can't select dropdown menu options
I am experiencing this same issue.
I hope this gets resolved quickly. It's a pretty major issue.
Same here on Arch Linux.
Same here on Arch Linux
https://gist.github.com/ErrantOverflow/68a34863fd188605246555d754c355be
I made sure to update all packages and the issue is still present.
Also tried the Steam Beta Update, but nothing changed.
I have exactly the same problem. It is impossible to change values in the per game dropdown lists. In fact, the form controls behind the dropdown seem to activate through it. I've tried all the same things that ErrantOverflow tried. It means I can't opt out of a beta I previously activated, among other things.
This is a showstopper guys. Seems like it needs to be prioritized.
Yeah I can't use the drop-down menus anywhere. So I can't actually re-add libraries that were removed... I literally cannot play games I've already legitimately downloaded... because of this stupid bug.
We need a fix! no pull-down menus makes STEAM VERY useless!
For me this issue appears to be present on X.org/X11, and not Wayland.
Ubuntu 22.04.
Still broken on the update re-issued today (what's up with that? Just issue a new update)
Confirming today's update does not resolve the issue.
Additional information: it seems to be triggered by "focus follows mouse". Disabling focus follows mouse in the desktop settings allowed the dropdowns to work.
And, no, "just disable focus follows mouse" is not an acceptable "fix" lest anyone think it isn't a bug. It worked fine previously.
Additional information: it seems to be triggered by "focus follows mouse". Disabling focus follows mouse in the desktop settings allowed the dropdowns to work.
I have no such option enabled in my LXDE/Openbox, and it's still borked. :/
Additional information: it seems to be triggered by "focus follows mouse". Disabling focus follows mouse in the desktop settings allowed the dropdowns to work.
And, no, "just disable focus follows mouse" is not an acceptable "fix" lest anyone think it isn't a bug. It worked fine previously.
Good find, I've changed the window focus on Gnome Tweaks to "Click to Focus" and the issue stops happening.
Additional information: it seems to be triggered by "focus follows mouse". Disabling focus follows mouse in the desktop settings allowed the dropdowns to work.
And, no, "just disable focus follows mouse" is not an acceptable "fix" lest anyone think it isn't a bug. It worked fine previously.
Good workaround, just not feasible for me to run my desktop environment like this. Arch with Gnome here in X11.
My current workaround is using big picture mode, that works to fix stuff but is just annoying to work around.
Yeah I need Focus Follows Mouse as that is key to my workflow. This issue was not present previously, so the bug probably came from "recent" changes (unsure if it's days/weeks).
Funny enough - a custom skin fixes this.
Default skin = can't select dropdowns
Adwaita skin = dropdowns totally fine
It seems to work if you hold Ctrl and click on the version you want to select.
Having this problem with the current beta release. Turning off "focus follows mouse" doesn't fix it for me in openbox, but holding CTRL when clicking the menu item on the context menu is working.
Same issue here on Gentoo.
Using Steam package build date: Mar 24 2023, at 17:20:43
It seems to work if you hold Ctrl and click on the version you want to select.
Thank you winteriscariot. Ctrl click works.
Ctrl+click is not working for me as a work-around :( And I am using mouse-follow focus mode.
Ctrl+click is not working for me as a work-around :( And I am using mouse-follow focus mode.
For me CTRL, ALT, or SHIFT all work now while left clicking (It used to only be CTRL). Still not working with a normal left click though.
Just to make sure, you are only using the modifier for the left click on the dropdown and not the right click on the game name?
My test pull-down menu was trying to select a different version of Proton for a game. That is one scenario where it doesn't select what I click on.
For me CTRL, ALT, or SHIFT all work now while left clicking (It used to only be CTRL). Still not working with a normal left click though. Just to make sure, you are only using the modifier for the left click on the dropdown and not the right click on the game name?
Doesn't work in my case, none of those nor a combination of them all works. It's picking the proton version in properties. Using a different theme also isn't working. The only way to fix it is to go into big picture mode and change it there.
If the modifier keys are not working for you it probably means your window manager is not passing them through to steam. In my case I can't use the Windows key with left click since my window manager intercepts that.
