I broke Steam Runtime and Steam Native

Issues & Assistance Unsupported Software (AUR & Other)
1

While trying to play Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous the game kept minimizing frequently. I looked up how to fix it and the answer I found was to go into the Steam settings and turn off the GPU acceleration in webviews. After restarting Steam the icon appeared on the tray, however the client itself no longer appears and I cannot interact with it.
I have tried commands such as steam --reset and steam -vgui and I have also tried to uninstall and reinstall Steam. Every thing I search just tells me to turn the GPU acceleration off, but that’s what seems to have started this issue in the first place. I tried to “reverse engineer” things such as using nano to set PrefersNonDefaultGPU=true. (I have also tried PrefersNonDefaultGPU=false). I no longer know what to do.

Edit: Steam Runtime and Steam Native no longer function. I don’t mind not playing a single game from my library. But I no longer have access to Steam on my laptop at all. Whenever I run Steam Runtime or Native my tray shows that they are running, but I do not get a User Interface.

Here is my inxi:

System:
  Kernel: 6.14.2-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 14.2.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=1f31a473-3754-4b90-8c1c-a0b36da51afb rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet quiet rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
    resume=UUID=6fcb7604-7968-4fbc-8286-59af0f9bae4e loglevel=3 ibt=off
  Desktop: Cinnamon v: 6.4.9 tk: GTK v: 3.24.49 wm: Muffin v: 6.4.1 tools:
    avail: cinnamon-screensaver,xautolock vt: 7 dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0
    Distro: Garuda base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 16 5620 v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: 0KTFJN v: A00 serial: <superuser required> part-nu: 0BAA
    uuid: <superuser required> UEFI: Dell v: 1.7.0 date: 08/15/2022
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 38.0 Wh (100.0%) condition: 38.0/54.0 Wh (70.3%)
    volts: 16.6 min: 15.0 model: BYD DELL WV3K826 type: Unknown serial: <filter>
    status: full
CPU:
  Info: model: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U bits: 64 type: MST AMCP
    arch: Alder Lake level: v3 note: check built: 2021+
    process: Intel 7 (10nm ESF) family: 6 model-id: 0x9A (154) stepping: 4
    microcode: 0x436
  Topology: cpus: 1x dies: 1 clusters: 4 cores: 10 threads: 12 mt: 2 tpc: 2
    st: 8 smt: enabled cache: L1: 928 KiB desc: d-8x32 KiB, 2x48 KiB; i-2x32
    KiB, 8x64 KiB L2: 6.5 MiB desc: 2x1.2 MiB, 2x2 MiB L3: 12 MiB
    desc: 1x12 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 871 min/max: 400/4700:3500 scaling: driver: intel_pstate
    governor: powersave cores: 1: 871 2: 871 3: 871 4: 871 5: 871 6: 871 7: 871
    8: 871 9: 871 10: 871 11: 871 12: 871 bogomips: 62668
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Alder Lake-UP3 GT2 [Iris Xe Graphics] vendor: Dell
    driver: i915 v: kernel alternate: xe arch: Xe process: Intel 10nm
    built: 2021-22+ ports: active: eDP-1 empty: DP-1,DP-2,HDMI-A-1
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:46a8 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Microdia Integrated_Webcam_FHD driver: uvcvideo type: USB
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 3-6:4 chip-ID: 0c45:6a1b
    class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.16 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.6 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting alternate: fbdev,intel,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915
    display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1200 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x317mm (20.00x12.48")
    s-diag: 599mm (23.57")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: BOE Display 0x0a34 built: 2021 res:
    mode: 1920x1200 hz: 60 scale: 100% (1) dpi: 141 gamma: 1.2
    size: 345x215mm (13.58x8.46") diag: 407mm (16") ratio: 16:10
    modes: 1920x1200
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: intel iris platforms: device: 0 drv: iris
    device: 1 drv: swrast gbm: drv: iris surfaceless: drv: iris x11: drv: iris
    inactive: wayland
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: intel mesa v: 25.0.3-arch1.1
    glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel Iris Xe Graphics (ADL
    GT2) device-ID: 8086:46a8 memory: 7.47 GiB unified: yes
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.309 layers: 11 device: 0 type: integrated-gpu
    name: Intel Iris Xe Graphics (ADL GT2) driver: N/A device-ID: 8086:46a8
    surfaces: xcb,xlib device: 1 type: cpu name: llvmpipe (LLVM 19.1.7 256
    bits) driver: N/A device-ID: 10005:0000 surfaces: xcb,xlib
  Info: Tools: api: eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo gpu: nvidia-smi
    x11: xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Alder Lake PCH-P High Definition Audio vendor: Dell
    driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-tgl alternate: snd_hda_intel, snd_soc_avs,
    snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:51c8 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.14.2-zen1-1-zen status: kernel-api with: aoss
    type: oss-emulator tools: N/A
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.4.2 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Alder Lake-P PCH CNVi WiFi driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:14.3 chip-ID: 8086:51f0 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter>
  Info: services: NetworkManager, systemd-timesyncd, wpa_supplicant
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel AX211 Bluetooth driver: btusb v: 0.8 type: USB rev: 2.0
    speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 3-10:5 chip-ID: 8087:0033
    class-ID: e001
  Report: btmgmt ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 5.3
    lmp-v: 12 status: discoverable: no pairing: no class-ID: 6c010c
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 237.13 GiB (49.7%)
  SMART Message: Required tool smartctl not installed. Check --recommends
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Lexar model: SSD NM620 512GB
    size: 476.94 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 31.6 Gb/s
    lanes: 4 tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: V1.27 temp: 24.9 C scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 459.79 GiB size: 459.79 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 237.13 GiB (51.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 636 KiB (0.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 maj-min: 259:1
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 459.79 GiB size: 459.79 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 237.13 GiB (51.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 459.79 GiB size: 459.79 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 237.13 GiB (51.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 459.79 GiB size: 459.79 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 237.13 GiB (51.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 15.3 GiB used: 1.06 GiB (6.9%) priority: 100
    comp: zstd avail: lzo-rle,lzo,lz4,lz4hc,deflate,842 max-streams: 12
    dev: /dev/zram0
  ID-2: swap-2 type: partition size: 16.85 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
    priority: -2 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p3 maj-min: 259:3
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 43.0 C mobo: 41.0 C sodimm: SODIMM C
  Fan Speeds (rpm): cpu: 0
Info:
  Memory: total: 16 GiB note: est. available: 15.3 GiB used: 5.84 GiB (38.2%)
  Processes: 326 Power: uptime: 2h 8m states: freeze,mem,disk
    suspend: s2idle wakeups: 0 hibernate: platform avail: shutdown, reboot,
    suspend, test_resume image: 6.08 GiB services: csd-power,upowerd
    Init: systemd v: 257 default: graphical tool: systemctl
  Packages: 1561 pm: pacman pkgs: 1555 libs: 512 tools: octopi,paru
    pm: flatpak pkgs: 6 Compilers: gcc: 14.2.1 Shell: garuda-inxi default: Bash
    v: 5.2.37 running-in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.3.37
Garuda (2.7.2-1):
  System install date:     2023-02-18
  Last full system update: 2025-04-15
  Is partially upgraded:   No
  Relevant software:       snapper NetworkManager mkinitcpio
  Windows dual boot:       No/Undetected
  Failed units:
2

