protonscr

[Flatpak] Allow access to /mnt and /run/media by default for secondary libraries

steamclosed
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#12956 · opened 2026-03-03 by exedyos · updated 2026-03-03 · 1 comments · github
Eexedyos 2026-03-03 github

Context:
The Steam Flatpak currently lacks default permissions to access secondary storage drives mounted in /mnt or /run/media. For many Linux gamers, especially those on immutable distributions like Fedora Kinoite, storing large game libraries on a separate SSD is a standard setup.

The Problem:
New users are often confused when Steam cannot "see" their other drives, forcing them to use external tools like Flatseal to manually grant permissions. This creates a fragmented and technical user experience that deviates from the "it just works" philosophy.

The Proposal:
I suggest updating the Steam Flatpak manifest to include:

filesystem=/mnt: To allow access to internal secondary drives.

filesystem=/run/media: To allow access to external/removable drives.

Security Compromise:
If full /mnt access is considered too broad, please consider establishing a standard such as filesystem=/mnt/games. This would allow a secure, dedicated mount point for Steam libraries that the Flatpak can recognize out-of-the-box.

Why this matters:
Other major Linux launchers (Heroic, Lutris) already include these permissions. Aligning Steam with these standards would greatly improve the onboarding experience for Desktop Linux users.

System Info:

OS: Fedora Kinoite (Atomic/Immutable)

Steam Version: Flatpak

Target: Flatpak Manifest Permissions
Kkisak-valve maintainer 2026-03-03 github

Hello @exedyos, Flatpak specific issues should be directed at the Flatpak package maintainers (https://github.com/flathub/com.valvesoftware.Steam).

This isn't something the Steam client handles directly.

Nothing extracted yet.