C compiler cannot create executables no good google answers

[Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>]

I'm trying to compile emacs-24 on a newly installed squeeze system.

I get the error  C compiler cannot create executables

Googling on that, gets several different answers.  

apt-get install build-essentials  (didn't didn't help)

apt-get install g++  (didn't help) 
apt-get install libc-dev  (didn't help)

checking `aptitude search gcc|less'  I see too many pkgs to start
guessing what I need.

Can anyone tell me what I need for the compiler to work building emacs?