launching atom text editor linux !# . GLIBC_2.14 and GLIBC_2.15 not found?

Question

I am using crunnchbang linux 64 bit. I installed atom text editor but its giving errors when I try to launch it. The output is as follows:

shunya@crunchbang:~$ atom 
shunya@crunchbang:~$ /usr/share/atom/atom: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.14' not found (required by /usr/share/atom/atom)
/usr/share/atom/atom: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.14' not found (required by /usr/share/atom/libchromiumcontent.so)
/usr/share/atom/atom: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.14' not found (required by /usr/share/atom/libgcrypt.so.11)
/usr/share/atom/atom: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.15' not found (required by /usr/share/atom/libgcrypt.so.11)

Its clear from the output that it needs some packages called GLIBC_2.5 and 2.14. How can I install these requirements? I tried to search on synaptic package manager if I search for GLIBC there is long list of packages. I am unable to tell which one to install from.

But as soon as I do GLIBC_2.14 OR -2.14 there are no options left.

*update: On trying

sudo apt-get install libc6 

I get the output as libc6 is already the newest version.

Solution

Its clear from the output that it needs some packages called GLIBC_2.5 and 2.14.

That is incorrect. What it does need is a glibc package that is at least version 2.15 (current glibc release is 2.21).

sudo apt-get install libc6
I get the output as libc6 is already the newest version.

What is that version? You can find out by running dpkg -l libc6.

It's likely that crunnchbang linux was based on debian 7 (wheezy) which was based on glibc-2.13.

Since a given distribution usually does not update the version of glibc, the latest version on that distribution will continue to be glibc-2.13. So your options are:

• use some other text editor, or
• upgrade your OS to some other distribution, or
• find and install atom that was built for older distribution, or
• compile atom from source, or
• build a newer glibc from source

Be extra careful with that last approach: making a mistake while building or installing system glibc is a very easy way to render your machine unbootable.