GCC won't compile to an executable file

Question

I was able to reproduce this issue with a simple case (shown below). The problem in particular is that the output of compiling my main C file is a file with format data (returned by running file on the file). When the file is run, the command line gives the error cannot execute binary file: Exec format error.

The file, main.c contains the following code:

#include <stdlib.h>

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) 
{
    return 0;
}

I am using this command to compile the code: gcc main.c -o main.

Output of gcc --version:

gcc (Ubuntu 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.1) 4.8.4
Copyright (C) 2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Any thoughts, comments, or ideas are appreciated.

Answer 1

Your gcc might be corrupted, try to re-install gcc-4.8:

apt-get install --reinstall gcc-4.8