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On Linux, although the C standard library is usually a vital component, it is possible to write programs without it, even though in practice almost nobody does, because this library provides functions such as printf, malloc, or fopen.

Can the C library be avoided?

This makes libc a bridge between the average program and the operating system. Without it, programs would have to talk directly to the kernel through system calls, resulting in a lot of repeated code.

Still, if someone wanted to write a program without it, they can use -nostdlib in both gcc and clang, manually defining the _start entry point instead of main and using direct calls such as write or exit, most likely with inline assembly. In other words, practically doing what libc does.

Do other languages need it?

Even though C/C++ usually require it, not all programs use the C library:

• Go: It supports static, standalone compilation by reimplementing the operating system interfaces directly in its own runtime. It disables the bindings to C (CGO) by setting CGO_ENABLED=0 as an environment variable at compile time.

• Rust: It allows development without libc through the #![no_std] attribute at the top of the crate, leaving it up to the developer to implement panic handlers and memory allocators.

Interpreted languages

In interpreted languages such as Python, the dependency on libc is indirect but structural, since the interpreter’s executable requires the C interface to interact with the operating system itself.

Considerations

While omitting libc is common in embedded systems, firmware, and kernel development, general application programming keeps using it to preserve portability, security, and compliance with the standards of the application binary interface (ABI).

Conclusion

In short, although the C library is not mandatory, if you program in a language like C or C++, you will most likely need it simply out of convenience.