Nix-shell -p supertux fails

lexer_and_parser · February 26, 2026, 1:21am

When I run nix-shell -p supertux I expect the supertux program to become available/runnable. Instead I get an error message, indicating failure in the configuration phase. I am on nixos-unstable

NixOS Search

Running phase: configurePhase
cmake flags: -DCMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY=OFF -DCMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY=OFF -DCMAKE_EXPORT_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY=ON -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LOCALEDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/share/locale -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBEXECDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/libexec -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/lib -DCMAKE_INSTALL_DOCDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/share/doc/SUPERTUX -DCMAKE_INSTALL_INFODIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/share/info -DCMAKE_INSTALL_MANDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/share/man -DCMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/include -DCMAKE_INSTALL_SBINDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/sbin -DCMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/bin -DCMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_DIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/lib -DCMAKE_STRIP=/nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/strip -DCMAKE_RANLIB=/nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/ranlib -DCMAKE_AR=/nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/ar -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=gcc -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=g++ -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3 -DENABLE_BOOST_STATIC_LIBS=OFF
CMake Warning (dev) at CMakeLists.txt:37 (project):
  cmake_minimum_required() should be called prior to this top-level project()
  call.  Please see the cmake-commands(7) manual for usage documentation of
  both commands.
This warning is for project developers.  Use -Wno-dev to suppress it.

-- The C compiler identification is GNU 15.2.0
-- The CXX compiler identification is GNU 15.2.0
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working C compiler: /nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/gcc - skipped
-- Detecting C compile features
-- Detecting C compile features - done
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: /nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/g++ - skipped
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
CMake Error at /nix/store/adv73gqmglkg48w5ql70s778ba6wpbs4-boost-1.89.0-dev/lib/cmake/Boost-1.89.0/BoostConfig.cmake:141 (find_package):
  Could not find a package configuration file provided by "boost_system"
  (requested version 1.89.0) with any of the following names:

    boost_systemConfig.cmake
    boost_system-config.cmake

  Add the installation prefix of "boost_system" to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH or set
  "boost_system_DIR" to a directory containing one of the above files.  If
  "boost_system" provides a separate development package or SDK, be sure it
  has been installed.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  /nix/store/adv73gqmglkg48w5ql70s778ba6wpbs4-boost-1.89.0-dev/lib/cmake/Boost-1.89.0/BoostConfig.cmake:262 (boost_find_component)
  CMakeLists.txt:174 (find_package)


-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
error: Cannot build '/nix/store/in6dryywcqygsk71l9gqw1d8i6nyyb67-supertux-0.6.3.drv'.
       Reason: builder failed with exit code 1.
       Output paths:
         /nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3
       Last 25 log lines:
       > -- Check for working C compiler: /nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/gcc - skipped
       > -- Detecting C compile features
       > -- Detecting C compile features - done
       > -- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
       > -- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
       > -- Check for working CXX compiler: /nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/g++ - skipped
       > -- Detecting CXX compile features
       > -- Detecting CXX compile features - done
       > CMake Error at /nix/store/adv73gqmglkg48w5ql70s778ba6wpbs4-boost-1.89.0-dev/lib/cmake/Boost-1.89.0/BoostConfig.cmake:141 (find_package):
       >   Could not find a package configuration file provided by "boost_system"
       >   (requested version 1.89.0) with any of the following names:
       >
       >     boost_systemConfig.cmake
       >     boost_system-config.cmake
       >
       >   Add the installation prefix of "boost_system" to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH or set
       >   "boost_system_DIR" to a directory containing one of the above files.  If
       >   "boost_system" provides a separate development package or SDK, be sure it
       >   has been installed.
       > Call Stack (most recent call first):
       >   /nix/store/adv73gqmglkg48w5ql70s778ba6wpbs4-boost-1.89.0-dev/lib/cmake/Boost-1.89.0/BoostConfig.cmake:262 (boost_find_component)
       >   CMakeLists.txt:174 (find_package)
       >
       >
       > -- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
       For full logs, run:
         nix log /nix/store/in6dryywcqygsk71l9gqw1d8i6nyyb67-supertux-0.6.3.drv

