# Discourse package fails to build through nix-shell
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-package-fails-to-build-through-nix-shell/410198
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Tags:** unsupported-install
**Created:** [August 17, 2026, 10:25am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-package-fails-to-build-through-nix-shell/410198 "2026-08-17T10:25:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 13
### Author:  [@ducks](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ducks)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2026, 3:37am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-package-fails-to-build-through-nix-shell/410198/13 "2026-08-20T03:37:36Z")
nixpkgs had a pretty outdated version of Discourse from January so I opened a PR to update it. I’ve never contributed to nixpkgs so we’ll see how it goes.
>
>
> Backport of https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/548675 to \`release-26.05\`.
>
> Th…is updates Discourse from the outdated \`2026.1.4\` ESR release to \`2026.7.1\`.
>
> Changes: \[official Discourse changelog\](https://releases.discourse.org/changelog/custom?end=v2026.7.1&start=v2026.1.4)
>
> The backport conflict in \`default.nix\` was resolved by retaining \`icu78\` from \`release-26.05\`. The release branch's \`nodejs-slim\_22.libv8\` links against ICU 78; using the generic \`icu\` package causes \`mini\_racer\_extension.so\` to fail with an undefined ICU symbol.
>
> Automation disclosure: OpenAI Codex (GPT-5) assisted with the backport conflict resolution, testing, and drafting this pull request description.
>
> \## Things done
>
>
>
> \- Built on platform:
> - \[x\] x86\_64-linux
> - \[\] aarch64-linux
> - \[\] aarch64-darwin
> \- Tested, as applicable:
> - \[x\] \[NixOS tests\] in \[nixos/tests\].
> - \[x\] \[Package tests\] at \`passthru.tests\`.
> - \[\] Tests in \[lib/tests\] or \[pkgs/test\] for functions and "core" functionality.
> \- \[\] Ran \`nixpkgs-review\` on this PR. See \[nixpkgs-review usage\].
> \- \[\] Tested basic functionality of all binary files, usually in \`./result/bin/\`.
> \- Nixpkgs Release Notes
> - \[\] Package update: when the change is major or breaking.
> \- NixOS Release Notes
> - \[\] Module addition: when adding a new NixOS module.
> - \[\] Module update: when the change is significant.
> \- \[x\] Fits \[CONTRIBUTING.md\], \[pkgs/README.md\], \[maintainers/README.md\] and other READMEs.
> \- \[x\] Follows the \[automation/AI policy\].
>
> \[NixOS tests\]: https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/unstable/index.html#sec-nixos-tests
> \[Package tests\]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/README.md#package-tests
> \[nixpkgs-review usage\]: https://github.com/Mic92/nixpkgs-review#usage
>
> \[CONTRIBUTING.md\]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md
> \[automation/AI policy\]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#automationai-policy
> \[lib/tests\]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/lib/tests
> \[maintainers/README.md\]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/maintainers/README.md
> \[nixos/tests\]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/tests
> \[pkgs/README.md\]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/README.md
> \[pkgs/test\]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/test
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