Godot: crashes when opening a project on aarch64-darwin

[speelbarrow]

Nixpkgs version

• Stable (25.11)

Describe the bug

After building Godot from 46d3045 for aarch64-darwin, I can open the project selection screen but then the app crashes whenever I try to actually open a project.

Steps to reproduce

• Install Godot on aarch64-darwin from 46d3045
• Launch Godot (project selection screen)
• Select an existing project OR create a new project
• When Godot attempts to load the project, it crashes

Expected behaviour

expected the project to load in the editor

Screenshots

No response

Relevant log output

-> 11:12:36 AM speelbarrow ~ realpath `where godot`
/nix/store/dph8f43jlbdfdh1wlmmw0xc6xagl1g0y-godot-4.6-stable/libexec/godot.macos.editor.arm64
-> 11:12:41 AM speelbarrow ~ /nix/store/dph8f43jlbdfdh1wlmmw0xc6xagl1g0y-godot-4.6-stable/bin/godot ~/Documents/University/W26/CPS643/labs/1/roll-a-ball/project.godot
Initialize godot-rust (API v4.5.stable.official, runtime v4.6.stable.nixpkgs, safeguards strict)
Godot Engine v4.6.stable.nixpkgs.89cea1439 - https://godotengine.org
Metal 4.0 - Forward+ - Using Device #0: Apple - Apple M1 (Apple7)

ERROR: Condition "p_name.is_empty()" is true.
   at: set_name (scene/main/node.cpp:1432)
ERROR: Cannot get class 'GitPlugin'.
   at: _instantiate_internal (core/object/class_db.cpp:565)
ERROR: Received a nullptr VCS extension instance during construction.
   at: _load_plugin (editor/version_control/version_control_editor_plugin.cpp:166)
ERROR: /root: The caller thread can't call the function `propagate_notification()` on this node. Use `call_deferred()` or `call_deferred_thread_group()` instead.
   at: propagate_notification (scene/main/node.cpp:2597)

================================================================
handle_crash: Program crashed with signal 11
Engine version: Godot Engine v4.6.stable.nixpkgs (89cea143987d564363e15d207438530651d943ac)
Dumping the backtrace. Please include this when reporting the bug on: https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues
[1] 1   libsystem_platform.dylib            0x0000000197503744 _sigtramp + 56
[2] spirv_cross::Compiler::get_shader_resources(std::__1::unordered_set<spirv_cross::TypedID<(spirv_cross::Types)2>, std::__1::hash<spirv_cross::TypedID<(spirv_cross::Types)2>>, std::__1::equal_to<spirv_cross::TypedID<(spirv_cross::Types)2>>, std::__1::allocator<spirv_cross::TypedID<(spirv_cross::Types)2>>> const*) const
[3] RenderingShaderContainerMetal::_set_code_from_spirv(RenderingShaderContainer::ReflectShader const&) (in godot.macos.editor.arm64) + 2392
[4] RenderingShaderContainer::set_code_from_spirv(String const&, Span<RenderingDeviceCommons::ShaderStageSPIRVData>) (in godot.macos.editor.arm64) + 112
[5] RenderingDevice::shader_compile_binary_from_spirv(Vector<RenderingDeviceCommons::ShaderStageSPIRVData> const&, String const&) (in godot.macos.editor.arm64) + 116
[6] ShaderRD::_compile_variant(unsigned int, ShaderRD::CompileData) (in godot.macos.editor.arm64) + 248
[7] WorkerThreadPool::_process_task(WorkerThreadPool::Task*) (in godot.macos.editor.arm64) + 360
[8] WorkerThreadPool::_thread_function(void*) (in godot.macos.editor.arm64) + 352
[9] Thread::thread_callback(void*) (in godot.macos.editor.arm64) + 80
[10] 10  libsystem_pthread.dylib             0x00000001974f9c08 _pthread_start + 136
[11] 11  libsystem_pthread.dylib             0x00000001974f4ba8 thread_start + 8
-- END OF C++ BACKTRACE --
================================================================
zsh: abort      /nix/store/dph8f43jlbdfdh1wlmmw0xc6xagl1g0y-godot-4.6-stable/bin/godot
-> 11:13:40 AM speelbarrow ~ which godot
-> 11:14:14 AM speelbarrow ~ /nix/store/dph8f43jlbdfdh1wlmmw0xc6xagl1g0y-godot-4.6-stable/bin/godot
Godot Engine v4.6.stable.nixpkgs.89cea1439 - https://godotengine.org
OpenGL API 4.1 Metal - 90.5 - Compatibility - Using Device: Apple - Apple M1