I guess this is part of unstability that comes with the unstable-branch of nixpkgs. What can one do in such a situation? Manually patch the configuration phase in the package.nix file at nixpkgs/pkgs/by-name/su/superTux/package.nix at e764fc9a405871f1f6ca3d1394fb422e0a0c3951 · NixOS/nixpkgs · GitHub ? And build it yourself with nix-build? (I am not that knowledgeable with cmake/whatever boost is)

lexer_and_parser · February 26, 2026, 1:26am

full error log

Running phase: unpackPhase
@nix { “action”: “setPhase”, “phase”: “unpackPhase” }
unpacking source archive /nix/store/zqb2np0p0yrq8a6hx9zm2l38bx9ax7w5-SuperTux-v0.6.3-Source.tar.gz
source root is SuperTux-v0.6.3-Source
setting SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH to timestamp 1640214235 of file “SuperTux-v0.6.3-Source/external/discord-sdk/src/discord_register_linux.cpp”
Running phase: patchPhase
@nix { “action”: “setPhase”, “phase”: “patchPhase” }
Running phase: updateAutotoolsGnuConfigScriptsPhase
@nix { “action”: “setPhase”, “phase”: “updateAutotoolsGnuConfigScriptsPhase” }
Updating Autotools / GNU config script to a newer upstream version: ./external/SDL_ttf/config.sub
Updating Autotools / GNU config script to a newer upstream version: ./external/SDL_ttf/external/freetype-2.4.12/builds/unix/config.sub
Updating Autotools / GNU config script to a newer upstream version: ./external/SDL_ttf/config.guess
Updating Autotools / GNU config script to a newer upstream version: ./external/SDL_ttf/external/freetype-2.4.12/builds/unix/config.guess
Running phase: configurePhase
@nix { “action”: “setPhase”, “phase”: “configurePhase” }
cmake flags: -DCMAKE_FIND_USE_SYSTEM_PACKAGE_REGISTRY=OFF -DCMAKE_FIND_USE_PACKAGE_REGISTRY=OFF -DCMAKE_EXPORT_NO_PACKAGE_REGISTRY=ON -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LOCALEDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/share/locale -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBEXECDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/libexec -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/lib -DCMAKE_INSTALL_DOCDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/share/doc/SUPERTUX -DCMAKE_INSTALL_INFODIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/share/info -DCMAKE_INSTALL_MANDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/share/man -DCMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/include -DCMAKE_INSTALL_SBINDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/sbin -DCMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/bin -DCMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_DIR=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3/lib -DCMAKE_STRIP=/nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/strip -DCMAKE_RANLIB=/nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/ranlib -DCMAKE_AR=/nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/ar -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=gcc -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=g++ -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/nix/store/lq95gffpiqfvqkqj8400zcsvzks3zcc8-supertux-0.6.3 -DENABLE_BOOST_STATIC_LIBS=OFF
e\[33mCMake Warning (dev) at CMakeLists.txt:37 (project):
cmake_minimum_required() should be called prior to this top-level project()
call.  Please see the cmake-commands(7) manual for usage documentation of
both commands.
This warning is for project developers.  Use -Wno-dev to suppress it.
e\[0m
– The C compiler identification is GNU 15.2.0
– The CXX compiler identification is GNU 15.2.0
– Detecting C compiler ABI info
– Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
– Check for working C compiler: /nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/gcc - skipped
– Detecting C compile features
– Detecting C compile features - done
– Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
– Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
– Check for working CXX compiler: /nix/store/kbw2j1vag664b3sj3rjwz9v53cqx87sb-gcc-wrapper-15.2.0/bin/g++ - skipped
– Detecting CXX compile features
– Detecting CXX compile features - done
e\[31mCMake Error at /nix/store/adv73gqmglkg48w5ql70s778ba6wpbs4-boost-1.89.0-dev/lib/cmake/Boost-1.89.0/BoostConfig.cmake:141 (find_package):
Could not find a package configuration file provided by “boost_system”
(requested version 1.89.0) with any of the following names:

boost_systemConfig.cmake
boost_system-config.cmake

Add the installation prefix of “boost_system” to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH or set
“boost_system_DIR” to a directory containing one of the above files.  If
“boost_system” provides a separate development package or SDK, be sure it
has been installed.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
/nix/store/adv73gqmglkg48w5ql70s778ba6wpbs4-boost-1.89.0-dev/lib/cmake/Boost-1.89.0/BoostConfig.cmake:262 (boost_find_component)
CMakeLists.txt:174 (find_package)

