run steam with env SDL_ENABLE_GTK=0 steam
SDL enables GTK by default, if 32-bit gtk-3 is installed, it will crash:
file=libgdk-3.so.0 [0]; dynamically loaded by /home/ada/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/libSDL3.so.0 [0]
SDL_ENABLE_GTK=0 disables that behavior.
note that Gtk is needed for the tray icon by SDL but it does not appear that steam is using that functionality from SDL:
(i was in the process of writing a bug report for this lol)
run steam with
env SDL_ENABLE_GTK=0 steam
Thank you that does work as a workaround for now.
(i was in the process of writing a bug report fort his lol)
Feel free to still open one if you can provide more info, I'll then close this one as duplicate.
Thanks for the report, beta should be working correctly now on systems with lib32-libgtk3 installed.
Thanks for the report, beta should be working correctly now on systems with lib32-libgtk3 installed.
Thank you very much for the quick update. I confirm it is fixed for me now.
The workaround didn't work for me. Using Pop!_OS (Ubuntu 22.04 based) Linux and the latest deb.
$ env SDL_ENABLE_GTK=0 steam
steam.sh[2335436]: Running Steam on pop 22.04 64-bit
steam.sh[2335436]: STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
setup.sh[2335479]: Steam runtime environment up-to-date!
steam.sh[2335436]: Steam client's requirements are satisfied
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Startup - updater built Jul 31 2025 22:21:14
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Startup - Steam Client launched with: '/home/rolle/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-srt-logger-opened'
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Opted in to client beta 'publicbeta' via beta file
You are in the 'publicbeta' client beta.
Looks like steam didn't shutdown cleanly, scheduling immediate update check
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Process started with command-line: '/home/rolle/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-child-update-ui' '-child-update-ui-socket' '8' '-srt-logger-opened'
08/01 16:39:24 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Using update UI: console
08/01 16:39:24 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(0)/tid(2335554)
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Create window
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Loading cached metrics from disk (/home/rolle/.steam/debian-installation/package/steam_client_metrics.bin)
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Using the following download hosts for Public, Realm steamglobal
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] 1. https://client-update.fastly.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 900, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] 2. https://client-update.akamai.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 400, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] 3. https://client-update.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 1, source = 'baked in'
08/01 16:39:24 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Checking for update on startup
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Checking for available updates...
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Downloading manifest: https://client-update.fastly.steamstatic.com/steam_client_publicbeta_ubuntu12
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Manifest download: send request
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Set percent complete: 0
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Set status message: Checking for available updates...
[ 0%] Checking for available updates...
[2025-08-01 16:39:24] Set percent complete: -1
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Manifest download: waiting for download to finish
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Manifest download: finished
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Download skipped: /steam_client_publicbeta_ubuntu12 version 1754001374, installed version 1754001374, existing pending version 0
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Nothing to do
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Verifying installation...
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Verifying all executable checksums
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Set percent complete: -1
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Set status message: Verifying installation...
[----] Verifying installation...
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Verification complete
UpdateUI: skip show logo
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] Destroy window
Steam logging initialized: directory: /home/rolle/.steam/debian-installation/logs
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] ProcessNextMessage: socket disconnected
[2025-08-01 16:39:25] No more messages are expected - exiting
XRRGetOutputInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xed4549c0
XRRGetCrtcInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xed4531f0
/home/rolle/.themes/Sweet-Dark-v40-chromium/gtk-2.0/main.rc:727: error: unexpected identifier 'direction', expected character '}'
/home/rolle/.themes/Sweet-Dark-v40-chromium/gtk-2.0/apps/chrome.rc:50: error: invalid string constant "button", expected valid string constant
/home/rolle/.themes/Sweet-Dark-v40-chromium/gtk-2.0/apps/xfce.rc:79: error: invalid string constant "entry", expected valid string constant
/home/rolle/.steam/debian-installation/steam.sh: line 928: 2335552 Segmentation fault (core dumped) "$STEAMROOT/$STEAMEXEPATH" "$@"
Also tried beta DISABLED in steam/debian-installation/package/beta, but no avail.
Works today, suddenly.
SDL_ENABLE_GTK=0x3 2025-08
Your system information
steam-logs.tar.gz
Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:
Steam doesn't boot anymore. Looking into the console I get this as the last error line:
Steps for reproducing this issue: