protonscr

Steam Recording won't save clips

steamopen Steam clientFlathub-provided steam package
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#11433 · opened 2024-11-07 by gg537 · updated 2025-11-09 · 17 comments · github
Ggg537 2024-11-07 github

Your system information

  • Steam client version (build number or date): Steam Client Build Date: Tue, Nov 5 9:33 PM UTC -08:00
  • Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Fedora kinoite 41 Steam Flatpak System gist
  • Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes (broken in stable too)
  • Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
  • Steam Logs: [generate by running this command in a terminal tar -zcvf ~/Desktop/steam-logs.tar.gz ~/.steam/steam/logs]
  • GPU: AMD 5700XT

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

When trying to save a clip using "Save in Steam" nothing happens, when trying "Export Video File" I get this UI error "Unable to retrieve clip information(2)". Both give the following error in the terminal:

libav: No support for codec h264 profile 100.

libav: No support for codec h264 profile 100.
libav: Failed setup for format vaapi: hwaccel initialisation returned error.

libav: Failed setup for format vaapi: hwaccel initialisation returned error.
Failed to get HW surface format
libav: decode_slice_header error

libav: decode_slice_header error
libav: no frame!

libav: no frame!
libav: No support for codec h264 profile 100.

libav: No support for codec h264 profile 100.
libav: Failed setup for format vaapi: hwaccel initialisation returned error.

libav: Failed setup for format vaapi: hwaccel initialisation returned error.
Failed to get HW surface format
libav: decode_slice_header error

libav: decode_slice_header error
libav: no frame!

libav: no frame!
Failed to get thumbnail frame from MPD /var/home/gh/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam/userdata/10041264/gamerecordings/clips/clip_405820_20241107_202752/video/bg_405820_20241107_191428/session.mpd
Clip save failed with Failure

I only get these errors when trying to "Save in Steam" or "Export Video File" If using "Create a Share Link" it exports the clip fine.

Back when the recording feature was release I was able to save clips fine, I'm not sure when it stopped working.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. Open View > Recordings & Screenshots > Select a recording
  2. Clip > Save / Share > click "Save in Steam" or "Export Video File"
  3. Fails to create clip
Ggg537 2024-11-07 github

I'm not sure if the overlay label is correct for this issue as I can record video fine, the problem is when trying to clip the video, and I'm doing that in desktop mode with the game closed.

Uullll 2024-11-08 github

This seem to be a problem specific to flatpak steam. Flatpak steam recently updated to branch 24.08 and something related to hardware acceleration havent been updated or broken.

Ggg537 2024-11-09 github

Should I close this issue and make a report on the Steam Flatpak tracker?

Edit: someone just made a report here https://github.com/flathub/com.valvesoftware.Steam/issues/1366

Ccrispyricepc 2024-11-30 github

I think this issue should stay open. I have the same problem on Steam for Fedora installed using dnf

Rrocinante333 2024-12-08 github

Also using Fedora 41, rpm fusion steam repo install, not flatpak , seeing the same. I am able to copy to clipboard successfully though.

Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
Steam Version: 1733265492
Steam Client Build Date: Mon, Dec 2 1:26 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Mon, Dec 2 1:20 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021

Lleahanderson1 2024-12-15 github

can confirm this happens to me as well

LLanaTheRaven 2024-12-16 github

I can confirm that is happening to me as well on Steam installed through dnf on Fedora 41 (KDE Plasma, if that makes a difference)

Lleahanderson1 2024-12-16 github

The problem happened to be before and after upgrading to 41. I'm also using KDE plasma.

Ggg537 2024-12-17 github

The Steam Flatpak just updated and now it's working again.

This was the fix https://github.com/flathub/com.valvesoftware.Steam/commit/28481f09f33c12b6ac7421d13af9ed1523c54ec4

Lleahanderson1 2024-12-18 github

the problem is this happens on the dnf version of steam too

TTarsiSurdi 2024-12-23 github

It's still not working for me even after updating to 1.0.0.81.