e\[0m
– Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

nix-info --markdown

system: "x86_64-linux"
host os: Linux 6.18.12, NixOS, 26.05 (Yarara), 26.05pre948083.0182a3613243
multi-user?: yes
sandbox: yes
version: nix-env (Nix) 2.31.3
channels(root): "nixos, nixpkgs"
channels(REDACTED): "nixos"
nixpkgs: /nix/store/74lrn4968lcj1hhf53lp08wai0dbjamx-nixos/nixos

magicquark · February 26, 2026, 2:16am

This is broken upstream (nixpkgs). You should open an issue on the nixpkgs GitHub.

lexer_and_parser · February 26, 2026, 2:17am

my “fix” for now: use boost186 instead. From the logs we see there is some problem with boost, so replace that with an older version. nix-build works on this. Can someone give “feedback” on this temporary fix?

let pkgs = import <nixpkgs> {};
in
pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
  pname = "supertux";
  version = "0.6.3";

  src = pkgs.fetchurl {
    url = "https://github.com/SuperTux/supertux/releases/download/v${version}/SuperTux-v${version}-Source.tar.gz";
    sha256 = "1xkr3ka2sxp5s0spp84iv294i29s1vxqzazb6kmjc0n415h0x57p";
  };

  postPatch = ''
    sed '1i#include <memory>' -i external/partio_zip/zip_manager.hpp # gcc12
    # Fix build with cmake 4. Remove for version >= 0.6.4.
    # See <https://github.com/SuperTux/supertux/pull/3093>
    substituteInPlace CMakeLists.txt --replace-fail \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1)' \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 4.0)'
    substituteInPlace external/physfs/CMakeLists.txt --replace-fail \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)' \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 4.0)'
    substituteInPlace external/sexp-cpp/CMakeLists.txt --replace-fail \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)' \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 4.0)'
    substituteInPlace external/squirrel/CMakeLists.txt --replace-fail \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)' \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 4.0)'
    substituteInPlace external/tinygettext/CMakeLists.txt --replace-fail \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.4)' \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 4.0)'
    substituteInPlace external/SDL_ttf/CMakeLists.txt --replace-fail \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)' \
      'cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 4.0)'
    substituteInPlace external/discord-sdk/CMakeLists.txt --replace-fail \
      'cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.2.0)' \
      'cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 4.0)'
  '';

  nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [
    pkg-config
    cmake
  ];

  buildInputs = with pkgs; [
    boost186
    curl
    SDL2
    SDL2_image
    libSM
    libXext
    libpng
    freetype
    libGL
    libGLU
    glew
    glm
    openal
    libogg
    libvorbis
  ];

  cmakeFlags = [ "-DENABLE_BOOST_STATIC_LIBS=OFF" ];

  postInstall = ''
    mkdir $out/bin
    ln -s $out/games/supertux2 $out/bin
  '';

  meta = {
    description = "Classic 2D jump'n run sidescroller game";
    homepage = "https://supertux.github.io/";
    license = pkgs.lib.licenses.gpl2Plus;
    maintainers = with pkgs.lib.maintainers; [ pSub ];
    platforms = with pkgs.lib.platforms; linux;
    mainProgram = "supertux2";
  };
}

magicquark · February 26, 2026, 2:33am

See asio: fix build with boost 1.89 by thunze · Pull Request #492215 · NixOS/nixpkgs · GitHub for a package that failed for the same reason. You should be able to do the same fix.

Tracking: [Tracking] boost 1.89 update build failures · Issue #485826 · NixOS/nixpkgs · GitHub

magicquark · February 26, 2026, 2:46am

Actually, the asiocase is not quite the same. Arch Linux have a patch in their repository.

lexer_and_parser · February 26, 2026, 2:50am

Would you recommend making an overlay for supertux in /etc/nix/configuartion.nix using an older boost version in the meantime? I just need to change one of the buildInputs to make supertux compile again … I currently have no github account to submit the issue and am interested in how to fix things temporally myself if stuff should break.

magicquark · February 26, 2026, 3:03am

Based on the error, it occurs because in boost 1.89 a compatibility layer was removed, so using an older version of boost should be okay.

The old versions of boostare maintained in nixpkgs so you will not have to rebuild boost.

I have opened a PR to fix it in nixpkgs.