How to Install CMake on Rocky Linux EL9 or EL8

Guides 11792 Published 2023-01-26 15:35 by Philipp Esselbach

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The guide explains that Rocky Linux’s base repositories ship an older CMake (≤ 3.21), so for modern projects it recommends pulling the newer 3.23‑3.27 builds from AppStream on EL9 or EPEL on EL8, and if those are still too old you can compile the latest release yourself. On EL9 you simply run `sudo dnf install cmake`, whereas on EL8 you first enable epel-release, then install CMake, but any version beyond 3.23 requires downloading a source tarball, installing development tools, configuring with a custom prefix to avoid clashing with the system path, building with parallel jobs and installing into /opt before adding that bin directory to your PATH. The instructions also show how to verify the installation by running `cmake --version` and checking that the expected version appears, plus how to troubleshoot common hiccups such as missing zlib-devel or stale module metadata. Finally, it reminds you to clean dnf caches before reinstalling and to use sudo carefully when installing into non‑standard locations so you don’t interfere with the distro’s package manager.

Install CMake on Rocky Linux 9 (EL9) and 8 (EL8) – The Quick‑and‑Dirty Guide

You’ll learn how to get the latest CMake up and running on both EL8 and EL9 with minimal fuss, plus a few tricks for when the default repos bite back.

Why the default repo is usually a no‑go

Rocky Linux ships with a 3.21 or older build of CMake in its base repositories. If you’re trying to compile modern libraries (think OpenCV 4.8 or Qt 6) this version will give you headaches. The package is locked to the distro’s release cycle, and there are no “update me” hooks for newer releases.

Pulling the newest CMake from AppStream on EL9

On Rocky 9 the AppStream channel has a 3.27 build that keeps up with upstream. It’s a one‑liner:

sudo dnf install cmake

The dnf resolver automatically pulls in the AppStream version, which is newer than the legacy repo. If you’re already on EL8 and just typed dnf install cmake, you’ll end up with 3.21 again. The trick is to explicitly ask for the AppStream stream:

sudo dnf module enable cmake:devel
sudo dnf install cmake

The module system lets you lock in a specific major release, and cmake:devel points to the latest development branch.

Installing CMake on EL8 via EPEL

EL8 lacks AppStream’s modern CMake, but EPEL supplies a 3.23 build that is more than enough for most projects. First enable EPEL:

sudo dnf install epel-release

Then grab CMake:

sudo dnf install cmake

If you want an even newer release (say 3.27) you’ll need to compile from source, because the EPEL package lags behind upstream.

Compiling CMake yourself when the repo is stuck

When you truly need a bleeding‑edge version—maybe your project requires a feature added in CMake 3.28—you can build it from source. The steps are:

1. Get the latest tarball

Download it straight from the official site. I once had to do this for a custom firmware build that required CMake’s new -E script features.

wget https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v3.28.0/cmake-3.28.0.tar.gz
tar xf cmake-3.28.0.tar.gz
cd cmake-3.28.0

2. Install build dependencies

CMake needs a compiler, make, and some dev libs.

sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"
sudo dnf install zlib-devel libffi-devel

3. Configure with a prefix you control

Don’t clutter the system PATH—install it to /opt/cmake-3.28.

./bootstrap --prefix=/opt/cmake-3.28

4. Compile and install

This is where you burn CPU cycles but also confirm everything compiles on your machine.

make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install

5. Make the new CMake visible

Add /opt/cmake-3.28/bin to your PATH, or create a symlink.

echo 'export PATH=/opt/cmake-3.28/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bash_profile
source ~/.bash_profile

Now cmake --version should report 3.28.x, and you’re good to go.

Checking your installation

A quick sanity check:

cmake --version

You should see the version number you just installed. If it still shows the old 3.21 from the base repo, double‑check that your PATH points to the newer binary first, or that you enabled the right module.

Common hiccups and how I dealt with them

“Could not find zlib” – On EL8 you need zlib-devel.
AppStream modules stale – Run sudo dnf clean all before re‑installing.
Permissions error during make install – Use sudo, but avoid installing to /usr/local if you don’t want to clash with the distro’s package manager.

If a tool feels bloated, feel free to skip it. For CMake, the source route is lightweight enough once you’ve got the dependencies sorted.

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