🧵 Building libevent, ncurses, and tmux Without sudo on a CentOS Server (While Escaping Anaconda)
This guide shows how to install ncurses, libevent, and tmux locally under $HOME, without sudo, and without interference from Anaconda, on older CentOS systems.
🧼 Step 1: Start a Clean Build Shell
env -i bash --noprofile --norc
Then set up the build environment manually:
export HOME=/home/yourusername
export PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/bin
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=
export LIBRARY_PATH=
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$HOME/local/lib/pkgconfig"
export CFLAGS="-I$HOME/local/include -I$HOME/local/include/ncursesw"
export LDFLAGS="-L$HOME/local/lib -Wl,-rpath=$HOME/local/lib"
📦 Step 2: Install ncurses Locally
If your system is missing the ncursesw headers, or has an old version, build your own:
cd ~/tmux_build
wget https://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/ncurses/ncurses-6.4.tar.gz
tar xf ncurses-6.4.tar.gz
cd ncurses-6.4
./configure --prefix=$HOME/local --with-shared --with-termlib --enable-pc-files --with-pkg-config-libdir=$HOME/local/lib/pkgconfig
make -j4
make install
This will provide the necessary libncursesw headers and libraries for tmux.
📚 Step 3: Build and Install libevent Locally
cd ~/tmux_build
wget https://github.com/libevent/libevent/releases/download/release-2.1.12-stable/libevent-2.1.12-stable.tar.gz
tar xf libevent-2.1.12-stable.tar.gz
cd libevent-2.1.12-stable
./configure --prefix=$HOME/local --disable-samples --disable-openssl
make -j4
make install
💡 Use
--disable-opensslto avoid linking against Anaconda’s OpenSSL, which causes GLIBC version conflicts.
🧱 Step 4: Build and Install tmux Locally
cd ~/tmux_build
wget https://github.com/tmux/tmux/releases/download/3.5a/tmux-3.5a.tar.gz
tar xf tmux-3.5a.tar.gz
cd tmux-3.5a
Run configure with the correct include and lib paths:
./configure --prefix=$HOME/local
make -j4
make install
✅ Step 5: Verify Installation
$HOME/local/bin/tmux -V
You should see:
tmux 3.5a
Optionally, add this to your .bashrc:
echo 'export PATH=$HOME/local/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
🕵️ Step 6: Check for Anaconda Contamination
Make sure no Conda libraries were accidentally linked:
ldd $HOME/local/bin/tmux | grep anaconda
If nothing shows up — your build is clean ✅
🧩 Troubleshooting Tips
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
libevent not found | Ensure PKG_CONFIG_PATH, CFLAGS, and LDFLAGS are correctly set |
forkpty type mismatch | Use env -i bash to avoid Anaconda’s headers polluting the build |
undefined reference to GLIBC_2.xx | You’re linking against Anaconda’s OpenSSL — rebuild libevent with --disable-openssl |
Permission denied to /usr/local/bin | Always use --prefix=$HOME/local and never forget it before make install |
make: No targets specified | configure didn’t run properly or you’re in the wrong directory |
🏁 Done!
You now have a clean, portable, modern tmux installed in $HOME, built on CentOS with no root access, and no risk of Anaconda poisoning your build. 🙌
No sudo, no problem. ✨¥