libmceliece: Full Installation Guide
libmceliece Installation Guide
Complete guide for installing libmceliece — a high-performance C implementation of the McEliece post-quantum cryptosystem — from source globally on Linux systems.
Note: If you see warnings like this script does not know how to check instruction-set extensions without python3-capstone, install python3-capstone for accurate CPU detection.
Prerequisites
Install all necessary dependencies:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y autoconf build-essential clang python3 python3-pip gcc valgrind libcpucycles-dev librandombytes-dev python3-capstone wget curl make man-dbPackage Categories
| Category | Packages |
|---|---|
| Build Tools | gcc, clang, build-essential, make |
| Testing Tools | valgrind |
| Crypto Dependencies | libcpucycles-dev, librandombytes-dev |
| Python Environment | python3, python3-pip, python3-capstone |
| Network & CLI | wget, curl, man-db |
Download Source
Fetch the latest libmceliece release:
# Download latest version
wget https://lib.mceliece.org/libmceliece-latest-version.txt
version=$(cat libmceliece-latest-version.txt)
wget https://lib.mceliece.org/libmceliece-$version.tar.gz
tar -xzf libmceliece-$version.tar.gz
cd libmceliece-$versionBuild & Install
Configure, build and install the library:
./configure
make -j$(nproc)
sudo make installThis installs to /usr/local.
Installation Locations
- • Headers:
/usr/local/include/ - • Libraries:
/usr/local/lib/ - • Binaries:
/usr/local/bin/ - • Man pages:
/usr/local/man/
Testing & Verification
Run the test suite and configure the system:
Run Test Suite
make checkConfigure Dynamic Linker
sudo ldconfigVerify the installation:
ldconfig -p | grep mceliecels /usr/local/include | grep mceliecemceliece-keygen --helpTroubleshooting
Missing Capstone Warning
Error: this script does not know how to check instruction-set extensions without python3-capstone
Fix: sudo apt install python3-capstone
Missing Libraries
Error: Missing libraries like libcpucycles or librandombytes
Fix: sudo apt install libcpucycles-dev librandombytes-dev
Package Reference
Complete package breakdown by function:
| Category | Packages |
|---|---|
| Build Tools | gcc, clang, build-essential, make |
| Testing Tools | valgrind |
| Post-quantum Dependencies | libcpucycles-dev, librandombytes-dev |
| Python Environment | python3, python3-pip, python3-capstone |
| Network & CLI Tools | wget, curl, man-db |
Optional Verification
Additional checks for complete setup:
Verify All Prerequisites
gcc --version
clang --version
python3 --version
python3 -c "import capstone; print('Capstone OK')"If all commands print versions or success messages, your prerequisites are ready.
References
Version: Based on 2025.04.28 release.