One other way I have got it to work is by holding in a thumb button (back/forward navigation) on my mouse at the same time as left clicking the proton version / menu item.
In my case I am doubtful that my WM is intercepting my key-presses, as I really don't see examples of that happening for me, but I wouldn't fully rule it out either.
On the gnome desktop when running the Steam client in Large Mode, I was able to work around this issue by going to Tweaks > Windows and choosing "Click to Focus" in the Window Focus section. For me, this was the only setting where dropdown selections worked. When either "Focus on Hover" or "Secondary-Click" were chosen, dropdown selections did not work at all in Large Mode.
In Small Mode, I had no issues with dropdown selections regardless of my Window Focus setting. However, when either "Focus on Hover" or "Secondary Click" were chosen, I was only able to close the popup window that contained the dropdown after first switching to another window and subsequently returning to the popup window. Otoh, when "Click to Focus" was chosen, I had no problem closing the popup window immediately after making a dropdown selection.
In Big Picture Mode, I had no problems at all regardless of my Window Focus setting.
With the Steam beta, I can't even select things on the right-click menu. I can't even go in properties if I don't switch to "Click to focus". With the not beta client, I can go to the menu but I have the dropdown problem...
Latest beta shipped several changes that should improve this issue. Please retest.
No difference for me with beta build Apr 18 2023 23:21:04.
I still need to hold a modifier key or a thumb button on my mouse to be able to left click any item on a games context menu or an item in the dropdown boxes of the game properties.
I can confirm, nothing changed for me with the same beta build.
On the beta build I can't even select the games properties, the moment I click on them on the drop down menu it disappears.
Again, the workaround I've been using so far is opening gnome tweaks and changing the focus mode to "Click to focus"
In the current beta (Apr 18 version), you can't even go to game's properties without ctrl-clicking. If you right-click on the game and want to go to properties, the pop-up disappears and you click on another game on the list (the click goes to whatever was behind the little context pop-up window)
In stable Steam (Mar 24), Library behaves normally, only in game properties you have to Ctrl/Shift/AltGr/Win+click (I have Alt+click window dragging, so that's intercepted, as af7567 mentioned)
PS. Focus follow mouse always caused problems with Steam. Even the main menu, as well as all drop-down lists / combo boxes in Steam->Settings (still the good old interface), the pop-ups disappear if you move mouse over, then out of their little boxes (which is every time you use the menu of course :))
It's been like that forever and somehow we all live with it. And it's way more frustrating than ctrl-clicking a pop-up which doesn't even disappear if you leave it by a pixel! :) I predict that in 5 years we'll just ctrl-click everything and won't even talk about it anymore ;)
Beta build 1682634349 is still broken for menu selections.
Beta build 1682634349 is still broken for menu selections.
It's worse now: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9376
Can't click header/toolbar options to even enter steam settings.
I can click header options, but all other popups do not work, like context menus when right clicking on games.
Also means I cannot opt out of beta, because I cannot select the option in the popup selection.
EDIT: As a workaround, I could opt out of beta via big picture mode. Hope valve fixes these kinds of bugs before releasing the new UI to production...
Are the compatibility settings adjustable (per game) in any ascii config files in the .steam dir? Looking for a manual workaround while the GUI is borked.
Are you still having issues with this in latest beta with the new desktop UI? There were too many changes that will impact this to account for accurately, the behavior is a lot more consistent now on the test systems I have.
Today's latest beta on Slackware64 current.
I still need to hold a modifier key to select the game right click context menu items, and the drop down menu items in the game properties window.
The top menu bar (Steam View Friends Games Help) and the Store Library Community top links all work OK.
The issue is now only for folks running gnome who have enabled 'focus follow mouse', correct? Seems to be the case for @af7567 according to earlier posts.
I just tested by logging into a KDE session, still with focus following mouse enabled, and the steam client menus and dropdowns are working fine.
I normally use openbox window manager without any gnome/kde desktop environment. So it does seem to be an issue with the window manager.
edit: Just tested with fvwm window manager, focus follows mouse, and no desktop session. That works fine too.
