How do I get the base program to compile?

The Makefile should work if a C++ compiler is installed. First make sure the compiler is installed and working from command line. If that is the case, and the Makefile does not work, look at the error messages. If the call to the compiler is wrong, set the variable CXX to the compiler (that can include a path if needed).

If there are still problems, we can try to solve it together in the lab.