Sometimes you need an older glibc version because some application just won’t cooperate with your system’s default. Here’s how to install multiple versions side by side. 🛠️

Tested on Pop!_OS 24.04

Install build dependencies

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sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential gawk bison

Download and compile glibc

Grab the version you need from the GNU FTP:

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wget https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/glibc/glibc-2.38.tar.bz2
tar -xvf glibc-2.38.tar.bz2
cd glibc-2.38

Create a separate build directory (glibc insists on this 🙄):

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mkdir build && cd build
../configure --prefix=/usr/local/glibc-2.38
make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install

This takes a while. Go grab a coffee. ☕

Using the custom glibc

Point your application to the custom library:

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export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/glibc-2.38/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
./your-stubborn-application

Or use LD_PRELOAD for a single run:

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LD_PRELOAD=/usr/local/glibc-2.38/lib/libc.so.6 ./your-app

That’s it. Now your legacy apps can live happily alongside modern ones. 🎉