Paths with spaces don't get escaped by default. Games fail to launch without user intervention.

steamopen Steam clientDistro Family: SteamOSnon-Steam application

ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#10946 · opened 2024-06-01 by ghost · updated 2025-03-23 · 2 comments · github

?ghost 2024-06-01 github

Your system information

Steam client version (build number or date): 1716584667
Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Steam Deck Stable
Opted into Steam client beta?: No
Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
Steam Logs: Sorry, hope a video will do :) https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/assets/163762443/946a0242-e730-422f-8973-3747c96571b0 Couldn't use gist to send this vid sry :(
GPU: AMD

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Expected: Diablo 2 launches after providing correct install paths.
Happens: Steam runs program Diablo with argument II.exe
https://gist.github.com/jakubbys/4586a502763dba0fa2e7c8fb15deb0b9

Steps for reproducing this issue:

Launch a windows game installer.
Change path of executable and launch CWD.
Fails to launch.(part of diablo 2 lord of destruction drm is that the filename stays Diablo II.exe)

Ccybik 2024-06-18 github

Adding to the ticket.

Installing a non-steam game to a path with spaces (example: Genshin Impact into Program Files) and then manually setting the launch executable to the GI launcher, results in having to add double-quotes at the start and end of the path manually in order for Steam to launch it. A workaround in this case is to install the launcher & game at the root of the WINE/Proton C: drive.

This could also be affecting the launch dir evaluation, but since the game can launch without in some cases, this is less testable.

Jjodaco 2025-03-23 github

Adding to this, other special characters such as ( are not escaped either.
I wish I had thought of the double quotes at the time, but I ended up with something like this to make Battle.net work on Steam: drive_c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/Battle.net/Battle.net.exe

Nothing extracted yet.