Clips are recorded just fine and can be played back from anywhere within Steam, however no single export option works. The error I get is "Unable to retrieve clip information (9)", the logs show the following when trying to save any clips to a file:

[2024-12-22 22:15:50] flock /run/user/1000/doc/28ceb368/Steam Recordings/video/fg_268910_20241223_010246/session.mpd LOCK_SH failed. errno = 38flock /run/user/1000/doc/28ceb368/Steam Recordings/video/fg_268910_20241223_010246/session.mpd LOCK_SH failed. errno = 38Attempting to save a clip to clip_268910_20241223_011558 from background, timeline_26891020241223_010237[56675] to timeline_26891020241223_010237[61283]: 1 timelines, NOT including current, BACKGROUND recording
[2024-12-22 22:15:58] flock /run/user/1000/doc/28ceb368/Steam Recordings/video/fg_268910_20241223_010326/session.mpd LOCK_SH failed. errno = 38Unable to hard link clipped recording from /run/user/1000/doc/28ceb368/Steam Recordings/video/fg_268910_20241223_010326 to /run/user/1000/doc/28ceb368/Steam Recordings/clips/clip_268910_20241223_011558/video/fg_268910_20241223_010326 - NOT ACTIVE start offset 7303   duration 4608
[2024-12-22 22:15:58] Clip save failed with File Not Found

It seems like there is an issue when creating hard links between different files in the game recordings files structure?
System: Fedora 41 GNOME Wayland NVIDIA 565.77 - Steam Flatpak

LLucaPisl 2025-02-04 github

In case anyone else is having similar problems, for me the fix was to go and select Custom (when saving the replay) and choose H.264 instead of H.265 (HEVC). I'm on ArchLinux and have an AMD GPU + CPU, and have the required drivers to play games, in case that's relevant.

YYuiNekomata 2025-02-06 github

In case anyone else is having similar problems, for me the fix was to go and select Custom (when saving the replay) and choose H.264 instead of H.265 (HEVC). I'm on ArchLinux and have an AMD GPU + CPU, and have the required drivers to play games, in case that's relevant.

Was getting "steam failed to export try again (2)" however once I swapped to H.264 instead of H.265 (HEVC) the issue was resolved! Thank you!

Mmurlakatamenka 2025-02-12 github

In case anyone else is having similar problems, for me the fix was to go and select Custom (when saving the replay) and choose H.264 instead of H.265 (HEVC)

how is it a fix though? Merely a crutch.

I also run Arch with AMD CPU and GPU (Ryzen 5600 + RX 5700 XT), the latter is capable of hardware encoding HEVC. For example, venerable gpu-screen-recorder encodes 10-bit HEVC with hardware acceleration no problemo. So I'm not happy with Steam not usint the superior codec for exporting video.

Iitmecho 2025-05-19 github

Changing to H.264 works for exporting to a file but I still get the failed to export error when trying to create a shared link. This still happens even when disabling the H.265 setting in the game recording settings

TThynix 2025-08-23 github

For what it's worth, I'm seeing this problem on Windows 11 as well (I'll try to find a better place to report as well) - I have an RTX 5090 so it's not just AMD and it's not (at least in terms of symptoms) just Linux. I'm using Steam client version 1751405894. H.264 works for me too. Strangely, I get this error even for exporting the clip at original quality. Perhaps it's reencoding?

RRadmang 2025-11-09 github

In case anyone else is having similar problems, for me the fix was to go and select Custom (when saving the replay) and choose H.264 instead of H.265 (HEVC). I'm on ArchLinux and have an AMD GPU + CPU, and have the required drivers to play games, in case that's relevant.

This worked as an alternative (not a fix) on Steam (official .deb file) running Ubuntu 25.10, with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600x (CPU) and AMD RX 7900 GRE (GPU).

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