Editing project: /Users/speelbarrow/Code/Godot/test
-> 11:14:30 AM speelbarrow ~ Godot Engine v4.6.stable.nixpkgs.89cea1439 - https://godotengine.org
Metal 4.0 - Forward+ - Using Device #0: Apple - Apple M1 (Apple7)
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1703ab000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x17029f000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1707db000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1703ab000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1704b7000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x17029f000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1706cf000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1707db000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1705c3000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1705c3000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1704b7000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
godot.macos.editor.arm64(2235,0x1706cf000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug

-> 11:14:41 AM speelbarrow ~ /nix/store/dph8f43jlbdfdh1wlmmw0xc6xagl1g0y-godot-4.6-stable/bin/godot ~/Code/Godot/test/project.godot
Godot Engine v4.6.stable.nixpkgs.89cea1439 - https://godotengine.org
Metal 4.0 - Forward+ - Using Device #0: Apple - Apple M1 (Apple7)
godot(2368,0x16d873000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot(2368,0x16d97f000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot(2368,0x16d873000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
godot(2368,0x16d97f000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
godot(2368,0x16d337000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot(2368,0x16d767000) malloc: *** error for object 0x15000044496e6f69: pointer being freed was not allocated
godot(2368,0x16d337000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
godot(2368,0x16d767000) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
zsh: abort      /nix/store/dph8f43jlbdfdh1wlmmw0xc6xagl1g0y-godot-4.6-stable/bin/godot
-> 11:14:50 AM speelbarrow ~

Additional context

This issue does not occur when using the .app bundle from Godot's downloads page. I have tested this for both Godot 4.5 and Godot 4.6.

In log output:

• First attempt was to open an existing project
• Second attempt was to create a new project from the project selection screen and then open it
• Third attempt was to open the project created by the second attempt

System metadata

• system: "aarch64-darwin"
• host os: Darwin 25.2.0, macOS 26.2
• multi-user?: yes
• sandbox: no
• version: nix-env (Nix) 2.31.2+1
• channels(root): "darwin-25.11.tar.gz, home-manager-25.11.tar.gz, nixpkgs-25.11-darwin"
• nixpkgs: /nix/store/ghvgyb0pimzbrz9c6xyf2v5v2g1gfq8d-nixpkgs-25.11-darwin/nixpkgs

Are you using nix-darwin?

Yes, I am using nix-darwin.

Notify maintainers

@shiryel @corngood

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• I assert that this is a bug and not a support request.
• I assert that this is not a duplicate of an existing issue.
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[corngood]

@speelbarrow have you tested launching it from bin/?

@valentinegb are you able to see if this happens for you?

Unfortunately I don't have access to a graphical session to test this on.

[speelbarrow]

@speelbarrow have you tested launching it from bin/?

Do you mean changing the working directory? All of those attempts included in the log above were done using the artifact in bin/ but I'll try them again in that directory if that's what you meant.

[corngood]

I just mean launching the executable in bin/ directly, rather than using the app bundle, which contains another copy of the executable. If that's what you already did then all good.

[valentinegb]

@valentinegb are you able to see if this happens for you?

Sorry for the delay, I've just tested it (using the executable in bin/) and everything works fine for me still. Still able to open projects, work on them, and run them. If we want to test this issue better we should probably all be testing the same project. @speelbarrow do you think you could give us an MRE?

[corngood]

Since it's crashing in the metal driver, @valentinegb can you see what yours says for:

Metal 4.0 - Forward+ - Using Device #0: Apple - Apple M1 (Apple7)

?

[valentinegb]

Ah, that is different, I get:

OpenGL API 4.1 Metal - 90.5 - Compatibility - Using Device: Apple - Apple M1

[valentinegb]

I am able to reproduce the issue by creating a new Forward+ project. Trying to figure out how I can get detailed crash logs right now... I didn't get very much in stderr.

[corngood]

I did have to do one ugly hack to make the metal driver compile:

          # https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/107199
          + lib.optionalString (lib.versionAtLeast version "4.5") ''
            substituteInPlace drivers/metal/SCsub \
              --replace-fail \
                'env_metal.Append(CCFLAGS=["-fmodules", "-fcxx-modules"])' \
                ""
          ''

It could certainly be related. I'll have to investigate a bit more.