This is something like a corrupt localconfig.vdf file, it should be in Steam/userdata//config/. If you make a *backup of that file and then delete it and restart steam, does this issue (and #2282) fix itself?

Removing localconfig.vdf fixes the issue. Thank you.

Judging by content of this file I can say that it was truncated in the middle of section "apptickets".

Perhaps steam should create temporary file and then atomically rename it to localconfig.vdf?

I have the same issue in Ubuntu Linux 13.10 (Alpha 1). I think that this problem prevents me to install a game (Don't Starve)

KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, (*Software*), (*Valve*), (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues.cpp (2386) : Assertion Failed: Error while parsing text KeyValues for resource InstallConfigStore
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got empty keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, Steam, apps, 221030, 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, Steam, apps, (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, Steam, (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, (*Valve*), (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, (*Software*), (*Valve*), (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues.cpp (2386) : Assertion Failed: Error while parsing text KeyValues for resource InstallConfigStore
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got empty keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, Steam, apps, 221030, 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, Steam, apps, (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, Steam, (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, (*Valve*), (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, (*Software*), (*Valve*), (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues.cpp (2386) : Assertion Failed: Error while parsing text KeyValues for resource InstallConfigStore

/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/KeyValues.cpp (2389) : Assertion Failed: Error while parsing text KeyValues for resource InstallConfigStore
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got empty keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, Steam, apps, 221030, 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, Steam, apps, (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, Steam, (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, Valve, (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, Software, (*Valve*), (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
KeyValues Error: RecursiveLoadFromBuffer:  got EOF instead of keyname in file InstallConfigStore [offset: 4096]
InstallConfigStore, (*Software*), (*Valve*), (*Steam*), (*apps*), (*221030*), 
/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/KeyValues.cpp (2389) : Assertion Failed: Error while parsing text KeyValues for resource InstallConfigStore

I backup and move the Steam/userdata/*/config/ but still doesn't work properly.

@gdrewb-valve Same issue executing:

mv Steam/ClientRegistry.blob Steam/ClientRegistry-backup.blob

What file it is reading exactly KeyValues.cpp? Maybe it helps if debug trace shows the config file parsed for errors. I can't even install any game update (Champion of Regnum or Killing Floor). This bug is preventing me to play new games or use game updates in Steam.

@gdrewb-valve the problem was indeed with Steam/config/config.vdf file. It seems truncated (this are the last lines, note that finish in character ")

"221030"
                    {
                        "installdir"        "~/Steam/SteamApps/common/townsdemo"
                        "UpdateKBtoDL"      "0"
                        "HasAllLocalContent"        "1"
                        "

I just rename the file like you said with:

mv ~/Steam/config/config.vdf ~/Steam/config-backup.vdf

Then when I start steam, a new file is generated and I can now install or update games available, yay!.

So, could be a workaround if when you get a KeyValues Error ask to the user to regenerate the file and backup the last corrupted file.

IMHO, there are a lot scenarios that a config file cannot be totally writen at all or truncated. For example, shutdown the pc, unexpected crash, etc, that could cause a truncate config.vdf file.

I get this issue on occasion also, and the localconfig.vdf certainly looks truncated.

My suspicion is that it's related to occasionally running out of HDD space. Sometimes the Steam client will be downloading an update and then will pause, and I'll quickly realize that my /home partition is 100% full. When this happens, I'll close down Steam, free up some space, and open it up again some time later.

Both running out of space and this Steam issue have happened a few times (I'm holding out for 1Tb mSATA SSDs released next month), and while I'm not certain, there could be some correlation here.

hi, thanks a lot for the tips in this thread.
I had the same problem with the InstallConfigStore and indeed, my config.vdf was truncated too. Removing it fixed the problem.

At first I thought all the trouble was caused because I added an extra install location which was located on a partition which was not always mounted.

I have to agree with @boltronics though that it is more likely caused by a full HD. I also remember running out of space a few weeks ago so that's probably when the trouble started. I didn't notice immediately because it only showed when games started receiving updates and I couldn't update anymore.

The Samsung 1Tb mSATA SSD came out quicker than expected, so I installed it last week. Now that I finally have plenty of space, I don't expect to ever see this issue reappear again. I promise to report back here if I ever do see it though.

Haven't seen it in ages. Haven't ran out of space in ages either. :smiley:

Its not a space issue dude it something worse, I have the same on my Manjaro system and it can be possible corrupted due to power outage or recent bad system shutdown and I have a lot of space in there and it happens for me much more frequently under hipster Linux systems, on Ubuntu (or any flavour) I haven't had such problems like NEVER:

dev 3,9G 0 3,9G 0% /dev
run 3,9G 1,6M 3,9G 1% /run
/dev/sda3 908G 160G 702G 19% /
tmpfs 3,9G 26M 3,9G 1% /dev/shm
tmpfs 3,9G 0 3,9G 0% /sys/fs/cgroup
tmpfs 3,9G 7,0M 3,9G 1% /tmp
/dev/sda2 976M 97M 812M 11% /boot
tmpfs 799M 16K 799M 1% /run/user/1000