4.3.4.3 Fixing Errors During Dynamic Linking

When the dynamic linker cannot locate a needed library, it issues this error message:

ld.so: prog: fatal: libmylib.so: can’t open file:

The message indicates that the libraries are not where they are supposed to be. Perhaps you specified paths to shared libraries when the executable was built, but the libraries have subsequently been moved. For example, you might have built a.out with your own dynamic libraries in /my/libs/, and then later moved the libraries to another directory.

Use ldd to determine where the executable expects to find the libraries:

demo% ldd a.out
libfui.so.1 =>   /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfui.so.1
    libfai.so.1 =>   /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfai.so.1
    libfai2.so.1 =>  /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfai2.so.1
    libfsumai.so.1 =>    /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfsumai.so.1
    libfprodai.so.1 =>   /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfprodai.so.1
    libfminlai.so.1 =>   /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfminlai.so.1
    libfmaxlai.so.1 =>   /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfmaxlai.so.1
    libfminvai.so.1 =>   /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfminvai.so.1
    libfmaxvai.so.1 =>   /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfmaxvai.so.1
    libfsu.so.1 =>   /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libfsu.so.1
    libsunmath.so.1 =>   /opt/SUNWspro/lib/libsunmath.so.1
    libm.so.1 =>     /usr/lib/libm.so.1
    libc.so.1 =>     /usr/lib/libc.so.1
    libdl.so.1 =>    /usr/lib/libdl.so.1
    /usr/platform/SUNW,Ultra-5_10/lib/libc_psr.so.1

If possible, move or copy the libraries into the proper directory or make a soft link to the directory (using ln -s) in the directory that the linker is searching. Or, it could be that LD_LIBRARY_PATH is not set correctly. Check that LD_LIBRARY_PATH includes the path to the needed libraries at runtime.