diff --git a/scripts/install_coyote.ps1 b/scripts/install_coyote.ps1
index 5f8a27c..3103789 100644
--- a/scripts/install_coyote.ps1
+++ b/scripts/install_coyote.ps1
@@ -65,8 +65,17 @@ if ($os -eq 'windows') {
   try { getconf GNU_LIBC_VERSION *> $null; if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) { $libc = 'gnu' } } catch { }
   try { if ((ldd --version 2>&1 | Out-String) -imatch 'glibc') { $libc = 'gnu' } } catch { }
   if ($libc -eq 'gnu') {
+    # ldconfig lives in /usr/sbin on Debian/Ubuntu, often missing from non-root
+    # PATHs, so try its known locations and fall back to probing library dirs.
     $libssl3 = $false
-    try { if ((ldconfig -p 2>&1 | Out-String) -match 'libssl\.so\.3') { $libssl3 = $true } } catch { }
+    foreach ($ldc in @('ldconfig', '/sbin/ldconfig', '/usr/sbin/ldconfig')) {
+      try { if ((& $ldc -p 2>&1 | Out-String) -match 'libssl\.so\.3') { $libssl3 = $true; break } } catch { }
+    }
+    if (-not $libssl3) {
+      foreach ($libDir in @('/usr/lib/*/libssl.so.3', '/lib/*/libssl.so.3', '/usr/lib64/libssl.so.3', '/usr/lib/libssl.so.3', '/usr/local/lib/libssl.so.3', '/usr/local/lib/*/libssl.so.3')) {
+        if (Get-Item -Path $libDir -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) { $libssl3 = $true; break }
+      }
+    }
     if ($libssl3) {
       $candidates += "coyote-$arch-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz"
     } else {
diff --git a/scripts/install_coyote.sh b/scripts/install_coyote.sh
index b6c6e58..9692e36 100755
--- a/scripts/install_coyote.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_coyote.sh
@@ -121,7 +121,22 @@ elif [[ "$OS" == "linux" ]]; then
   if ldd --version 2>&1 | grep -qi glibc; then LIBC="gnu"; fi
 
   if [[ "$LIBC" == "gnu" ]]; then
-    if ldconfig -p 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'libssl\.so\.3'; then
+    # The gnu binary dynamically links OpenSSL 3. On Debian/Ubuntu, ldconfig lives
+    # in /usr/sbin, which is often missing from non-root PATHs, so try its known
+    # locations and fall back to probing the usual library directories directly.
+    LIBSSL3=""
+    for LDCONFIG in ldconfig /sbin/ldconfig /usr/sbin/ldconfig; do
+      if command -v "$LDCONFIG" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if "$LDCONFIG" -p 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'libssl\.so\.3'; then LIBSSL3="yes"; fi
+        break
+      fi
+    done
+    if [[ -z "$LIBSSL3" ]]; then
+      for LIBSSL_CANDIDATE in /usr/lib/*/libssl.so.3 /lib/*/libssl.so.3 /usr/lib64/libssl.so.3 /usr/lib/libssl.so.3 /usr/local/lib/libssl.so.3 /usr/local/lib/*/libssl.so.3; do
+        if [[ -e "$LIBSSL_CANDIDATE" ]]; then LIBSSL3="yes"; break; fi
+      done
+    fi
+    if [[ -n "$LIBSSL3" ]]; then
       ASSET_CANDIDATES+=("coyote-${ARCH}-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz")
     else
       log "glibc detected but OpenSSL 3 (libssl.so.3) not found; using musl build"