Alex Ruben
How To Install the Latest Version of CMake on Ubuntu Easily
If you’re working on some pretty serious C++ projects or just curious about the newest features, getting the latest CMake running on Ubuntu can feel kinda tricky sometimes. The official repositories don’t always keep pace, and compiling from source can get messy fast. So, this approach uses a precompiled binary directly from CMake’s releases page—quick, less painful, and… hopefully, more reliable. Once set up, you’ll have a shiny new CMake version ready for all your building needs. Just a heads-up: sometimes things break with permissions or PATH stuff, so be prepared to troubleshoot if needed.
How to Fix Installing the Latest CMake on Ubuntu
Method 1: Using a Simple Install Script
This method saves you typing stuff over and over. It automates downloading the latest CMake binary, extracting it, and adding it to your system PATH so terminal calls can find it. Whispered secret: sometimes, the download link changes or the latest version number needs updating, but if you do it right, it should fetch and set up everything without a fuss. On some setups, it might fail the first time, then magically work after a reboot or re-log—and otherwise, double-check you’ve replaced the <latest_version> placeholder with the actual release number from CMake’s official download page.
Step-by-step
- Open the terminal with Ctrl + Alt + T—your trusty command launcher.
- Create the install script by typing:
- Inside that editor, paste this script:
nano install_CMake.sh
This winds up opening a fresh file in Nano, ready for some magic.
#!/bin/bash # Make sure your system gets updated and you have wget and unzip sudo apt update sudo apt install -y wget unzip # Replacewith the actual version number (e.g., 3.26.4) LATEST_VER= # Use the link with the latest version filled in wget https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v${LATEST_VER}/cmake-${LATEST_VER}-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz # Extract the archive tar -zxvf cmake-${LATEST_VER}-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz # Move it to /usr/local so it’s accessible system-wide sudo mv cmake-${LATEST_VER}-Linux-x86_64 /opt/cmake-${LATEST_VER} # Add it to PATH for current and future sessions echo 'export PATH=/opt/cmake-${LATEST_VER}/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc # Reload bashrc to update environment source ~/.bashrc
Note: Make sure you first visit CMake release page to find the latest version, then replace <latest_version> with, say, 3.26.4.
chmod +x install_CMake.sh
This just allows you to run it like a program, so don’t skip this step or it’ll complain.
./install_CMake.sh
It’ll take a few minutes—downloading, extracting, setting the PATH. Fingers crossed, you don’t get permission errors or missing dependencies. If it stalls, check your internet or permissions.
Verify the Setup
After all that, check if CMake is actually updated:
cmake --version
If everything went well, it should show the latest version number you specified earlier. If not, maybe log out and back in, or restart the terminal.
Extra Tips & Common Bumps
- If the download link or version number changes, just visit CMake’s release page and update your script accordingly—yeah, it’s manual, but at least it works.
- Permissions can sometimes be funky—if you see permission denied errors, run with
sudoor double-check your~/.bashrcmodifications. - On some machines, you might need to restart the terminal or log out and back in for PATH changes to kick in.
- Sometimes, old CMake versions linger because they’re installed via apt—so removing them beforehand with
sudo apt remove --purge cmakecan help clear out conflicts.
Wrap-up
This method is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of editing the script with the latest version info. It’s not rocket science, but sometimes the download links or permissions trip you up—especially if you’re a bit rusty with Linux. Overall, it’s a good way to get up to date fast without compiling from source or messing around too much. Good luck, and here’s hoping this speeds up your dev setup!
Summary
- Create a script to download the latest CMake binary
- Update permissions and make it executable
- Run it and check CMake version
- Fix issues like permissions or outdated links as needed