kpsewhich: /lib64/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.14' not found (required by kpsewhich)

[Henri Menke]

On 15/05/21, 10:03, Harald Koenig via tex-live wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> a german TeX user with Scientific Linux 6.10 got this error msg
> 
>   kpsewhich: /lib64/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.14' not found (required by kpsewhich)
> 
> after 3+ hours of downloads when trying to build format files etc.
> 
> I notice that Scientific Linux is "end of life":
> 
>       https://scientificlinux.org/downloads/sl-versions/sl6/
>       As of November 2020 SL 6 is End Of Life, you should not perform new installations of this operating system.
> 
> and I already suggested to consider an update. 
> but I have two questions:
> 
> - which linux system do you use to build TL 2021 binaries ?

Debian Jessie (unless it changed, Norbert knowns more)

> - why does TL installation start and work up to format generation at all?
> are all binaries needed for installation (perl, curl, ... ?) used from the distro ?

Yes, utilities from the distros are preferred.

> I've checked the TL binaries and notice that some (few) of them do not have GLIBC_2.14 requirements,
> are those build on a different version, or is it just that they don't use any GLIBC calls which got changed in 2.14 ?

You only get the GLIBC_2.14 error when you are trying to use a symbol
that has changed or was introduced in that version.

What you can try to do is compile a newer version of glibc manually, but
don't install it system-wide, as that will mess up everything. Instead
place it, e.g. in the TeX Live tree and use LD_PRELOAD or use the
patchelf utility to adjust the rpath of the binaries.

In the long run it's probably better to switch to a newer system.

Cheers, Henri

> autosp
> bbox
> bg5conv
> biber
> cef5conv
> cefconv
> cefsconv
> ctwill-refsort
> ctwill-twinx
> disdvi
> dvi2tty
> dvidvi
> extconv
> kpseaccess
> kpsereadlink
> kpsestat
> mag
> msxlint
> pdfclose
> pdfopen
> pk2bm
> sjisconv
> tex2aspc
> tex2xindy
> 
> 
> thanks,
> 
> Harald
> -- 
> "I hope to die                                      ___       _____
> before I *have* to use Microsoft Word.",           0--,|    /OOOOOOO\
> Donald E. Knuth, 02-Oct-2001 in Tuebingen.        <_/  /  /OOOOOOOOOOO\
>                                                     \  \/OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO\
>                                                       \ OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO|//
>                                                        \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
> Harald Koenig                                           //  /     \\  \
> harald.koenig at mailbox.org                              ^^^^^       ^^^^^