Sometimes after an update or partial upgrade in Arch Linux, you may run into the following error when trying to use pacman:

error while loading shared libraries:
libicuuc.so.75: cannot open shared object file:
No such file or directory

This occurs when the ICU (International Components for Unicode) library has been updated, but pacman is still linked against an older version. Since pacman can’t run without that specific library, you’re effectively locked out of using the package manager in the usual way.

Use a Static Version of Pacman

A static binary doesn’t rely on system libraries, so you can use it even if shared library dependencies are broken.

Fortunately, this issue can be fixed using a statically compiled version of pacman.

  • Download pacman-static:

    •  curl https://pkgbuild.com/~morganamilo/pacman-static/x86_64/bin/pacman-static --output pacman-static

  • Make it executable:

    •  chmod +x pacman-static

  • Update ICU and fix the broken dependency:

Run the following command to forcefully upgrade ICU and overwrite any conflicting files

  •  ./pacman-static -Syu --overwrite "*" icu

This command performs a system upgrade -Syu and overwrites any conflicting files to ensure the ICU package installs correctly.

Optional: Reinstall pacman (if needed)

If pacman itself is broken or not functioning after the ICU fix, you can reinstall it with:

./pacman-static -S --overwrite "*" pacman

Reboot

After completing the upgrade, reboot your system:

reboot

pacman should now work normally, and the missing libicuuc.so.75 error should be resolved.

Conclusion

When critical shared libraries like libicuuc.so.75 go missing, it can break core tools like pacman. But thanks to the availability of a statically compiled version of pacman, you can recover quickly without needing a live environment. This method is simple, fast, and effective for getting your system back in shape.