C89cc.sh
Shares rank 12 of 18 c compilers by recommenders
Compiles C using only a POSIX shell, useful for bootstrapping a system and as a novelty. Common caveat: it doesn't quite compile yet.
Compiles C using only a POSIX shell, useful for bootstrapping a system and as a novelty. Common caveat: it doesn't quite compile yet.
10 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 80%
Recommended in 1 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 4 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 1 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Useful for bootstrapping software stacks
“there's potential for practical use as a step in bootstrapping an entire software stack”
Comment from 3 Apr 2026 in “C89cc.sh – standalone C89/ELF64 compiler in pure portable shell” “I love this as a novelty, and it could be useful for bootstrapping a system”
Comment from 3 Apr 2026 in “C89cc.sh – standalone C89/ELF64 compiler in pure portable shell”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Doesn't quite compile yet
“I tried it and unfortunately it doesn't quite compile yet”
Comment from 3 Apr 2026 in “C89cc.sh – standalone C89/ELF64 compiler in pure portable shell”
Other c compilers people recommend
The four most recommended other c compilers, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fil-C | 160 | 60 | 73% | 13 | — | Approved |
| Claude's C Compiler | 39 | 83 | 32% | 5 | — | — |
| Visual C++ | 29 | 17 | 63% | 12 | — | — |
| Tiny C Compiler (TCC) | 22 | 3 | 88% | 9 | — | Approved |
| C89cc.shThis page | 8 | 2 | 80% | 1 | — | — |
What people said
7 of the 10 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I love this as a novelty, and it could be useful for bootstrapping a system”
“I tried it and unfortunately it doesn't quite compile yet”
“there's potential for practical use as a step in bootstrapping an entire software stack”
“If you want to compile C on a system where you literally have nothing but a POSIX shell, this is exactly what you need.”
“it is by far the most complicated program c89cc.sh can compile”
“Most of those big switch statements could be easily replaced with some standard programs that already exist everywhere.”
“Would be a lot better if it came with tests.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.