C compiler cannot create executables (Ubuntu 8.04)

[Bernard <bdebreil@teaser.fr>]

Hi to Everyone,

With Debian (and Ubuntu as well), implementation of new software by 
means of ready-to-install packages, is a most convenient feature. 
However, time comes when a package is not available, and then it becomes 
worthwhile to try a basic compile of a generic package, usually 
available as a tar.gz file. It recently happened to me with the 
'Lifelines' package : the version available for Debian Sarge was buggy, 
the newer version without this bug was not available on the debian 
databases. I downloaded a generic (tarball ?) and compiled it, which 
worked OK.

Now, the same problem occurs with my new DELL laptop with 
factory-installed Ubuntu 8.04. So, I headed for the same install of the 
Lifelines software. However, it failed to work here. In the appropriate 
directory, I first typed './configure'. Things seemed to start 
all-right, but after a short while it said : "C compiler cannot create 
executables"

What do I miss so that I get such a reply ?

I also get this : "see config.log for more details". So, I made this 
logfile available on

http://www.teaser.fr/~bdebreil/config.log

Amongst other things, it says that I have gcc 4.2.3...

Thanks to anyone who will take a look and tell me what is wrong. I could 
try to find another Ubuntu package that would install without need to 
recompile, but it won't work, since there was another bug in the 
Lifelines program, that was corrected for me by the author of the 
program : he sent me a patch that I had to apply to a indiseq.c 
sourcefile, and then recompile it all... It did work on Debian Sarge on 
my desktop, it wont on my laptop if the c compiler cannot create 
executables !

Thanks in advance for any help