Erlang error: while loading shared libraries: libncursesw.so.6

15.10 dependencies erlang

10,141

I think you need to also install the libncursesw5 package:

sudo apt install libncursesw5 libncursesw5-dev

Then try running the command that gave you the "error while loading shared libraries".

Update: If you have these packages and still get the error, it's probably because your software expects version 6 of libncursesw, but only version 5 is available in Ubuntu. (see https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=202562 , which is the same problem, but on Arch Linux.)

As a hackish possible workaround, you could create a symlink so your software thinks version 6 is installed, even though it's actually using verison 5:

sudo ln -s /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libncursesw.so.5  /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libncursesw.so.6

It's not the most elegant solution, but it might work. If you choose to do it, please remember to document it somewhere just in case you run into any problems when upgrading Ubuntu later on.

Please let me know if this was helpful or if you have further questions.

10,141

Oskar K.

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Oskar K. over 1 year

After installing Elrang/OTP on a server with Ubuntu 15.10,

  sudo apt-get install build-essential 
  sudo apt-get --fix-missing -y install build-essential m4 libncurses5-dev libssh-dev unixodbc-dev libgmp3-dev libwxgtk2.8-dev libglu1-mesa-dev fop xsltproc default-jdk
  sudo apt-get --fix-missing -y install build-essential m4 libncurses5-dev libssh-dev unixodbc-dev libgmp3-dev libwxgtk2.8-dev libglu1-mesa-dev fop xsltproc default-jdk
  wget https://packages.erlang-solutions.com/erlang/esl-erlang/FLAVOUR_1_general/esl-erlang_18.3-1~ubuntu~wily_amd64.deb
  sudo dpkg -i esl-erlang_18.3-1~ubuntu~wily_amd64.deb
  sudo apt-get update

  sudo apt-get install esl-erlang
  sudo apt-get install elixir

I have an error when running one of my applications:

: error while loading shared libraries: libncursesw.so.6: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

UPDATE:

$ locate libncursesw5
/usr/share/doc/libncursesw5
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.list
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.md5sums
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.postinst
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.postrm
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.shlibs
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.symbols


$ locate libncursesw
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libncursesw.so.5
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libncursesw.so.5.9
/usr/share/doc/libncursesw5
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.list
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.md5sums
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.postinst
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.postrm
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.shlibs
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libncursesw5:amd64.symbols

Oskar K. almost 8 years

E: Unable to locate package linbcursesw5
Admin almost 8 years

Please double-check the spelling of libncursesw5 and try again.
Oskar K. almost 8 years

libncursesw5 is already the newest version.
Admin almost 8 years

and libncursesw5-dev as well?
Oskar K. almost 8 years

................yes.
Admin almost 8 years

I don't know of any elegant solution, but I've updated my answer with a possible workaround.
Oskar K. almost 8 years

but neither /usr/lib/libncursesw.so.5 no /usr/lib/libncursesw.so.6 exist at my server.
Admin almost 8 years

My mistake! I've updated the paths in my answer.
Oskar K. almost 8 years

should it be /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libncursesw.so.5 or /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libncursesw.so.5.9 ?
Vik about 5 years

The hackish symlink solution worked for me. Was having this issue when installing cava (github.com/karlstav/cava).