error: cannot run C compiled programs

Solution: make sure you're compiling the program on a drive that has execute permissions.  Turns out the permission table for a file is useless if the drive mount doesn't have the execute flag.  (My fat32 drive didn't have it turned on.  I could turn it on, but it's much simpler to just copy the source to my linux drive and compile there.)
"Can't run C compiled programs" on clean RH9 install - LinuxQuestions.org

ROCK ON!