How to Fix the “Error While Loading Shared Libraries” in Linux

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If you’ve encountered the error message:

error while loading shared libraries: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Don’t worry, you’re not alone! This error occurs when a program can’t find a necessary shared library (also known as a .so file). Shared libraries are essential components that programs rely on to function correctly. When they’re missing or not properly configured, the program can’t run.

This guide will walk you through simple steps to resolve the issue.

Step 1: Identify the Missing Library

When you encounter this error, the message usually specifies which shared library is missing. Here’s an example:

error while loading shared libraries: libssl.so.1.1: cannot open shared object file...

In this case, the missing library is libssl.so.1.1.

Make sure to note the name of the missing library, as it will be important for the next steps.

Step 2: Check if the Library is Installed

Before proceeding with the installation, you should first check if the missing library is already installed on your system. Here’s how you can do it:

  1. Search for the library on your system:
    • You can use the find command to search your entire system: sudo find / -name "libssl.so*" 2>/dev/null Or use locate if it’s installed: locate libssl.so
    • If the library is found, make note of its location (for example, /usr/local/lib). You can skip to Step 4 if it’s found.
  2. If the library is not found, move on to the next step to install it.

Step 3: Install the Missing Library

If the library is missing, you will need to install it. The installation process varies depending on your distribution.

On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems:

If you are using a Debian or Ubuntu-based system, you can use the apt package manager to install the library:

sudo apt install libssl-dev

Make sure to replace libssl-dev with the correct package name if it’s different for your missing library. You can search for the exact package with:

apt search libssl

On Red Hat/CentOS-based systems:

If you’re on a Red Hat or CentOS-based system, use yum or dnf:

sudo yum install libssl

or

sudo dnf install libssl

You can search for the library using:

dnf search libssl

Step 4: Update Library Paths

If the library is installed but stored in a non-standard location, the program may not be able to find it. In this case, you can update your library paths.

Temporary Fix (for the current terminal session):

You can temporarily set the library path by running:

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/path/to/library:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

Replace /path/to/library with the directory where the library is located.

Permanent Fix:

To make the change permanent for all future sessions, follow these steps:

  1. For system-wide settings: Add the library path to the system configuration: sudo sh -c 'echo "/path/to/library" >> /etc/ld.so.conf.d/custom.conf' sudo ldconfig
  2. For user-specific installations: If you only need the fix for a specific user, add the library path to the user’s ~/.bashrc file: echo 'export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/path/to/library:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH' >> ~/.bashrc source ~/.bashrc

Step 5: Rebuild the Linker Cache

After installing the missing library or updating the library paths, it’s essential to rebuild the linker cache to ensure your system is aware of the new or updated libraries.

Run the following command:

sudo ldconfig

This will reload the library paths and ensure the program can find the required libraries.

Step 6: Check for Architecture Compatibility

If the missing library is architecture-specific, such as being built for 32-bit on a 64-bit system, it might not be compatible. Here’s how you can address this:

  1. Check the system architecture: Use the following command to verify whether your system is 64-bit or 32-bit: uname -m
    • If your system is 64-bit, but the library is 32-bit, you will need to install the 32-bit version of the library.
  2. Install the 32-bit version (on 64-bit systems): On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, use: sudo apt install libxyz:i386 Replace libxyz:i386 with the appropriate library name.

Step 7: Verify Program Dependencies

To make sure your program isn’t missing other shared libraries, you can use the ldd command to check for unresolved dependencies.

Run the following command:

ldd /path/to/your/program

The output will list all libraries needed by the program, and any missing libraries will be marked as “not found.”

Step 8: Reinstall or Recompile the Program

If you’re still encountering issues, it might be that the program was compiled incorrectly and isn’t properly linked to the library. In such a case, you may need to recompile or reinstall the program.

Here’s an example of how you can do that:

  1. If the program was compiled from source, configure it to use the correct library path: ./configure --prefix=/usr/local --libdir=/usr/local/lib make sudo make install

Summary of Common Fixes

IssueSolution
Library not installedInstall it via the package manager.
Library in a non-standard pathUpdate LD_LIBRARY_PATH or modify /etc/ld.so.conf.
Wrong architecture (32-bit vs 64-bit)Install the correct version (32-bit or 64-bit).
Broken symlinksReinstall the library or fix broken symlinks.

Still Having Trouble?

If you’ve followed all these steps and are still encountering the error, it could be helpful to provide more details such as the exact error message you are receiving and the operating system or distribution you are using. This will allow for more targeted troubleshooting.

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