I don't know why there is a libc5-dev. If I install a new kernel, it comes with its only kernel headers. Is it necessary to install lib5-dev in order to compile programs. Also, if I install libc5-dev, can I still install a newer version of linux kernel whenever it is available. libc5-dev: The Linux C library version 5 (development files). - Includes libc headers, kernel headers (v2.0) and static libraries.