libstdc++5 in ubuntu Lucid

Apparently ubuntu removed the rather-old libstdc++5 library in Karmic Koala, and it’s still missing in Lucid Lynx. This leads to some 32-bit programs throwing errors like this:

error while loading shared libraries: libstdc++.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

There is a ppa (personal package archive) you can add to re-enable this. Note that it has to be “karmic” even if you’re running a later release. These instructions are taken from the official bug report, and will work for amd64 (not sure about 32-bit architecture).

Add these 2 lines to your /etc/apt/sources.list (or use the package management app):

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/jason-scheunemann/ppa/ubuntu karmic main deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/jason-scheunemann/ppa/ubuntu karmic main

Then import the key and install the required package:
sudo wget -q 'http://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x932062C9CD30EE56' -O - | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get install lib32stdc++5

The full bug as well as several other possible workarounds can be found here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ia32-libs/+bug/431091