A workaround until this is fixed would be to give steam its own partition, but that would over-complicate things if it runs out of space (or if you have > 2 TiB of games you want to install).
A future (not sure when) Steam beta client will have some fixes in this area.
This should have improved with the 8/8 Steam client beta. Games are a separate issue, but the Steam client itself should manage installs and such properly, are you still seeing issues?
Unfortunately it seems to be catch-22 here. I don't see how I can install the new client as the .deb is still the same old version and things don't seem to work right at all doing the update on the older steam client due to the stat64 issue. I have a feeling its just not updating right as Here is what I am getting right now:
steam@dekabutsu:~$ steam
Running Steam on ubuntu 12.04 64-bit
STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
Assert( Assertion Failed: nSize != 0 ):/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/utlbuffer.cpp:221
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1.0_client)
Uploading dump (out-of-process) [proxy '']
/tmp/dumps/crash_20130812124546_2.dmp
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1374875626_client)
NVIDIA: could not open the device file /dev/nvidiactl (Permission denied).
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1.0_client)
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1.0_client)
unlinked 0 orphaned pipes
removing stale semaphore last operated on by process 10267 with name 0eBlobRegistryMutex_E656395D388C289D2194C36A50921D14
removing stale semaphore last operated on by process 10267 with name 0eBlobRegistrySignal_E656395D388C289D2194C36A50921D14
removing stale semaphore last operated on by process 10267 with name 0emSteamEngineInstance
removing stale semaphore last operated on by process 10267 with name 0eSteamEngineLock
Fontconfig error: "conf.d", line 1: failed reading config file
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1374875626_client)
NVIDIA: could not open the device file /dev/nvidiactl (Permission denied).
[0812/124548:ERROR:bus.cc(261)] Failed to connect to the bus: Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: Connection refused
[0812/124548:ERROR:bus.cc(261)] Failed to connect to the bus: Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: Connection refused
[0812/124548:WARNING:proxy_service.cc(958)] PAC support disabled because there is no system implementation
/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/utlbuffer.cpp (221) : Assertion Failed: nSize != 0
Assert( Assertion Failed: nSize != 0 ):/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/utlbuffer.cpp:221
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1374875626_client)
Error: OpenGL GLX context is not using direct rendering, which may cause performance problems.
For more information visit https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9938-EYZB-7457.
Uploading dump (out-of-process) [proxy '']
/tmp/dumps/crash_20130812124548_8.dmp
/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/utlbuffer.cpp (221) : Assertion Failed: nSize != 0
ILocalize::AddFile() failed to load file "public/steamui_english.txt".
Failed to load SteamUI localization file.
Finished uploading minidump (out-of-process): success = yes
response: CrashID=bp-10691805-d088-4719-8101-99ade2130812
Finished uploading minidump (out-of-process): success = yes
response: CrashID=bp-66623043-0e33-4076-aae6-caaf02130812
steam@dekabutsu:~$
Is there a deb available or something I can do to get the new version? Also you said its a beta. How do I use the beta version or tell steam to install it?
Also it says I am using indirect rendering even though nvidia-settings disagrees with that.
You might need to wait until we put out a new public Steam package. You can opt into the beta by going to your Steam directory, creating a 'package' subdirectory and creating a file in there called 'beta' with the content 'publicbeta'. I'm not sure that's going to help, though.
Has this improved at all in the Steam client (not games, they are a separate issue)?
I haven't been able to run steam in pretty much forever due to this issue. Last time I tried was a few weeks ago. Part of the problem is the version that you download from the site has this bug so unless you want to install from another machine and copy over there is not a very easy way to even update this until the steam.deb on the site is updated to a newer version for the initial install.
OK, thanks. The package will eventually get updated but I don't know when.
Later today I will try copying my ubuntu chroot to my SSD so I can update the files and attempt things with the new client. Not sure how much this is going to help in the long run if the games still can't read the files though...
Ok so now you have a steam_latest.deb which I would think would have your fix in it?
root@dekabutsu:~# dpkg -l | grep -i steam
rc steam:i386 1.0.0.22 Installer for the Beta of the Steam software distribution service
ii steam-launcher 1.0.0.43 Launcher for the Steam software distribution service
Anyway it doesn't work. It did seem to download/extract ok (which I don't think worked before it would just get in a download loop) but it wont run:
steam@dekabutsu:~$ steam
Running Steam on ubuntu 12.04 64-bit
STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
Assert( Assertion Failed: nSize != 0 ):/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/utlbuffer.cpp:221
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1.0_client)
Uploading dump (out-of-process) [proxy '']
/tmp/dumps/crash_20131028141222_2.dmp
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1381282832_client)
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1.0_client)
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1.0_client)
unlinked 0 orphaned pipes
removing stale semaphore last operated on by process 10607 with name 0eBlobRegistryMutex_128218FE6A573255F6DC9579153FDFD3
removing stale semaphore last operated on by process 10607 with name 0eBlobRegistrySignal_128218FE6A573255F6DC9579153FDFD3
removing stale semaphore last operated on by process 10607 with name 0emSteamEngineInstance
removing stale semaphore last operated on by process 10607 with name 0eSteamEngineLock
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1381282832_client)
[1028/141223:ERROR:bus.cc(261)] Failed to connect to the bus: Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: Connection refused
[1028/141223:ERROR:bus.cc(261)] Failed to connect to the bus: Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: Connection refused
[1028/141223:WARNING:proxy_service.cc(958)] PAC support disabled because there is no system implementation
/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/utlbuffer.cpp (221) : Assertion Failed: nSize != 0
Assert( Assertion Failed: nSize != 0 ):/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/utlbuffer.cpp:221
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1381282832_client)
Error: OpenGL GLX context is not using direct rendering, which may cause performance problems.
