Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@jfbvm
Last active May 12, 2026 14:00
Show Gist options
  • Select an option

  • Save jfbvm/e1f48864977676f1122202666ad66a2b to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.

Select an option

Save jfbvm/e1f48864977676f1122202666ad66a2b to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Update curl to 8.20.0
Due to longstanding issues with **Debian**, **Ubuntu**, and related Ubuntu derivatives (Linux Mint, Pop!_OS etc) shipping outdated, broken, or insecure versions of curl, users are often left exposed to critical bugs or missing features — with no timely resolution provided by their distribution.
The only exception to this is **Debian**, which offers a supported upgrade path via backports.
To help address this, @Cyber5imon [has shared](https://github.com/abraunegg/onedrive/issues/2991) a working script that manually upgrades curl to version v8.11.0. The details below have been updated to the latest 'curl' release:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# Upgrade curl to v8.20.0
sudo apt-get install -y nghttp2 libnghttp2-dev libssl-dev libpsl-dev build-essential wget
wget https://curl.se/download/curl-8.20.0.tar.xz
tar -xvf curl-8.20.0.tar.xz
rm curl-8.20.0.tar.xz
cd curl-8.20.0
./configure --prefix=/usr/local --with-ssl --with-nghttp2 --enable-versioned-symbols
make
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig
cd ..
rm -r curl-8.20.0
curl --version
```
While outcomes may vary depending on your environment, this approach has been tested and verified by community users on both Debian and Ubuntu.
> [!IMPORTANT]
> If you choose to manually build and install curl, you are fully responsible for maintaining it going forward. This includes staying on top of future security updates and rebuilding as needed.
>
> If this maintenance burden is unacceptable, you should:
> * Complain loudly to your distribution to provide timely updates to curl, OR
> * Switch to a more actively maintained distribution that delivers timely security and feature updates — such as:
> * Linux Mint Debian Edition
> * Arch Linux
> * Manjaro
> * Fedora
> * openSUSE Tumbleweed
### Instructions for Debian 12 and Linux Mint Debian Edition 6 (LMDE6)
If you are using Debian 12 or Linux Mint Debian Edition 6 (LMDE6), a supported `curl` upgrade path is available:
* Ensure your system has Debian 12 Backports enabled:
* https://backports.debian.org/Instructions/
* Install the latest `curl` and `libcurl` packages using:
```
sudo apt-get install -t bookworm-backports -y curl libcurl4
```
This is the preferred method on Debian 12 and derivatives, as it avoids the need for manual compilation while still delivering an up-to-date version of `curl`.
Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment