --remove-all $alt || continue
    done
}

install_and_set_alternatives() {
    path=$1
    shift
    alternatives=("$@")
    for alt in "${alternatives[@]}"; do
        sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/$alt $alt $path 100
        sudo update-alternatives --set $alt $path
    done
}

print_green() {
    args=$@
    echo -e "\033[0;32m$args\033[0m"
}

check_versions() {
    alternatives=("$@")
    for alt in "${alternatives[@]}"; do
        print_green "$alt\t->\t`$alt --version | head -n 1`"
    done
}

install_gcc_gxx() {
    sudo apt-get update -y &&
    sudo apt-get upgrade -y &&
    sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -y &&
    sudo apt-get install build-essential software-properties-common -y &&
    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test -y &&
    sudo apt-get update -y &&
    sudo apt-get install gcc-$GCC_GXX_VERSION g++-$GCC_GXX_VERSION -y
}

install_gcc_gxx
remove_alternatives "${all_alternatives[@]}"
install_and_set_alternatives "/usr/bin/gcc-$GCC_GXX_VERSION" "${gcc_alternatives[@]}"
install_and_set_alternatives "/usr/bin/g++-$GCC_GXX_VERSION" "${gxx_alternatives[@]}"

echo
echo "Check the following versions:"
check_versions "${all_alternatives[@]}"

GCC 11.x on Ubuntu 18.04 & 20.04:

sudo apt-get update -y &&
sudo apt-get upgrade -y &&
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -y &&
sudo apt-get install build-essential software-properties-common -y &&
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test -y &&
sudo apt-get update -y &&
sudo apt-get install gcc-11 g++-11 -y &&
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-11 60 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-11 &&
sudo update-alternatives --config gcc

select gcc-11

ami@ami:~$ sudo apt-get update && \

sudo apt-get install build-essential software-properties-common -y &&
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test -y &&
sudo apt-get update &&
sudo apt-get install gcc-snapshot -y &&
sudo apt-get update &&
sudo apt-get install gcc-6 g++-6 -y &&
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-6 60 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-6 &&
sudo apt-get install gcc-4.8 g++-4.8 -y &&
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-4.8 60 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-4.8;
[sudo] password for ami:
Get:1 http://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb stable InRelease [1,807 B]
Ign:1 http://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb stable InRelease
Hit:2 http://ubuntu.mirror.myduniahost.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:3 http://ubuntu.mirror.myduniahost.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease
Hit:4 http://ubuntu.mirror.myduniahost.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease
Get:5 https://linux.teamviewer.com/deb stable InRelease [11.9 kB]
Hit:6 http://ubuntu.mirror.myduniahost.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
Get:7 https://linux.teamviewer.com/deb stable/main amd64 Packages [11.2 kB]
Get:8 https://linux.teamviewer.com/deb stable/main i386 Packages [11.0 kB]
Get:9 http://deb.anydesk.com all InRelease [5,588 B]
Fetched 41.5 kB in 1s (30.4 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
W: GPG error: http://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb stable InRelease: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 78BD65473CB3BD13
W: The repository 'http://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb stable InRelease' is not signed.
N: Data from such a repository can't be authenticated and is therefore potentially dangerous to use.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as repository 'http://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb stable InRelease' doesn't support architecture 'i386'
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
build-essential is already the newest version (12.1ubuntu2).
software-properties-common is already the newest version (0.96.20.10).
software-properties-common set to manually installed.
The following additional packages will be installed:
gcc-doc
The following packages will be upgraded:
gcc-doc
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 84 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/3,448 B of archives.
After this operation, 10.2 kB disk space will be freed.
(Reading database ... 864713 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../gcc-doc_4%3a5.3.1-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
install-info: No dir file specified; try --help for more information.
dpkg: warning: subprocess old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: trying script from the new package instead ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/gcc-doc_4%3a5.3.1-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb (--unpack):
there is no script in the new version of the package - giving up
install-info: No dir file specified; try --help for more information.
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/gcc-doc_4%3a5.3.1-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

please help me? im facing this problem for a very llong time and untill now it still not fixed

Thank you very much!

good!

Thank you! You saved me!

Thank you!
gcc version 9.4.0

Thanks @peterhanneman

GCC 7.1 on Ubuntu 14.04 & 16.04:

sudo apt-get update -y && \
sudo apt-get upgrade -y && \
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -y && \
sudo apt-get install build-essential software-properties-common -y && \
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test -y && \
sudo apt-get update -y && \
sudo apt-get install gcc-7 g++-7 -y && \
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-7 60 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-7 && \
sudo update-alternatives --config gcc

I got gcc/g++ version 11.1.0 with similar procedure on 18.04 . Thank you!

Hi All,
I am trying to install GCC12 on ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS (Focal Fossa) os but not able to find GCC12. tried to use the above command but with gcc-12.
can anybody provide any suggestions?

Hi All, I am trying to install GCC12 on ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS (Focal Fossa) os but not able to find GCC12. tried to use the above command but with gcc-12. can anybody provide any suggestions?

I actually just tried this and it appears that gcc12 and 13 are only available as a package on Ubuntu 22.04 and later. If you want it on earlier versions you'll have to build it from source. 😭

Thanks @jasonbeach for your inputs..

thank you!