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"Steam library folder is not executable" and "Failed to add Steam library folder" when adding existing library folder from external hard drive on linux

steamopen
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#8450 · opened 2022-03-04 by TheScwumbler · updated 2025-03-23 · 6 comments · github
TTheScwumbler 2022-03-04 github

Problem started on Linux Mint 19.1, updated to 20.3 for other reasons and problem persists. problem is in regard to an exFat external hard drive

  • Steam client version (build date): Jan 16 2022
  • Distribution: Linux Mint 20.3
  • Not opted into beta
  • up-to-date client

The problem started a few weeks back, and all of the games that were installed on my exFat external hard drive stopped showing up in steam. Recently, I updated Linux Mint from 19.1 to 20.3 for other reasons, and the problem still persists. Whenever I go to add the folder in settings > downloads > steam library folders, it says one of the two errors listed in the title. Oddly enough, it switches between the two randomly.

Things I have tried:

  • reinstalling the os and therefore the client
  • changing mount options (user session defaults -> linked picture and various other configurations
    image)
  • some other issues said that the capitalization could affect it. it is currently steamapps but i figured i would change it to SteamApps. however, when I tried this it said "The name 'SteamApps' is already used in this folder..." (os error, not steam error). I can't seem to find another file/directory named SteamApps on my hard drive, even searching around with ls and enabling "show hidden files"
  • checking dmesg and steam content log, which both show nothing of importance
  • running games from it on windows works, but it doesnt work on linux
  • running the games from the hard drive rather than from steam works
  • i also tried mounting it under /media/username/TOSHIBA and the same error occurs

Thanks in advance!

Vvitacell 2022-03-12 github

I installed other different GNU/Linux distro, then when I tryed to add my steam library located on other SSD drive, I had a problem because it wasn't writable (ownership problem) (not executable in your case). I had to run this command (please, don't run it, and don't run it mindlessy):

sudo chown -hR myuser:users /mnt/b8c5fd1a-b708-4936-ba13-25771ce3a7e5/

My problem was different, and has to do with permissions. I think that maybe you have problems with executable permissions. I am not sure that exFat partitions support Unix's executable permissions.

Ssashokbg 2023-06-05 github

Same problem here - I checked permissions and I am the owner of the directories.

image

Also here is my fstab entry for this mount:

PARTUUID=ba1b0a75-9bd7-4ac1-8a99-bf6ac6e714de /home/alexander/Games ext4 rw,user,noatime,exec 0 2

Any help is appreciated

Llevovix0 2024-08-18 github

Had same issue, removed "user" from fstab entry, problem was solved for me.

SSubstance7384 2024-09-14 github

try
sudo chmod -R 777 /media/TOSHIBA/SteamLibrary

Kkp2pml30 2025-03-19 github

For me journalctl showed Couldn't write /mnt/d/SteamLibrary/.steam_exec_test.sh: No such file or directory. Which is strange because my user can write there

So I just ran touch /mnt/d/SteamLibrary/.steam_exec_test.sh and everything worked after re-clicking in steam ui

Note: my mount command is

sudo mount.exfat -o uid=1000,gid=100,user,exec /dev/sda1 /mnt/d
AAhacad 2025-03-23 github

Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/8450#issuecomment-2736646771

Worked for me as well, strange problem, thanks!

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