This seems likely to be an AMD driver bug.
In Xorg logs new string, when Steam launched:
380.474 fglrx(0): EDID vendor "SAM", prod id 1589
380.474 fglrx(0): Using hsync ranges from config file
380.474 fglrx(0): Using vrefresh ranges from config file
380.474 fglrx(0): Printing DDC gathered Modelines:
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "1920x1080"x0.0 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1125 +hsync +vsync (67.5 kHz eP)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "800x600"x0.0 40.00 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync (37.9 kHz e)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "800x600"x0.0 36.00 800 824 896 1024 600 601 603 625 +hsync +vsync (35.2 kHz e)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "640x480"x0.0 31.50 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500 -hsync -vsync (37.5 kHz e)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "640x480"x0.0 31.50 640 664 704 832 480 489 492 520 -hsync -vsync (37.9 kHz e)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "640x480"x0.0 30.24 640 704 768 864 480 483 486 525 -hsync -vsync (35.0 kHz e)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "640x480"x0.0 25.18 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525 -hsync -vsync (31.5 kHz e)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "720x400"x0.0 28.32 720 738 846 900 400 412 414 449 -hsync +vsync (31.5 kHz e)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "1280x1024"x0.0 135.00 1280 1296 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync (80.0 kHz e)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "1024x768"x0.0 78.75 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync (60.0 kHz e)
380.474 fglrx(0): Modeline "1024x768"x0.0 75.00 1024 1048 1184 1328 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync (56.5 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "1024x768"x0.0 65.00 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync (48.4 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "832x624"x0.0 57.28 832 864 928 1152 624 625 628 667 -hsync -vsync (49.7 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "800x600"x0.0 49.50 800 816 896 1056 600 601 604 625 +hsync +vsync (46.9 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "800x600"x0.0 50.00 800 856 976 1040 600 637 643 666 +hsync +vsync (48.1 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "1152x864"x0.0 108.00 1152 1216 1344 1600 864 865 868 900 +hsync +vsync (67.5 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "1280x800"x0.0 83.50 1280 1352 1480 1680 800 803 809 831 -hsync +vsync (49.7 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "1280x960"x0.0 108.00 1280 1376 1488 1800 960 961 964 1000 +hsync +vsync (60.0 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "1280x1024"x0.0 108.00 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync (64.0 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "1440x900"x0.0 106.50 1440 1520 1672 1904 900 903 909 934 -hsync +vsync (55.9 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "1440x900"x0.0 136.75 1440 1536 1688 1936 900 903 909 942 -hsync +vsync (70.6 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "1600x1200"x0.0 162.00 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +hsync +vsync (75.0 kHz e)
380.475 fglrx(0): Modeline "1680x1050"x0.0 146.25 1680 1784 1960 2240 1050 1053 1059 1089 -hsync +vsync (65.3 kHz e)
I remember having that problem when using Fedora 20 and GNOME 3.10 with fglrx, all of a sudden Steam would crash the entire DE. I can't update the info since I now run Arch Linux, i3-wm and open Intel drivers.
Hello @baz2142, @ranisalt, fglrx has been discontinued in favor of mesa and amdgpu-pro. If you are still experiencing this issue with one of those drivers on an up to date system, please open a new issue report.
Closing as video driver quality from 2015 is no longer relevant.
Nothing extracted yet.
I had AMD 6850 with Kernel 4.0 and Mesa 11, steam worked fine.
I bought AMD R9 285(Tonga), downloaded latest Fglrx 15.20 to replace unworkable Mesa on my chip,
after that, then I tried to start Steam, after few seconds, system just get down. Not Steam, Linux.
I tried Arch Linux and Ubuntu with different DE's, tried start Steam in Big Pictures mod..
If launch Steam from console -- no one issue until system crash.
If launch Steam and immediately hide it, system will continue work fine,
only when Steam try to paint new GUI element, it can crash system.
Ubuntu 15.04
Xorg 1.17
Fglrx 15.20
Kernel 3.19
Logs:
-Xorg: http://pastebin.com/paLfBqFB
-Kernel http://pastebin.com/FXGJAS1f
-GPU-Manager http://pastebin.com/yUwNGVj0
-Steam error.log http://pastebin.com/ssxjs60e