F8: C compiler cannot create executables

[Alexander Volovics]

When I try to compile R packages from Cran mirrors I get
the following:

checking for C compiler default output file name... configure: error: C
compiler cannot create executables
See `config.log' for more details.

Here are some config.log excerpts:

|                    Syntax error
configure:2315: gcc -E -traditional-cpp  conftest.c
conftest.c:12: error: assert.h: No such file or directory
configure:2321: $? = 1
configure: failed program was:
| /* confdefs.h.  */
| 
| #define PACKAGE_NAME ""
| #define PACKAGE_TARNAME ""
| #define PACKAGE_VERSION ""
| #define PACKAGE_STRING ""
| #define PACKAGE_BUGREPORT ""
| /* end confdefs.h.  */
| #ifdef __STDC__
| # include <limits.h>
| #else
| # include <assert.h>
| #endif

|                    Syntax error
configure:2422: /lib/cpp  conftest.c
In file included from
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.1.2/include/syslimits.h
:7,
                 from
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.1.2/include/limits.h:11
,
                 from conftest.c:10:
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.1.2/include/limits.h:122:61: error:
limits.h:
 No such file or directory
configure:2428: $? = 1
configure: failed program was:
| /* confdefs.h.  */
| 
| #define PACKAGE_NAME ""
| #define PACKAGE_TARNAME ""
| #define PACKAGE_VERSION ""
| #define PACKAGE_STRING ""
| #define PACKAGE_BUGREPORT ""
| /* end confdefs.h.  */
| #ifdef __STDC__
| # include <limits.h>
| #else
| # include <assert.h>
| #endif
|                    Syntax error
configure:2497: error: C preprocessor "/lib/cpp" fails sanity check

Knowing less than nothing about programming I hope
some experts on the list can tell me what is happening
and how to correct it.

Alexander