Activate a Product on Steam tries to install regardless of support for the game.

steamopen reviewedSteam client

ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#16 · opened 2012-12-20 by jsimmons · updated 2025-05-28 · 11 comments · github

Jjsimmons 2012-12-20 github

If you activate a product on Steam for Linux that is not available on Linux it will continue anyway and start to install the game.

Jjohndrinkwater 2012-12-21 github

Seems related to missing validoslist in games’ entries, wizard assuming that platform is valid regardless.

Ssushimustwrite 2012-12-23 github

Related: if you click the "See the Steam support site for more information" link in the pop up alerting you that yes, an error did occur, you get a help desk error at the support site. "The specified article does not exist or you do not have permission to view it."

The URL in question: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9361-YAGV-7766&l=english

Mmxdpeep 2012-12-28 github

LIMBO is officially available for Linux through CodeWeavers (wine) setup, no reason to fail in Steam

Ffur0n 2013-01-03 github

so It is now showing 2 games in my Linux section of my library. snapshot doesn't even download anything and gives a "invalid app config" error. Cave Story+ downloads 180 MB but when starting the game it gives a "missing executable" error. When I navigate to the folders snapshot has nothing in its folder but a folder is created, In Cave Story+ it shows a "data" folder with Linux files in it. Shank 2 also downloads but it's the windows files.
Screenshot from 2013-01-01 13:51:34

Mmdaffin 2013-01-04 github

Here is a list of games that actually work under steam on linux.

Jjohndrinkwater 2013-01-04 github

james147,
To see the up-to-the-second list of supported games, click the Linux tab on the Store page of the client. Any other method is not guaranteed to be correct.

Mmdaffin 2013-01-04 github

@johndrinkwater, except some of the games in the store do not work, and which ones currently don't are listed on that page.

Ttomchiverton 2013-01-07 github

Indeed. The Reddit link is far more comprehensive, and more accurate as far as I can tell, because 'work' is clearly not a binary thing unfortunately - for instance iBomber Pacific may or may not work depending on your graphics hardware, where as Steam just say "works". See http://steamcommunity.com/app/221410/discussions/0/846939071214672602/ for instance.

Mmxdpeep 2013-03-28 github

NightSky HD fails to install "invalid platform", but I got a new key from Humble Bundle - this key cannot be used as I have already purchased the game key for Windows... :-1: :punch:

Jjohndrinkwater 2013-06-03 github

For titles with win+mac support, it will refuse to install. With just win support, it will offer to install (see disk space required).

screenshot from 2013-05-30 19 13 42

MManagor 2025-05-28 github

This shouldn't be a problem with the modern client since it has Proton.

Nothing extracted yet.