Creating container error: exception error: undefined function erlang:nif_error/1

Questions & Help Troubleshooting
1

I am trying to build a container for a new Phoenix app that I want to deploy in our kubernetes cluster. The container blows up when it reaches the `mix local.hex --force` step.

I am trying to use the following base container

https://docker.io/hexpm/elixir:1.20.2-erlang-29.0.2-debian-trixie-20260623-slim

This is the error

root@9f01ee8ee21e:/app# mix local.hex --force
=ERROR REPORT==== 22-Jul-2026::16:22:23.426455 ===
** State

machine user_drv terminating
** When server state  = {undefined,undefined}
** Reason for termination = error:undef
** Callback modules = [user_drv]
** Callback mode = state_functions
** Stacktrace =
**  [{erlang,nif_error,[undef],[{error_info,#{module => erl_erts_errors}}]},
{prim_tty,isatty,1,[{file,"prim_tty.erl"},{line,1375}]},
{user_drv,init,1,[{file,"user_drv.erl"},{line,184}]},
{gen_statem,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_statem.erl"},{line,3316}]},
{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,333}]}]

=CRASH REPORT==== 22-Jul-2026::16:22:23.427725 ===
crasher:
initial call: user_drv:init/1
pid: <0.67.0>
registered_name: 

exception error: undefined function erlang:nif_error/1
in function  prim_tty:isatty/1 (prim_tty.erl:1375)
in call from user_drv:init/1 (user_drv.erl:184)
in call from gen_statem:init_it/6 (gen_statem.erl:3316)
ancestors: [<0.66.0>,kernel_sup,<0.47.0>]
message_queue_len: 0
messages: 

links: 

dictionary: 

trap_exit: true
status: running
heap_size: 610
stack_size: 29
reductions: 372
neighbours:

=CRASH REPORT==== 22-Jul-2026::16:22:33.862193 ===
crasher:
initial call: supervisor_bridge:user_sup/1
pid: <0.66.0>
registered_name: 

exception exit: nouser
in function  gen_server:init_it/6 (gen_server.erl:2257)
ancestors: [kernel_sup,<0.47.0>]
message_queue_len: 0
messages: 

links: [<0.49.0>]
dictionary: 

trap_exit: true
status: running
heap_size: 376
stack_size: 29
reductions: 717
neighbours:

=SUPERVISOR REPORT==== 22-Jul-2026::16:22:33.865150 ===
supervisor: {local,kernel_sup}
errorContext: start_error
reason: nouser
offender: [{pid,undefined},
{id,user},
{mfargs,{user_sup,start,
}},
{restart_type,temporary},
{significant,false},
{shutdown,2000},
{child_type,supervisor}]

=CRASH REPORT==== 22-Jul-2026::16:22:33.884885 ===
crasher:
initial call: application_master:init/3
pid: <0.46.0>
registered_name: 

exception exit: {{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,user,nouser}},
{kernel,start,[normal,
]}}
in function  application_master:init/3 (application_master.erl:147)
ancestors: [application_controller,<0.10.0>]
message_queue_len: 1
messages: [{'EXIT',<0.47.0>,normal}]
links: [<0.45.0>]
dictionary: 

trap_exit: true
status: running
heap_size: 233
stack_size: 29
reductions: 63
neighbours:

=INFO REPORT==== 22-Jul-2026::16:22:33.885142 ===
application: kernel
exited: {{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,user,nouser}},
{kernel,start,[normal,
]}}
type: permanent

Kernel pid terminated (application_controller) ("{application_start_failure,kernel,{{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,user,nouser}},{kernel,start,[normal,
]}}}")

Crash dump is being written to: erl_crash.dump...done

Edit: it seems like the container is broken. How would I report this?

I guess I can try some other OS to see I am getting the same error.

Any other ideas on how I can move forward with this?

2

It seems like there is problem with the Elixir installation in the container. I am trying another container

3

It appears to be a problems with the base containers. Anyone knows how I would report this issue? Where?

4

So I went through all of the debian trixie permutations for Elixir 1.20.2. Erlang 29 and 28 seem broken. I found that Elixir 27 was working with trixie.

5

For new version of Elixir & OTP, I need to update lksctp-tools package & add env ENV ERL_FLAGS="+JMsingle true" (this setting make compiler runs slower) to build image (by Podman + Containerfile).

My examp script:

ARG ELIXIR_VERSION=1.20.2
ARG OTP_VERSION=29
ARG DEBIAN_VERSION=trixie-slim

ARG BUILDER_IMAGE="elixir:${ELIXIR_VERSION}-otp-${OTP_VERSION}-slim"
ARG RUNNER_IMAGE="debian:${DEBIAN_VERSION}"

FROM ${BUILDER_IMAGE} AS builder

# install build dependencies
RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y build-essential git \
    && apt-get clean && rm -f /var/lib/apt/lists/*_*

ENV ERL_FLAGS="+JMsingle true"

...

FROM ${RUNNER_IMAGE}

RUN apt-get update -y && \
  apt-get install -y libstdc++6 openssl libncurses6 locales ca-certificates lksctp-tools \
  && apt-get clean && rm -f /var/lib/apt/lists/*_*

...
6

Thanks so much! I will give it a try :slight_smile: