@K1ngfish3r writes:

Find attached steamwebhelper.log with the updated command Exec=env STEAM_LINUX_RUNTIME_VERBOSE=1 /usr/bin/steam %U

This is a log while using the workaround of starting Steam from the .desktop file instead of from a terminal. I'll compare the logs next.

@K1ngfish3r, I think this is probably caused by /var/cache being in your XDG_DATA_DIRS. This causes two parts of the Steam container runtime framework to conflict with each other: the part that tries to share each item in XDG_DATA_DIRS with the container in case it might be important, and the part that needs to create /var/cache/ldconfig/ld.so.cache because ClearLinux requires it.

Why is /var/cache in your XDG_DATA_DIRS? I can't think of a situation where that would be useful or desirable. /var/cache is the system-wide equivalent of XDG_CACHE_HOME, whereas XDG_DATA_DIRS is the system-wide equivalent of XDG_DATA_HOME. They have different roles and meanings.

There are a couple of things to try, both in a terminal and both with STEAM_LINUX_RUNTIME_VERBOSE=1:

1. Run Steam with Steam Linux Runtime 3.0 (sniper) client_beta branch installed, and environment variable PRESSURE_VESSEL_PREFIX set to the absolute path to your steamapps/common/SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/pressure-vessel directory. Whether this works or not, please collect the steamwebhelper.log and attach/gist it as updated-pv.log. With this workaround, you should find that the verbose log will say -> bubblewrap 0.9.0, instead of the -> bubblewrap 0.8.0 from the current version.

2. Run Steam with unset PRESSURE_VESSEL_PREFIX to undo the workaround above, but with /var/cache removed from the XDG_DATA_DIRS. Whether this works or not, please collect the steamwebhelper.log and attach/gist it as no-var-cache.log.

updated pressure vessel
with no var/cache variable

I am happy to report that removing /var/cache from XDG_DATA_DIRS fixed the issue.
Using the command below

i@clr~ $ systemctl --user show-environment
HOME=/home/i
LANG=C.UTF-8
LOGNAME=i
PATH=/usr/bin/haswell:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/bin:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/usr/bin:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/usr/local/bin
SHELL=/bin/bash
USER=i
XDG_DATA_DIRS=/usr/share:/usr/local/share:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/usr/share:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/usr/local/share:/home/i/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share:/home/i/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib64:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/usr/lib64:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/usr/local/lib64
XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=/usr/share/xdg:/etc/xdg:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/usr/share/xdg:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/etc/xdg
FONTCONFIG_PATH=/usr/share/defaults/fonts
GST_PLUGIN_PATH_1_0=/usr/lib64/gstreamer-1.0:/opt/3rd-party/bundles/clearfraction/usr/lib64/gstreamer-1.0
DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus
DESKTOP_SESSION=gnome-wayland
DISPLAY=:0
GDMSESSION=gnome-wayland
GDM_LANG=C.UTF-8
GNOME_SETUP_DISPLAY=:1
PWD=/home/i
QT_IM_MODULE=ibus
SESSION_MANAGER=local/clr:@/tmp/.ICE-unix/1599,unix/clr:/tmp/.ICE-unix/1599
SHLVL=0
USERNAME=i
WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-0
XAUTHORITY=/run/user/1000/.mutter-Xwaylandauth.1Y5JM2
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=GNOME
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=gnome-
XDG_SESSION_CLASS=user
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP=gnome-wayland
XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland
XMODIFIERS=@im=ibus

I was unable to find /var/cache however printenv does show /var/cache so I looked into /usr/share/defaults/etc/profile and was able to find and remove it. Find attached logs for completeness.

I was unable to find /var/cache however printenv does show /var/cache so I looked into /usr/share/defaults/etc/profile and was able to find and remove it. Find attached logs for completeness.

I'm curious why it was there. Is this a default setting for ClearLinux, or something that you changed, or a change made by third-party software, or what?

(The answer to this question affects my decision for how the Steam Linux Runtime framework should fix this.)

updated pressure vessel

The updated bubblewrap doesn't work around this as I had hoped, but it does at least log a better error message: bwrap: Can't make symlink at /var/cache/ldconfig/ld.so.cache: destination exists and is not a symlink.

with no var/cache variable

As I had hoped, this avoids the issue.

I'm curious why it was there. Is this a default setting for ClearLinux, or something that you changed, or a change made by third-party software, or what?

(The answer to this question affects my decision for how the Steam Linux Runtime framework should fix this.)

files defined under /usr/ are provided by ClearLinux and are default to all users. They can be overridden by defining profile under /etc/profile (which I had not done).

It looks like ClearLinux might rely on /var/cache being in the XDG_DATA_DIRS so that /var/cache/applications/mimeinfo.cache will be found. We'll have to filter this out in pressure-vessel.

A simple reproducer for this on a more typical OS is:

XDG_DATA_DIRS=${XDG_DATA_DIRS:-/usr/local/share:/usr/share}:/var/cache \
.../steamapps/common/SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/run -- xterm

@K1ngfish3r, if you're comfortable with using prerelease code, please try this:

1. download https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/steamrt/steam-runtime-tools/-/jobs/508836/artifacts/raw/_build/pressure-vessel-bin.tar.gz and unpack it somewhere convenient (I normally use ~/tmp/pressure-vessel/)
2. completely exit from Steam
3. run Steam with these environment variables:
   • XDG_DATA_DIRS containing /var/cache
   • PRESSURE_VESSEL_PREFIX set to the unpacked pressure-vessel directory, e.g. I use PRESSURE_VESSEL_PREFIX="$HOME/tmp/pressure-vessel"
   • STEAM_LINUX_RUNTIME_VERBOSE=1

For this test, it shouldn't matter whether you're using the stable or beta releases of Steam and SLR 3.0 (sniper) (but if you report that it didn't work, please say which ones you were using).

You should find that steamwebhelper launches successfully, and SLR/Proton games like Dota 2 should also still launch successfully.

(Note to self: the pressure-vessel build linked above is !706 v1.)

pre-release PV.log

I restored the default profile with the /var/cache in the XDG_DATA_DIRS and ran PRESSURE_VESSEL_PREFIX=/home/i/tmp/pressure-vessel-bin/pressure-vessel STEAM_LINUX_RUNTIME_VERBOSE=1 steam

Steam: works
Dota2: works

I can confirm this is working.

Ref:
SLR: pre-release
Steam client: beta

Thanks for testing! I'll try to get that change into a future Steam beta.

I'll try to get that change into a future Steam beta.

Steam client beta build 1716970740 includes this change. It should be included in the default (GA) Steam client branch eventually, subject to Steam's usual release process.