I am running Mandriva 2006. I am attempting to compile a driver for my Konica Minolta 2430DL color laser printer. I downloaded the driver source code from Konica Minolta's website. The file did not contain install instructions for the source nor did it contain a readme file. When I type ./configure from the the directory where the source files are located I get "./confiure: No such file or directory". I am logged in as root. This is the first file I am attempting to compile. When I do a "whereis gcc" I get the following:

gcc: /usr/bin/gcc /usr/bin/gcc4.0-version /usr/lib/gcc /usr/share/man/man1/gcc.1.bz2

But none of these locations exist on my computer. I did a ls from the /usr/bin directory and no gcc folder or file was found. What is going on?

The message is telling you "configure" itself is not in the current directory. (./ means "the current directory").

Restated: It isn't saying it can't find gcc or your source files - it's saying it can find the command "configure" itself.

I am a newbie if you can't tell. I am trying to see if I can move from Windows to Linux. I would consider myself to be a Windows power user. Now I am trying to become competent in Linux. With that said below are the contents of the driver source code folder. How do I go about compiling a driver from this source?

bmp.c* cups/ km_1.icm* km_ht_00.bmp* km_ht_03.bmp* km_ht_12.bmp* km_ht_21.bmp* kmlf.h* raster.h*
config.h* Install.txt* km_2.icm* km_ht_01.bmp* km_ht_10.bmp* km_ht_13.bmp* km_ht_22.bmp* kmlf.spec* rastertokmlf.c*
COPYING* km_0.icm* km_en.ppd.gz* km_ht_02.bmp* km_ht_11.bmp* km_ht_20.bmp* km_ht_23.bmp* Makefile*

Typically you have two steps:

1) Run configure - This is used to determine what your system is and insure it has the correct capabilities. If that is required it should be in the installation notes for the package. You need to discover where the "configure" command (this is usually a script) is. The command "find" can be used:
find / -name configure
Would should all directories that had the file named configure. You'd have to be sure the one you ran was the one that came with the packe you're trying to compile. Again the installation notes should say its location but may give it as a relative location.

2) Run make - This uses the Makefile (you have one in the list you gave) and does the compiling based on the specifications and flags int he Makefile.

There isn't always a "configure" step. You have to follow the instructions for the package you're trying to install.

There's an "Install.txt" in there, try reading it..

I believe I figured out what was wrong. I needed to download a newer version of CUPS. Following the install of CUPS the RPM worked which means I did not have to compile my own driver from the source. Thank you.

As I stated previously, I did read the install.txt file and it was for the RPM. I originally could not get the RPM to install but after some additional research and determined I needed to install CUPS. After installing CUPS the RPM worked eliminating the need to compile the driver.

Since it was an open source driver it might have already been in the default CUPS driver list. Did you try the printer config utility in the Mandrake Control Centre first?

Glad you got it working anyway