Yes, there are a confusing number of Linuxes, that's partly why I avoid them and use OpenBSD.  I think Red Hat is only commercial now, try Fedora for the closest.  Ubuntu will probably work, I didn't like it because I found it too "dumbed down", meant to appeal to Windows users. Ubuntu is supposedly based on Debian, which I've had installed for a few years and like it much better.  Debian is "Deb" and "Ian", Ian is a ham.

The default compiler gcc is probably what you want.  You don't mention what software you're trying to build.  I had no problem building the Osmocom suite under my old Debian version, no extra libraries needed.  But: my understanding from somewhere is that this suite of programs (rtl_*) exists because some ARM machines like the Raspberry Pi couldn't handle Gnuradio.  Gnuradio may be what you really want.

Gnuradio (http://www.gnuradio.org) is very versatile, bordering on confusing.  Part of it is the RTLSDR or Osmocom source from Osmocom which connects to the dongle.  Then you use the gunradio-companion to drag and drop different signal processing blocks onto a flow graph, the output of that is a Python program which hopefully does what you want.  Start at the gnuradio web site and follow the build guide.  Most of the work is getting the dependancies you need installed.  You don't need the parts for hardware you don't have.

Makefiles come with various programs, but most of this uses cmake to build the actual makefiles.  Typically, you cd into the source directory, mkdir build, cd build, then "cmake ../".  Track down things missing/wrong, modify your cmake cache file to fix it up, then when you have no errors, do make and make install.  It works pretty well because you can set options in your cache file and they migrate down the line into makefiles.  Both the Osmocom stuff and Gnuradio use cmake, but you can avoid it if you want to.

If you need sensitivity and freedom from spurious noises you might find the NooElec dongle isn't the best way to go.  Take a look at http://wavelab.homestead.com/HF_VHF_multi_index.html I bought a dozen of the MC13535 chips from http://www.futurlec.com for $1.20 each, plus the ceramic filters, crystals, etc.  If you don't need frequency agility they might work out well.  Futurlec isn't fast, but they have some good deals.

  Alan

  ----- Radio Astronomy - the ultimate DX

...

________________________________ From: Wayne Sanders <wsanders@xplornet.com> To: osmocom-sdr@lists.osmocom.org Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2013 11:40 PM Subject: any one brave enough to help a newbie with getting started with SDR

Good day all     I know that this may nor be the proper or correct place to request some basic assistance but  I will tempt the wrath of the few.     First off has the packaging for Linux changed there are many more versions now compared to 24 years ago when I dabbled with it running a packet radio bbs.  It was Red Hat country then. Now ?     Any way My questions are of the where to start kind.

    Step 1 Have selected Ubuntu as the o/s  got it installed

    step 2 need to know what form of compiler is needed.         Worked 28 years ago with Borland's C++

    Step 3 what are the liberaies that I require and where may they         be found.

    Step 4 And of course a suitable Make File.

    As all can see I am jut renewing a friend ship with a very powerfull o/s and of course are having the steep learning curve all over again. But expect that I will enjoy it.     Project at this time is using the NooElec R820T SDR & DVB-T         Dongle to monitor an number of frequencys in the         analoge area 54mhz up for Pasive radar detection of         meteors. Thanking all in advance.     If the above questions are deemed off topic again I apoligize and would request that a direct e-mail answer to wsanders@xplornet.com  be used if it should not be posted I remain wayne sanders ve7duc  and RDL-OBS observatory

Wayne Sanders