GNU Compiler Collection

The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) is a free open-source compiler system produced by the GNU Project, supporting numerous programming languages and hardware architectures. Originally created by Richard Stallman in 1987 as the GNU C Compiler, GCC has evolved into a collection of compilers for C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran, Ada, Go, D, and Modula-2. Key features: compiles C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran, Ada, Go, D, and Modula-2 with consistent optimization passes across languages. Supports over 60 hardware architectures including x86, x86_64, ARM, ARM64, MIPS, PowerPC, SPARC, RISC-V, s390x, and embedded processors, making it the most portable compiler. Advanced optimization at RTL and GIMPLE SSA levels including loop optimization, vectorization, auto-parallelization, link-time optimization LTO, and profile-guided optimization PGO. Full compliance with ISO C11, C17, C23, C++14, C++17, C++20, C++23, Fortran 2018, and Ada 2012 standards. Plugin architecture for extending the compiler with custom optimization passes and static analysis. Comprehensive cross-compilation support with sysroot and multilib for embedded development. Whole-program LTO for cross-module inlining and devirtualization. Integrated AddressSanitizer, ThreadSanitizer, MemorySanitizer, and UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer for runtime bug detection. Built-in static analyzer for detecting security vulnerabilities at compile time. libstdc++ high-performance standard library with parallel algorithms and C++23 support. Default compiler on most Linux distributions and embedded systems.