>> Every configure script I run for anything I want to compile gives the
>>following error: 
>> 
>> configure: error: missing argument to -- 
 
>Haven't seen that, exactly. Each configure script is supplied with 
>the sources, so it's quite odd if different sources give the same 
>error. What shell are you using? Does this work? 

I usually use the bash shell but I've tried it in sh

> 
>       sh ./configure --help 

bash-2.01$ sh ./configure --help
=--help: not found
configure: error: missing argument to --

>That should give a list of options. Usually, ``sh ./configure'', or
>"./configure'' (if you're using a Bourne compatable shell) is all you
>need, but there will occasionally be mandatory options. Check the
>INSTALL document.

The install document of both scsh and squid, which I am trying to compile tell
me to just run 

../configure     for scsh
and
../configure --prefix=/usr/local/squid     for squid

They give

configure: error: missing argument to --
and
eval: =--prefix=/usr/local/squid: not found
configure: error: missing argument to --