protonscr

[Steam RT3] Cannot launch games with `steam-runtime-launch-options`

steamclosed runtime
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#13071 · opened 2026-04-10 by ao2 · updated 2026-06-18 · 5 comments · github
1 matching comments, n / p to jump
Aao2 2026-04-10 github

Your system information

  • Steam client version (build number or date): 1775703228 - Thu, Apr 9, 2026 3:38 AM UTC -08:00
  • Distribution: Debian 13
  • Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes
  • Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
  • Steam Logs: steam-logs.tar.gz
  • GPU: Nvidia

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Games should launch when Launch Options are set to steam-runtime-launch-options -- %command%.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. Opt-in to beta client
  2. Enable Use experimental SteamRT3 Steam Client
  3. Set game Launch Options to steam-runtime-launch-options -- %command%
  4. Launch game.

The game does not launch, specifically, the steam-runtime-launch-options UI never shows up and the Play button in the Steam Client UI becomes green again.

I executed Steam with the following command line:

STEAM_LINUX_RUNTIME_LOG=1 \
STEAM_LINUX_RUNTIME_VERBOSE=1 \
steam

In the logs I can see this:

chdir "/home/ao2/.steam/debian-installation/steamapps/common/RetroArch"
ERROR: ld.so: object '/home/ao2/.steam/debian-installation/steamrt32/gameoverlayrenderer.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded (wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS32): ignored.
15:44:22.150422: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: Enabled profiling
15:44:22.150450: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: Reset signal 13 (Broken pipe) from SIG_IGN to SIG_DFL
15:44:22.151459: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: I: Connected to steam-runtime-launcher-service: com.steampowered.PressureVessel.LaunchAlongsideSteam (:1.642)
15:44:22.151564: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: Forwarding command:
15:44:22.151570: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: 	sh
15:44:22.151574: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: 	-c
15:44:22.151578: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: 	steam-runtime-launch-options -- /home/ao2/.steam/debian-installation/steamrt64/steam-launch-wrapper -- /home/ao2/.steam/debian-installation/steamrt64/reaper SteamLaunch AppId=1118310 -- '/home/ao2/.steam/debian-installation/steamapps/common/SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper'/_v2-entry-point --verb=waitforexitandrun --  '/home/ao2/.steam/debian-installation/steamapps/common/RetroArch/retroarch.sh'
ERROR: ld.so: object '/home/ao2/.steam/debian-installation/steamrt32/gameoverlayrenderer.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded (wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS32): ignored.
15:44:22.152728: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: child_pid: 49576
sh: 1: steam-runtime-launch-options: not found
15:44:22.163012: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: child 49576 exited: wait status 32512
15:44:22.163021: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: child exit code 49576: 127
15:44:22.163032: steam-runtime-launch-client[49573]: D: Exiting with status 127

Also, possibly related, Help -> System Report shows an empty report:

-------------------------------------------------------------
Command: cat /etc/os-release

-------------------------------------------------------------
Command: lspci -tv

-------------------------------------------------------------
Command: lsusb -t

-------------------------------------------------------------
Command: coredumpctl -r --since -10d

-------------------------------------------------------------
Command: wpctl status

-------------------------------------------------------------
Command: journalctl -b 0

-------------------------------------------------------------
Command: journalctl -b -1

apparently because steam-runtime-launch-client cannot be found either:

15:43:11.000754: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: Enabled profiling
15:43:11.000788: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: Unblocked signal 17 (Child exited)
15:43:11.000796: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: Reset signal 13 (Broken pipe) from SIG_IGN to SIG_DFL
15:43:11.001697: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: I: Connected to steam-runtime-launcher-service: com.steampowered.PressureVessel.LaunchAlongsideSteam (:1.642)
15:43:11.001769: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: Forwarding command:
15:43:11.001775: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: 	sh
15:43:11.001779: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: 	-c
15:43:11.001783: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: 	steam-runtime-launch-client --alongside-steam -- cat /etc/os-release
15:43:11.002675: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: child_pid: 49348
sh: 1: steam-runtime-launch-client: not found
15:43:11.002986: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: child 49348 exited: wait status 32512
15:43:11.002990: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: child exit code 49348: 127
15:43:11.002998: steam-runtime-launch-client[49344]: D: Exiting with status 127

This seems to be be different from https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/13008 (internal task steamrt/tasks#954) and https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/13012

Thanks, Antonio

Aao2 2026-04-10 github

cc @smcv

Ssmcv 2026-04-10 github

This is expected, right now: we don't have a place to put it where it will be in the Launch Options' PATH. steamrt/tasks#669 is relevant.

Ssmcv 2026-04-10 github

A workaround is to put bin/launch-options.sh and bin/launch-options.py from https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/steamrt/steam-runtime-tools in some convenient directory (perhaps ~/tmp), and use launch options like ~/tmp/launch-options.sh -- %command%. (This is how we test proposed changes to steam-runtime-launch-options.)

s-r-l-o is a developer tool rather than something that is intended to be user-facing.

Ssmcv 2026-06-17 github

This should be fixed in beta ≥ 1780965181, I think?

Aao2 2026-06-18 github

This should be fixed in beta ≥ 1780965181, I think?

Yes, it is. I re-tested with the latest beta.

In particular $STEAM_RUNTIME_STEAMRT/bin seems to be prepended to the PATH variable in the SteamRT3 environment.

Closing the issue.

Upstream links