Package Request: The Zen Browser

benmann · June 12, 2026, 9:39pm

Hi

Is it possible to add the Zen Browser to nixpkgs?

References:

samestep · June 12, 2026, 9:43pm

This has been a whole saga for quite a while:

github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs

zen-browser: init at 1.19.1b

master ← Eveeifyeve:zen-browser

opened 05:41PM - 10 Dec 24 UTC

Eveeifyeve

+332 -0

https://zen-browser.app/ NOTE: This package takes quite a lot of resources to… build. It took me an hour maybe two on my machine (3200g), This is not a package you want to compile yourself if you can avoid it. If anyone wants to be added as a maintainer to this package, please leave a comment and I will add you. Followup from PR https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/347222 that got reverted because of this comment: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/347222#issuecomment-2508814428 I want to make sure this pr is okay to go on nixpkgs the right way instead of reverting. Closes https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/327982 ### Tracking: - [ ] Zen browser to keep a stable with security vulenabilitys & Approval from @winterqt, @emilazy & @mweinelt [read more about it here](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/363992#pullrequestreview-2523997020) as I am not going to repeat myself anymore. - [ ] Add one active committer from nixpkgs - [x] Use `buildMozillaMach` - [ ] Patch all of the git usages. - [ ] Figure out a nix-community nixpkgs fork so zen-browser can build on their hydra and people can use the fork. If wanting to talk please talk in here if you want to "contribute" something or for anything else in [the matrix nix Mozilla chat](https://matrix.to/#/#mozilla:nixos.org) as this is a big nixpkgs pr with a lot of people subscribed to this pr. I will not be accepting comments that aren't contributing to this pr directly and will be marked `off-topic` by moderation it is wasting time on contributors who want to work on this pr. This work is semi-sponsored by [DigitalBrewStudios](https://digitalbrewstudios.com). ## Things done - Built on platform(s) - [ ] x86_64-linux - [ ] aarch64-linux - [ ] x86_64-darwin - [ ] aarch64-darwin - For non-Linux: Is sandboxing enabled in `nix.conf`? (See [Nix manual](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/conf-file.html)) - [ ] `sandbox = relaxed` - [ ] `sandbox = true` - [ ] Tested, as applicable: - [NixOS test(s)](https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/unstable/index.html#sec-nixos-tests) (look inside [nixos/tests](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/tests)) - and/or [package tests](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/README.md#package-tests) - or, for functions and "core" functionality, tests in [lib/tests](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/lib/tests) or [pkgs/test](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/test) - made sure NixOS tests are [linked](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/README.md#linking-nixos-module-tests-to-a-package) to the relevant packages - [ ] Tested compilation of all packages that depend on this change using `nix-shell -p nixpkgs-review --run "nixpkgs-review rev HEAD"`. Note: all changes have to be committed, also see [nixpkgs-review usage](https://github.com/Mic92/nixpkgs-review#usage) - [ ] Tested basic functionality of all binary files (usually in `./result/bin/`) - [25.05 Release Notes](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2505.section.md) (or backporting [24.11](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2411.section.md) and [25.05](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2505.section.md) Release notes) - [ ] (Package updates) Added a release notes entry if the change is major or breaking - [ ] (Module updates) Added a release notes entry if the change is significant - [ ] (Module addition) Added a release notes entry if adding a new NixOS module - [x] Fits [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md). --- Add a :+1: [reaction] to [pull requests you find important]. [reaction]: https://github.blog/2016-03-10-add-reactions-to-pull-requests-issues-and-comments/ [pull requests you find important]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pulls?q=is%3Aopen+sort%3Areactions-%2B1-desc

nadir · June 12, 2026, 11:32pm

I recommend the flatpak.

ckiyme · June 13, 2026, 11:09am

There was also a PR that was recently closed and one that’s been opened in its stead.

mio-19 · August 4, 2026, 10:10pm

I asked a LLM to take a look at previous PRs and updated it to latest zen. it seems working. nurpkgs/by-name/ze/zen-browser/package.nix at 605fa03e4bab88cc805852a12eff22b50178ec26 · mio-19/nurpkgs · GitHub

ckiyme · August 31, 2026, 9:09am

Since this issue has been reopened, it’s worth mentioning that the PRs I link to above are both closed now and now this is the only one open, although it’s been in draft since 2024.

As long as I used Zen, this flake was working fine, it’s maintained and it’s what most people on NixOS use.