For more information visit https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9938-EYZB-7457.
Uploading dump (out-of-process) [proxy '']
/tmp/dumps/crash_20131028141223_8.dmp
/home/buildbot/buildslave_steam/steam_rel_client_ubuntu12_linux/build/src/tier1/../tier1/utlbuffer.cpp (221) : Assertion Failed: nSize != 0
ILocalize::AddFile() failed to load file "public/steamui_english.txt".
Failed to load SteamUI localization file.
Finished uploading minidump (out-of-process): success = yes
response: CrashID=bp-dd4d416a-c434-4a0a-bc7e-4cdf12131028
This was on my ssd which is only 100G but I am using inode64 on it as well. I thought only 2 TiB+ would actually have inodes in the 64-bit address space but aparrantly not:
steam@dekabutsu:~$ stat .local/share/Steam/public/steamui_english.txt
File: `.local/share/Steam/public/steamui_english.txt'
Size: 499974 Blocks: 984 IO Block: 1441792 regular file
Device: 841h/2113d Inode: 9408728099 Links: 1
Access: (0775/-rwxrwxr-x) Uid: ( 1001/ steam) Gid: ( 1002/ steam)
Access: 2013-09-27 10:57:38.000000000 -0700
Modify: 2013-09-27 10:57:38.000000000 -0700
Change: 2013-10-28 14:09:55.848324116 -0700
Birth: -
That inode number looks > 32-bit. Anyway I guess i will need to completely re-do my ssd without inode64 to be 100% sure I am using the latest version and try copying to an inode64 partition.
Just wanted to report that this issue is not yet fixed. I finally got around to re-formatting my SSD and mounted with inode32. I then proceeded to install steam which worked, enabled beta got the newest one which lists:
Steam client application
Built: Nov 18 2013, at 12:16:30
Steam API: v012
Steam package versions; 1384810309 / 138481033
Steam is working fine... I shut steam down, I rsync the user's entire homdir to my inode64 system and I get an error about unable to load public_steamui_english.txt:
root@dekabutsu: 07:40 PM :/data/ubuntu_steam/.local/share/Steam# stat public/steamui_english.txt
File: `public/steamui_english.txt'
Size: 509224 Blocks: 1000 IO Block: 1441792 regular file
Device: 841h/2113d Inode: 137936620588 Links: 1
Access: (0775/-rwxrwxr-x) Uid: ( 1001/ proftpd) Gid: ( 1002/ nx)
Access: 2013-11-19 19:37:54.720192660 -0800
Modify: 2013-11-14 18:56:28.000000000 -0800
Change: 2013-11-19 19:37:54.720192660 -0800
38-bit int right there for that inode number. So this is definitely not fixed in the steam client.
I think I found the issue with the localization file, a future Steam client will have a fix for that. It looks like some of the Valve games are going to be updated too, but I don't know what timeframe that will happen in.
The next Linux client will have the fix for this. It is likely not the last problem, but it's one more down.
Are these like nightly builds or something that you get if your on beta so i should just check again in a few days or should I wait a few weeks before testing again?
If you have opted into client betas (Settings -> Account tab) they will come in as we push them out. You can use the "Check for client updates" menu option to force a refresh. The client beta that came out today should be available for use nowadays and should hopefully fix the loc file load.
Have newer client releases fixed the loc file issue?
Closing pending info that there are further problems.
I have been busy but i should get a chance to test this by Monday.
I am able to run Steam Client from Linux 64bit. Also I'm using large XFS RAID volume to store the Steam Library (I symlink ~/.steam to a directory on this volume).
So This bug in steam-for-linux appears fixed. I am able to install, launch and use Steam Client on Linux x86_64 using large XFS filesystem! Thanks @SandonV for the hard work tracking this down & thanks to @gdrewb-valve & Valve folks for all the hard work squashing this bug in Steam Client!
From my testing, the separate issue for old 32bit hl2_linux games still appears valid. That is to say: ValveSoftware/Source-1-Games#1685 still is not fixed. Looks like it might be easy to fix with a recompile using stat64 & update.
Good day to everyone who isn't myself, as i have noticed that this bug seemingly returned. After an OS transfer from ext4 to xfs , steam no longer reaches main UI reliably. Filesystem size is 400Gb. The only way to run steam is to remove steamapps folder contents. I would need further guidance to provide more helpful data about the issue.
By reliably i meant that it more often doesn't appear than it does.
UPD1: perhaps not. Noticed that it never runs from outside the interactive shell and with interactive shell it rums sometimes (can't measure chance), which raises questions about the environment i am using.
Nothing extracted yet.
Anyone with XFS and > 2 TiB partitions (which can be very common these days with 4 TB drives) will have problems if they heave >2 TiB written to the partition and are using inode64 (which is required if you don't want to possibly run out of space for inodes)
The problem is inodes get values over 32-bit addressing sizes which will make steam break.
See issue #975 for another example of someone who probably ran into this issue.
Yay large inode number:
Steam wont even run for me as my entire ubuntu chroot environment is over the 2TiB barrier. It goes in an install loop:
Copying Steam to /dev/shm allows it to run (update works) but no fonts anywhere because it cant read OS font files (again stat64 problem):
Now if steam was built natively for 64-bit this would not be a problem but if valve developers do not wish to build natively for 64-bit then they should use needed workarounds for large file-system and large inode number support.
About machine page (copied from a bunch of square blocks):
Also another issue I saw due to lack of 64-bit binary is the 'Total hard disk space and largest free hard disk block' which are listed as 0 MB when I was running off a JFS file-system (32-bit inodes) instead of XFS. It lists something now as it was running from /dev/shm. Ram amount is incorrect as well: