Trying to Flash ROM, asked to install "make' and C compiler. Probably not needed

I am trying to to Flash Rom on a Lenovo X-230 with Skulls, supposed to be a frequently used, straight forward Process.

I think my problem is the creation of a back up file, and how the CLI command is then re written.

It is Sunday, and I only have a Hotspot connection on my phone, so I don't think I have enough data to install a C Compiler just to test what would happen if I downloaded it.

My first read of how to create a file, speaks of creating a txt file. Which is probably not going to function as a back up file.

I start at: https://github.com/merge/skulls

then pick the option for X-230, which leads to

https://github.com/merge/skulls/blob/master/x230/README.md

Going down the page, I am trying to Flash (with Ubuntu 21 desktop)

with command in terminal: sudo ./external_install_bottom.sh -m -k

that second line is supposed to read back-up-file-create enclosed in greater than and less than. Post ate it.

I think my problem might be: I need to create a back up file of name I choose, and it would be placed in the same directory with the commands.

I change back through the part of the command with and try to give it a file name of either bottom, or a directory name of folder (both are there).

I get make back: must install 'Make' and C Compiler.

Normally I would try to spend a lot of time reading through possibilities and trying different things. but I need to get this Flashed, and the computer put back together before I one of these parts starts walking off on their own.

If it matters, I am using a USB Progammer CH341, and the computer is a 2016 Alienware 17 with I7 Skylake processor and 16 GB RAM. And as I said the latest Ubuntu Desktop download. and a HotSpot connection on a phone. I am guessing it might be related to the basic Flash program wants to phone the Mother Ship to see if it has the latest version of Program. That seems unnecessary to me as I could update the ROM again with the same command after I put it together. This is supposed to be a frequently used, straight forward, Program.

Any of you who expert in CLI take a look and offer a quick opinion?

Thank you for your answer. I will trip down to the public Library tomorrow and use their connection to get make, c compiler, and mktemp.

I did not want to put this laptop back together to take it apart soon. My thick arthritic fingers don't go well with laptop opening, as laptops were not built to opened and closed much. However, this Lenovo X-230 is better in that regard than many. It is quite sturdy.

TL;DR

You definitely do need make and a C-compiler, like the shell script tells you. In fact, you also need a tool called mktemp. You should have this by default on most linux installations, though, as @steeldriver points out. On debian-based OSes, apt install coreutils if for some reason you don’t.

To get make and a compiler on Ubuntu, run sudo apt install -y make gcc. Once these install, you won’t get the same error again.

But Why!?

The script that you refer to (external_install_bottom.sh) builds itself a binary called ifdtool, which it then stores in ./util/ifdtool/ifdtool. In order to do this, it needs GNU’s make, as well as a C-compiler. Check out this line of the same script to see the line where make is used by the script. It then uses this tool to lock/unlock your ROM chip, as far as I can tell on preliminary inspection.

As for mktemp, the script uses this to make a temporary folder.

By the way, it’s the script itself telling you to install these tools. Check out these two lines of the same script, which explicitly warn you to install make, a C compiler.

Btw, I appreciate the general humour in your tone of voice