Still broken on my openbox too. 7900xt fwiw.
It's as if the dropdowns aren't even there even though they are visbile. E.g. I try to remove a drive/folder and it clicks right through to the main window and the dropdown dissappears.
This may be worth reporting to the openbox developers.
I tried running steam client with no window manager at all*, and the context menus work OK then. So it is definitely interference from the window manager which is preventing the clicks getting to the context menus and the dropdown boxes.
Is everyone who still has this problem using openbox? Or are any other window managers affected? I see the person who opened the issue is also using openbox.
As for reporting it to the openbox developers, I'm not sure that is possible. Any openbox patches that I have seen in the last few years have just been created by the community and pop up on some forum before getting added to arch and debian packages.
. * only X server, xterm and steam client were running.
I do not use openbox and I still have the problem with the current beta. I'm using MATE with the marco window manager. It seems all context menus activate the control behind the menu instead of the menu item itself unless holding a modifier key.
Given that Steam is the only software that exhibits this problem, "interference from the window manager" is not a helpful diagnosis and given it isn't a single window manager that's causing it, I think it's more accurately characterized as "steam is doing something dumb (or novel) that nothing else does which just happens to conflict with some window managers".
the issue does exist on gnome, depending on your mouse focus settings, and the severity of it varies depending on if you run steam in small, large, or big picture mode.
in big picture mode, everything works regardless of your mouse setting.
in large mode, with focus follow mouse on, dropdown selection doesn't work at all.
in small mode, you can make a selection, but you have to click to another window and then back to steam for the dropdown to close and the selection to take effect.
@lostwizard By interference from the window manager I meant that it is something the window manager is doing which stops the clicks going where they should (since it works OK with no window manager).
The question is why is the window manager doing it? Is the window manager at fault, or is steam creating the context menus wrongly.
Since openbox doesn't seem to have been worked on for a long time, and that was the WM with the most mentions, I was thinking it could just be an openbox thing. But now we know it affects Marco too which is still getting new releases so that will give the steam developers a more modern WM to test with.
Yeah, openbox git hasn't been touched in years. I just now confirmed it is broken in Arch and in Arch's version of LXDE (uses openbox), so no magic patches there yet.
That said, now that we know others are having the issue still, I did just notice that it's only some of the dropdowns. For example, I can right click in the library and successfully get to the compatibility tab. Once there, I cannot use that dropdown.
Conversely, in the most recent non-beta version I can successfully use the dropdown to opt in to the Steam beta. And then obviously can't opt out after the update.
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1535406650
Except, at least for me, the breaking change came from a change in STEAM, not a change in GNOME.
Is everyone who still has this problem using openbox? Or are any other window managers affected?
Cinnamon on Linux Mint here. I have to turn off focus-follows-mouse temporarily when I want to use dropdown menus on Steam. I can't recall experiencing this in any other programs.
I find it hilarious that going into big picture mode is a viable workaround. Other than that, this just started happening to me today (or more accurately today is the first time I noticed it), and is indeed very annoying. Valve plsfix.
We need a fix for this now! Some people need focus-follows-mouse for accessibility reasons. It is not acceptable for this critical dropdown to be unusable in that mode. At least make it f*cking keyboard navigable or something.
Also seeing this on Arch Linux and Gnome. Turning off focus on hover does work around the issue
This is still broken in yesterday's beta release (default beta and sneak peek). Still need to ctrl+click.
I also confirm this issue on Ubuntu 20.04 when "focus follow mouse" is enabled. Ctrl+click is not working for me, neither shift+click, nor alt+click
I am having the same issue on steam deck.
Currently my only solution is to return to gaming mode, enable proton, then return to desktop mode.
Very annoying.
Also only works in gaming mode, big picture doesn't work either.
So still happening for me. 100% of the time.
ArchLinux, Xorg and openbox with "focus on click". Clicks go right through dropdowns unless with ctr key pressed.
Damn, with the new update, even more of the client is straight up unusable.
Yep, was hopeful it fixed it but now even right click menus wont let me select things so I can't even open properties on a game, for example. How has this been a problem since march? Do the developers working on this not actually use linux? Focus follows mouse is pretty common.
