In this post I want to show you how to install Cisco Packet Tracer 9.0.0 on Ubuntu 26.04 and how to fix the libOpenGL.so.0 missing library error that you may encounter after the installation.
Cisco Packet Tracer is a network simulation tool developed by Cisco. The tool allows you to build, configure and troubleshoot networks in a virtual environment. It is widely used by students and network engineers who are preparing for Cisco certifications.
Table of Contents
- Prerequisites
- Download Cisco Packet Tracer
- Install Cisco Packet Tracer
- Launch Cisco Packet Tracer
- Fix the libOpenGL.so.0 missing library error
- Confirm that Cisco Packet Tracer is working
Prerequisites
Before you start, you need to have the following:
- A machine running Ubuntu 26.04.
- A user account with sudo privileges.
- A Cisco Networking Academy account to download Packet Tracer.
Download Cisco Packet Tracer
To download Cisco Packet Tracer, you need to log in to your Cisco Networking Academy account. Navigate to the Packet Tracer download page and download the .deb package for Ubuntu 64-bit.
In my lab, I will use Ubuntu 26.04. After downloading the file, you can confirm that the .deb package is in your Downloads directory.
petru@ubuntu2604:~/Downloads$ ls CiscoPacketTracer_900_Ubuntu_64bit.debInstall Cisco Packet Tracer
To install Cisco Packet Tracer, you need to run the following command. The apt install command will install the .deb package along with any dependencies.
petru@ubuntu2604:~/Downloads$ sudo apt-get install ./CiscoPacketTracer_900_Ubuntu_64bit.deb
During the installation, you will be prompted to accept the Cisco Packet Tracer EULA. You need to accept it in order to proceed with the installation.
After the installation is complete, you can confirm that Packet Tracer is installed by checking the /opt/pt directory.
petru@ubuntu2604:~/Downloads$ ls /opt/ptpackettracer.AppImage packettracer.AppImage-log.txtpetru@ubuntu2604:~/Downloads$ 
Launch Cisco Packet Tracer
After the installation, you can try to launch Cisco Packet Tracer by running the packettracer command from the terminal.
petru@ubuntu2604:~/Downloads$ packettracer Cisco_Packet_Tracer_9.0.0:b3ff134c88b008deda94147e4c7ac664:/opt/pt/packettracer.AppImage./PacketTracer: error while loading shared libraries: libOpenGL.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
As you can see in the above output, Packet Tracer fails to start. The error message indicates that the shared library libOpenGL.so.0 is missing from the system.
Fix the libOpenGL.so.0 missing library error
The error occurs because Ubuntu 26.04 does not include the libopengl0 package by default. Packet Tracer 9.0.0 ships as an AppImage that bundles most of its dependencies, but it still expects certain low-level system libraries to be provided by the host operating system.
To fix this issue, you need to install the libopengl0 package. This package provides the libOpenGL.so.0 shared library, which is part of the libglvnd (GL Vendor-Neutral Dispatch) framework.
petru@ubuntu2604:~/Downloads$ sudo apt install libopengl0[sudo: authenticate] Password: Installing: libopengl0Summary: Upgrading: 0, Installing: 1, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 1 Download size: 32.8 kB Space needed: 224 kB / 30.6 GB availableGet:1 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute/main amd64 libopengl0 amd64 1.7.0-3 [32.8 kB]Fetched 32.8 kB in 0s (699 kB/s) Selecting previously unselected package libopengl0:amd64.(Reading database… 221738 files and directories currently installed.)Preparing to unpack …/libopengl0_1.7.0-3_amd64.deb…Unpacking libopengl0:amd64 (1.7.0-3)…Setting up libopengl0:amd64 (1.7.0-3)…Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.43-2ubuntu2)…
Confirm that Cisco Packet Tracer is working
After installing the missing library, try to launch Cisco Packet Tracer again.
petru@ubuntu2604:~/Downloads$ packettracer
Cisco Packet Tracer should now start without any errors. You will be prompted to log in with your Cisco Networking Academy account.
Great job. You have installed Cisco Packet Tracer 9.0.0 on Ubuntu 26.04 and fixed the libOpenGL.so.0 missing library error.
Want to learn networking?
If you enjoyed this post and want to build a solid foundation in networking, I invite you to enrol in my upcoming Networking Essentials course. I will be teaching this course online at my Gulian Technology Academy, which is a Cisco Networking Academy. The course starts on 31 May 2026 at 10:00 BST.
This is a great opportunity for beginners who want to understand how networks work and for anyone preparing for a career in IT and networking.
You can enrol using the following link: Enrol in Networking Essentials
I look forward to seeing you in the course!