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# How to Install Zlib on Ubuntu Linux
- URL: https://itsfoss.com/install-zlib-ubuntu/
- Published: 2021-05-08T15:44:00.000Z
- Updated: 2023-02-14T02:50:05.000Z
- Description: If you try installing Zlib on Ubuntu, it will throw "unable to locate package zlib" error. Here's how to install Zlib on Ubuntu-based Linux distributions.
- Author: Abhishek Prakash
- Tags: Installation 📥

[Zlib](https://zlib.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source library for used for data compression.

As an end user, you are likely to encounter the need of installing Zlib (or zlib devel package) as a dependency of another application.

But here comes the problem. If you try installing Zlib on Ubuntu, it will throw “unable to locate package zlib” error.

```
sudo apt install zlib
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package zlib
```

Why do you see this [unable to locate package error](https://itsfoss.com/unable-to-locate-package-error-ubuntu/)? Because there is no package named zlib.

If you [use the apt search command](https://itsfoss.com/apt-search-command/), you’ll find that the there are a couple of packages that let you install zlib: **zlib1g and zlib1g-dev**. When you have that information, installing them is just one apt command away.

## Install Zlib on Ubuntu-based Linux distributions

Open a terminal and use the following command:

```
sudo apt install zlib1g
```

****Please keep in mind that the the letter before g is 1 (one), not lowercase L. Many people make this mistake while typing the command.***

The other package, zlib1g-dev is development package. Only install it if you require it otherwise you should be good with the main runtime zlib1g package.

```
sudo apt install zlib1g-dev
```

You may also download the source code of Zlib [from its website](https://zlib.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) and install it. However, I won’t recommend going the source code way just for installing zlib unless you have a good reason to do so. For example, if you need the latest or a specific version of zlib which is not available in the distribution’s repository.

It is interesting how seemingly small stuff like installing zlib could become a pain for two reasons: a different package name and the package name containing a “hidden” numeral one (1) which is confused with a lowercase L.

I hope this quick tip helps you. Feel free to drop your questions, suggestions or a simple “thank you” in the comment section.