Indefinite compile time of Apache server

Apache compilation time is greater then 11 hours...

[QuitePlace]

I am a Linux newbie and I am going through the procedure of compiling Apache on Linux. I downloaded latest stable release from apache.org.
I did not change any options in the configure at first.
Every step goes fine (tar, ./configure), but: when "make" is invoked, the compilation process visibly goes fine but never stops. It goes on and on and on... after 11+ hours I stopped it.
Then, upon preparing to the second attempt, issuing "make clean" takes the same visibly indefinite time.
The computer is an old Sony Vaio laptop, distribution is SUSE 7.4.

Questions:
1. What might be wrong? Something I am doing? (I use the steps described in "Linux cookbok"). Compiler? Linux kernel version?
2. How to troubleshoot such situation on Linux?
3. I don't know how much time it normally takes for Apache compile?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[zCat]

1. What might be wrong? Something I am doing? (I use the steps described in "Linux cookbok"). Compiler? Linux kernel version?

I've never encountered this problem, and I spend half my life building Apache. YOu could have a fairly old gcc version, which could be a problem, but I'm not sure.

2. How to troubleshoot such situation on Linux?

There should be a file "config.log" in your top source directory, which might contain clues. Other than that, try saving the make output and looking to see if it repeats itself somewhere.

What configure parameters are you using?

3. I don't know how much time it normally takes for Apache compile?

On recent computers it should only take a few minutes (it's been a long time since compile time has been a problem :-). On older hardware (the 300Mhz-generation, what are your specs?) ISTR it took somewhere around 30 minutes.

[zCat]

(BUMP)

Was the above any use?