# DJGPP

13 Hacker News commenters recommended DJGPP and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** A free DOS-era C compiler, with the Rhide IDE and Allegro library, that many people used as their first compiler and IDE.

## Why people recommend it

- First compiler or IDE for learners (4 comments): "DJGPP rhide and allegro that was my gateway drug!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49967356)) "DJGPP (with rhide) was my first IDE, love!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49067485)) "DJGPP is how I learned to to program." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45965755))
- Pairs well with Allegro and Rhide (4 comments): "DJGPP/Allegro key life experience on my parents Windows machine" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45978302)) "DJGPP rhide and allegro that was my gateway drug!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49967356)) "DJGPP (with rhide) was my first IDE, love!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49067485))
- Felt futuristic and formative (4 comments): "DJGPP was spectacularly good back in the day." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45963911)) "It felt like anything was possible!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49335759)) "It felt futuristic at the time." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45970726))
- Free real build tools (2 comments): "the GCC, OpenWatcom, and DJGPP compilers the FreeDOS folks recommend are additionally free software, which is of real value to some of us" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45792912)) "Suddenly I had real build tools, for free" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49335972))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Fil-C](https://hackerapproved.com/p/fil-c.md): 160 recommend
- [Claude's C Compiler](https://hackerapproved.com/p/claude-s-c-compiler.md): 39 recommend
- [Visual C++](https://hackerapproved.com/p/visual-c-plus-plus.md): 29 recommend
- [Tiny C Compiler (TCC)](https://hackerapproved.com/p/tcc.md): 22 recommend
- [Microsoft Visual C++ compiler (MSVC)](https://hackerapproved.com/p/msvc.md): 20 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "DJGPP", https://hackerapproved.com/p/djgpp/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).