linux - Cuda compiler not working with GCC 4.5 +

Question

I am new to Cuda, and I am trying to compile this simple test_1.cu file:

#include <stdio.h>

__global__ void kernel(void)
{
}

int main (void)
{
    kernel<<<1,1>>>();
    printf( "Hello, World!
");
    return 0;

}

using this: nvcc test_1.cu

The output I get is:

In file included from /usr/local/cuda/bin/../include/cuda_runtime.h:59:0,
                 from <command-line>:0:
/usr/local/cuda/bin/../include/host_config.h:82:2: error: #error -- unsupported GNU version! gcc 4.5 and up are not supported!

my gcc --version:

gcc (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.1-9ubuntu3) 4.6.1
Copyright (C) 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

How can I install a second version of gcc (4.4 -) along with 4.6 without messing everything up?

I found this old topic:

CUDA incompatible with my gcc version

the answer was:

gcc 4.5 and 4.6 are not supported with CUDA - code won't compile and the rest of the toolchain, including cuda-gdb, won't work properly. You cannot use them, and the restriction is non-negotiable.

Your only solution is to install a gcc 4.4 version as a second compiler (most distributions will allow that). There is an option to nvcc --compiler-bindir which can be used to point to an alternative compiler. Create a local directory and the make symbolic links to the supported gcc version executables. Pass that local directory to nvcc via the --compiler-bindir option, and you should be able to compile CUDA code without effecting the rest of your system.

But I have no idea how to do it

Answer 1

In my case I didn't have root rights, so I couldn't fully replace the current gcc (4.7) with the older version 4.4 (which I think would be a bad alternative). Although I did have rights where CUDA was installed. My solution was to create an extra folder (e.g. /somepath/gccfornvcc/), wherever I had rights, then to create a link to an nvcc accepted compiler. I already had gcc 4.4 available (but you can install it, without removing your current version).

ln -s [path to gcc 4.4]/gcc-4.4 /somepath/gccfornvcc/gcc

Then, in the same folder where the nvcc binary lives, you should find a file called nvcc.profile . There you just need to add the following line:

compiler-bindir = /somepath/gccfornvcc

And that will make nvcc use the proper compiler. This helps keeping the system in a proper state, keeping the newest compiler, but nvcc (only nvcc) will use the old compiler version.