Welcome to the forum. :smiley:

Which version of Steam are you running? If you are not using flatpak (don’t!) then there is a “native” and a “runtime”. Native will use local libaries, runtime will bring it’s own. Technically they work the same way. If one doesn’t work, try the other.

You could try re-installing steam. Uninstall it through Rani, reboot, then install it again. It may be necessary to reset the settings, which may not happen just be uninstalling. If it doesn’t, delete ~/.local/share/Steam after uninstalling it.

You could also check Steam - ArchWiki and/or Steam/Troubleshooting - ArchWiki for more information. Most of it applies 1:1 to Garuda, because it is Arch-based.

Generally, when you have issues with a game try ProtonDB first, it may save you a lot of trouble by providing quick hints on what is needed to make the game run (better). Stick to the latest posts as things change with new driver or game versions. And don’t get confused by clueless copypasters recommending mangohud or weird environment variables even for games that run flawless. Less is better!

If you encounter any issues that are somehow related to display/graphics, it can be a good first attempt to run the game through gamescope. See Gamescope - ArchWiki for more details.

I personally use “Proton Experimental” in Steam rather than Proton 9.0. It’s served me well for the last 10 months.

1 Like
3

Thank you

Neither Runtime nor Native work. I was using Native with only minor issues until I changed the Steam setting. Now the entire program doesn’t function. I downloaded the Steam versions from Garuda Welcome.

I have re-installed Steam twice as well as steam --reset multiple times to reset the settings but neither options have worked. I haven’t found a file with the directory you’ve mentioned. I have tried to see if I can find some kind of Settings file/cache that I may delete or edit but no luck.

As for the Wiki; it has answers for when having the setting on is causing problems; but not for when it’s off. As turning the GPU acceleration off is what’s caused the problem I looked for a solution to restore it but to no avail.

Unfortunately, my problem is ongoing.

4

hi and welcome,

i dont run cinnamon but after the uninstall steam did you check your home folder ? i had one issue you too on a game and uninstalled it but in the home folder you mabe activate hidden files or folders and check if you have a .steam folder if there any config files or rest over files delete this folder too and install again. yes check proton db too for some hints to get the game running. i dont have it and also no intel igpu for testing :wink:

5

Try it like this mate

uninstall steam again.
open dolphin and press ctrl h (this will show hidden folders and files)
now delete ‘.steam’ and the folder ‘.local/share/Steam’ delete both folders
now reboot.
And reinstall steam and see if that fixes the trouble

2 Likes
6

Thank you! I knew it was going to be something simple, the answer usually is :sweat_smile:. Steam is working now.

1 Like