Installed compilers

There are several compilers installed on ARC2 for developing C/C++ and Fortran applications, as well as scripting languages such a Perl and Python. There is also a wide selection of commonly used libraries and APIs installed. For up-to-date information on which compilers and libraries are installed use the module avail command. This will most likely be the case for the majority of HPC facilities and not just ARC2.

Which compiler to use?

Unfortunately, there is no “best” compiler for all codes! Newer versions of compilers are better adapted to modern hardware and implement more features. Hardware vendors, such as Intel, make compilers that can take advantage of processor architecture features and instructions sets. On the other hand the GNU compilers are the most portable, but will not necessarily produce the fastest code. Generally, it is a good idea to compile your code with more than one compiler, and compare the results, both in terms of performance and solutions. It is also a good idea to benchmark standard codes.