How To Fix “libusb-0.1.so.4” Shared Library Error in Ubuntu 64-bit System

In this article, we’ll be discussing how to fix the “libusb-0.1.so.4” shared library error in Ubuntu 64-bit system. This error typically arises when an executable file is unable to find the required shared library, causing the program to fail. We’ll be providing a detailed guide on how to resolve this issue.

Understanding the Error

Before we dive into the solution, let’s understand what this error means. The “libusb-0.1.so.4” is a shared library file that certain programs need to run correctly. If this file is missing or inaccessible, the program will not be able to execute, resulting in the error message.

Enabling MultiArch Support

The first step in resolving this error is to ensure that your Ubuntu system has MultiArch support enabled. MultiArch allows you to install 32-bit libraries on a 64-bit system, which is necessary to fix this error.

You can check if MultiArch is enabled by looking for foreign-architecture i386 in the file /etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg.d/multiarch.

To do this, use the command:

cat /etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg.d/multiarch

If foreign-architecture i386 is not present in the output, you’ll need to enable MultiArch. Run the following command:

echo "foreign-architecture i386" | sudo tee /etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg.d/multiarch

In this command, echo "foreign-architecture i386" creates a string that is then added to the file /etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg.d/multiarch using the tee command. The sudo command is required to execute this as the root user, as normal users do not have write access to this file.

Updating the Package Lists

After enabling MultiArch, you should update your package lists to ensure that your system has the latest information about available packages. You can do this by running:

sudo apt-get update

The sudo apt-get update command fetches the package lists from the repositories and “updates” them to get information on the newest versions of packages and their dependencies.

Installing the Required Library

Now that your system is ready, you can install the 32-bit version of the libusb-0.1-4 library. This can be done with the following command:

sudo apt-get install libusb-0.1-4:i386

In this command, sudo apt-get install is used to install new packages, and libusb-0.1-4:i386 specifies the 32-bit version of the libusb-0.1-4 library.

Alternative Solution: Installing the libusb-dev Package

If the above steps do not resolve the error, or if the 32-bit version of libusb-0.1-4 is not available in your package manager, you can try installing the libusb-dev package instead. This package contains files necessary for building applications that use libusb.

You can install it by running:

sudo apt-get install libusb-dev

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the “libusb-0.1.so.4” shared library error in Ubuntu 64-bit system. Note that these solutions are specific to Ubuntu 12.04, and if you are using a different version of Ubuntu, the package names or steps may vary. If you encounter any issues, feel free to consult the Ubuntu community for further assistance.