[SOLVED] How do I make gcc as verbose as possible?

Issue

I am currently using the following flags for my gcc compiler:

gcc -std=c99 -pedantic -Wall D_DEFAULT_SOURCE -g -c filename.c

But how can I make the output as verbose as possible? The error messages I am getting in C are not as nice as I am used to from more high level languages and I want to get as much information out of the gcc compiler as possible.

Solution

This is a summary of all comments I've received on this post:

1. These flags are the best you can use to make your compiler as verbose as possible:

   -pedantic -Wall -Werror -Wextra
   

   Other flags such as -v and the entire -d* family will make the compilation process more verbose but won't enhance the error messages you are getting.
2. Check your current version with gcc --version. To get the newest gcc Version (i.e. gcc 12.2 since August 19, 2022) you might have to clone the gcc repository and build it yourself based on the distro (check via lsb_release -d) you are using.
   • Check this stackoverflow question out to install gcc 12.2 on Ubuntu.
   • Alternatively you could also directly get gcc-11 from apt without upgrading to the latest bleeding edge ubuntu (don't forget to use gcc-11 instead of gcc afterwards to compile).

Answered By - sueszli

Answer Checked By - Terry (WPSolving Volunteer)