<p>Bitcoin Core does not install libsecp256k1. It is packaged into the binary itself so it is not installed into the system. If libsecp256k1 is not available in your system's package managers (which it probably shouldn't because it isn't officially distributed AFAIK), you can install it <a href="https://github.com/bitcoin-core/secp256k1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">from source</a>. The instructions for that are directly in the README.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-03T01:15:11.070Z
2019-09-03T01:15:11.070Z
Ava Chow
<p>This link was provided concerning this issue on github:</p>

<p><a href="https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum-docs/blob/master/libsecp256k1-linux.rst" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum-docs/blob/master/libsecp256k1-linux.rst</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-05T02:49:33.877Z
2019-09-05T02:49:33.877Z
Zach
<p>I'm having trouble running electrum from source. </p>

<p>Seems I need to install libsecp256k1 (but I have bitcoin core v.18 installed so i thought i already had it). Electrum has docs about this: <a href="https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum-docs/blob/master/libsecp256k1-linux.rst#1-using-package-manager" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum-docs/blob/master/libsecp256k1-linux.rst#1-using-package-manager</a>. But this command doesn't find anything on linux mint???</p>

<pre><code>Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "run_electrum", line 80, in &lt;module&gt;
    from electrum.logging import get_logger, configure_logging
  File "/home/zach/electrum/electrum/electrum/__init__.py", line 3, in &lt;module&gt;
    from .wallet import Wallet
  File "/home/zach/electrum/electrum/electrum/wallet.py", line 50, in &lt;module&gt;
    from .simple_config import get_config
  File "/home/zach/electrum/electrum/electrum/simple_config.py", line 13, in &lt;module&gt;
    from . import constants
  File "/home/zach/electrum/electrum/electrum/constants.py", line 30, in &lt;module&gt;
    from . import bitcoin
  File "/home/zach/electrum/electrum/electrum/bitcoin.py", line 34, in &lt;module&gt;
    from . import ecc
  File "/home/zach/electrum/electrum/electrum/ecc.py", line 45, in &lt;module&gt;
    do_monkey_patching_of_python_ecdsa_internals_with_libsecp256k1()
  File "/home/zach/electrum/electrum/electrum/ecc_fast.py", line 189, in do_monkey_patching_of_python_ecdsa_internals_with_libsecp256k1
    raise Exception('libsecp256k1 library not available. '
Exception: libsecp256k1 library not available. Verifying Lightning channels is too computationally expensive without libsecp256k1, aborting.`
</code></pre>

<electrum>
having trouble installing electrum, can't find libsecp256k1
Zach
# having trouble installing electrum, can't find libsecp256k1

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-09-02)

I'm having trouble running electrum from source.

Seems I need to install libsecp256k1 (but I have bitcoin core v.18 installed so i thought i already had it). Electrum has docs about this: <https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum-docs/blob/master/libsecp256k1-linux.rst#1-using-package-manager>. But this command doesn't find anything on linux mint???

```
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "run_electrum", line 80, in <module>
    from electrum.logging import get_logger, configure_logging
  File "/home/username_0/electrum/electrum/electrum/__init__.py", line 3, in <module>
    from .wallet import Wallet
  File "/home/username_0/electrum/electrum/electrum/wallet.py", line 50, in <module>
    from .simple_config import get_config
  File "/home/username_0/electrum/electrum/electrum/simple_config.py", line 13, in <module>
    from . import constants
  File "/home/username_0/electrum/electrum/electrum/constants.py", line 30, in <module>
    from . import bitcoin
  File "/home/username_0/electrum/electrum/electrum/bitcoin.py", line 34, in <module>
    from . import ecc
  File "/home/username_0/electrum/electrum/electrum/ecc.py", line 45, in <module>
    do_monkey_patching_of_python_ecdsa_internals_with_libsecp256k1()
  File "/home/username_0/electrum/electrum/electrum/ecc_fast.py", line 189, in do_monkey_patching_of_python_ecdsa_internals_with_libsecp256k1
    raise Exception('libsecp256k1 library not available. '
Exception: libsecp256k1 library not available. Verifying Lightning channels is too computationally expensive without libsecp256k1, aborting.`

```

**Tags:** electrum


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-09-03. Score: 2

Bitcoin Core does not install libsecp256k1. It is packaged into the binary itself so it is not installed into the system. If libsecp256k1 is not available in your system's package managers (which it probably shouldn't because it isn't officially distributed AFAIK), you can install it [from source](https://github.com/bitcoin-core/secp256k1). The instructions for that are directly in the README.


---

### Answer by username_0 on 2019-09-05. Score: 0

This link was provided concerning this issue on github:

<https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum-docs/blob/master/libsecp256k1-linux.rst>


---

