Description

After npm install -g deepseek-tui, the downloaded prebuilt binary fails to start on Linux distributions with glibc older than 2.39:

/root/.npm/node_modules/lib/node_modules/deepseek-tui/bin/downloads/deepseek:
/lib64/libm.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.29' not found
/lib64/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.29' not found
...
/lib64/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.39' not found

Root cause

The prebuilt Linux binaries are compiled on ubuntu-latest (currently Ubuntu 24.04, glibc 2.39). The resulting binaries link against glibc 2.39 symbols and will not run on any distribution with an older glibc.

This affects a broad range of enterprise Linux distributions still in wide use:

All of these are excluded by the current build configuration.

Steps to reproduce

1. On any Linux system with glibc < 2.39 (e.g. TencentOS 3.2 / CentOS 8 / Ubuntu 22.04)
2. Run npm install -g deepseek-tui
3. Run deepseek-tui
4. Observe the GLIBC_X.YY not found errors

Expected behavior

Either:

• The prebuilt binary runs on a wider range of glibc versions (ideally ≥2.28, covering RHEL 8+), or
• The npm postinstall script detects the glibc version and gives a clear error message directing users to build from source (cargo install deepseek-tui)

Possible fix directions

1. Build with an older glibc target — use ubuntu-22.04 runner (glibc 2.35) or ubuntu-20.04 (glibc 2.31) in the release workflow, or add a dedicated build job on an older runner for maximum compatibility.

2. Use cross with a CentOS 7 image — build against CentOS 7 sysroot (glibc 2.17) via cross or cargo-zigbuild for maximum backward compatibility.

3. Static linking — link musl statically (x86_64-unknown-linux-musl) to eliminate the glibc dependency entirely.

4. At minimum — document the minimum glibc version requirement in README, INSTALL.md, and print a clear error message in the npm postinstall script when the host glibc is too old.

Environment

• OS: TencentOS Server 3.2 (RHEL/CentOS 8 compatible)
• glibc: 2.28
• deepseek-tui version: latest (via npm)
• Install method: npm install -g deepseek-tui