Linux programming, is there any C++?

I'm kind of new to Linux and I've started downloading applications and 
installing them. Applications are distributed as source code in a 
".tar.gz" file. You unzip the file, navigate to the directory, run 
"configure", then run "make", then run "make install".

Anyway, in all the programs I've seen, there's only ever been .c files,
and 
it looks like only gcc has been invoked. Do people in the Linux community 
not use C++ and distribute their source in ".tar.gz"?

-- 
Tomás Ó hÉilidhe