Problem

In the recent android studio update, google uses a libstdc++ that is incompatible with the intel driver installed on the system. This will cause an error like below:

Cannot launch AVD in emulator.
Output:
libGL error: unable to load driver: i965_dri.so
libGL error: driver pointer missing
libGL error: failed to load driver: i965
libGL error: unable to load driver: i965_dri.so
libGL error: driver pointer missing
libGL error: failed to load driver: i965
libGL error: unable to load driver: swrast_dri.so
libGL error: failed to load driver: swrast
X Error of failed request:  GLXBadContext
  Major opcode of failed request:  155 (GLX)
  Minor opcode of failed request:  6 (X_GLXIsDirect)
  Serial number of failed request:  55
  Current serial number in output stream:  54
libGL error: unable to load driver: i965_dri.so
libGL error: driver pointer missing
libGL error: failed to load driver: i965
libGL error: unable to load driver: i965_dri.so
libGL error: driver pointer missing
libGL error: failed to load driver: i965
libGL error: unable to load driver: swrast_dri.so
libGL error: failed to load driver: swrast
X Error of failed request:  GLXBadContext
  Major opcode of failed request:  155 (GLX)

Solution

Install missing packages

You first have to install the following packages if they are not on your system.

lib64stdc++6 
mesa-utils

Use below command to install these packages

sudo apt-get install lib64stdc++6 mesa-utils

Create symbol links

Then symlink the libraries to the android sdk lib64 path accordingly.

For the /<your-android-sdk>/tools path

cd ~/<your-android-sdk>/tools/lib64/libstdc++
# backup your file first
sudo mv libstdc++.so.6 libstdc++.so.6.orig
# symlink
sudo ln -s /usr/lib64/libstdc++.so.6  ~/<your-android-sdk>/tools/lib64/libstdc++

For the /<your-android-sdk>/emulator path

cd ~/<your-android-sdk>/emulator/lib64/libstdc++
# backup your file first
sudo mv libstdc++.so.6 libstdc++.so.6.orig 
# symlink
sudo ln -s /usr/lib64/libstdc++.so.6 ~/<your-android-sdk>/emulator/lib64/libstdc++

Another possible solution

Add the missing CPU architecture that should be supported.

vim /etc/apt/sources.list 

Add this line at the end of the sources list file:

deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/ jessie main contrib non-free

Then run below commands

 

apt-get update && apt-get upgrade -y

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386;

sudo apt-get install libstdc++6:i386 -y

 

After these steps, then follow the “Create symbol links” section for subsequent actions.