Apparently valve pushed the new client to production and the context menu (and dropdowns) is still not working for me.
On Arch Linux & XOrg.
Steam Version: 1686779606
Steam Client Build Date: Wed, Jun 14 23:18 UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Thu, Jun 15 00:41 UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
system info: https://gist.github.com/Okxa/0320d0329ffc6aa32b8982dd957d89f4
EDIT: holding CTRL (or any other modifier key) makes no difference
@Okxa same here for me on an freshly updated Debian 12 (stable).
To activate the items in the context menu (Launch, Properties, whatever) I need to hold down the CTRL-key.
new system info: https://gist.github.com/sysms/3af35f9167cfcbf24f38e2f6368b7705
This bug popped up for me in the new release yesterday, since then I've reinstalled the steam client and it's still there. I've been on Debian Bookworm since before release so there hasn't really been any changes locally for the last couple of weeks, except for the Steam update.
- Steam client version (build number or date): 1686880776
- Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Debian Bookworm
- Opted into Steam client beta?: [Yes/No] No
- Have you checked for system updates?: [Yes/No] Yes (And reinstalled Steam)
Steam client version (build number or date): 1686880776
Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Opted into Steam client beta?: No
Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
Steam Logs: steam-logs.tar.gz
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti/PCIe/SSE2
When selecting items from drop-down menus, the focus is lost. At first it was only in the Beta and Proton selection sections, but after the update almost all menus behave this way. Now I can't even open the properties of any game.
https://youtu.be/EQggtwO7aoM
https://youtu.be/3LOpsuQ-W9E
I have this issue with icewm and focus-follows-mouse.
If you navigate very quickly to the properties dialog and click it before the popup despawns, you can sometimes open it (towards end of the video).
Also observe the occasional flickering and artifacts on the upper left hand side of the screen when hovering over nested menus, and the fact that hovering "Add to Favorites" also sometimes causes the right-click dialog to despawn.
This is something with the new client.
I moved out of the Beta-branch exactly because of this bug. Now that the new interface went to public, that bug came along, which is weird and bothering that didn't pay attention. Can't uninstall and manage games easily anymore.
Using Gtx 2070s - 525.116.04, on PopOS!
Edit: Just figure out that this happens when you have "Hover on focus" active on gnome at least (using gnome tweaks)
ctrl-click works for me on those menus.
Arch, openbox, new steam interface - any menus / popups not clickable, click is passed to under-laying item (for example, right click game, click "properties" - instead that it clicks and selects game under menu option "properties"). Holding ctrl allows to select menu's items. It was problem with selection boxes only before.
But well, that is WEIRD at least.
Also "no-browser" start option is not working any more enforcing this mess.
ctrl-click works for me on those menus.
Oh, indeed ctrl+click works. But it's a creepy cringe. A "serious corporation" can't make a normal interface for its main handcraft=(
ctrl-click works for me on those menus.
Oh, indeed ctrl+click works. But it's a creepy cringe. A "serious corporation" can't make a normal interface for its main handcraft=(
Well, this crap is expected when you use browser as base for desktop app. Nothing new or shocking: ms teams, skype, slack, discord, upwork app - all those have different issues - alll because it is html used. They're just saving money on doing normal Qt-based application (for example).
I just opened #9678 without realizing this was here, so that's been closed. That said, additional data after reading comments here:
- I'm also on Openbox.
- I use focus-follows-mouse, but on reading that that might be related, I turned it off and verified that it was off, and noted that that doesn't impact the issue for me. Still broken without focus-follows-mouse.
- Using either control or shift as a modifier DOES select/process the menu selection. I'm deeply grateful there's a workaround prior to the issue being corrected.
Unrelated feedback: Despite this glitch, the new UI does look quite nice. Thank you.
3. I'm deeply grateful there's a workaround prior to the issue being corrected.
You have to understand this work-around was found 3 months ago, 3 months before the update has been pushed to production. So we've +1'ed, removed the beta subscriptions (to make other stuff work, only the game properties needing the ctrl-clicks) and awaited an actual fix. Instead, they released it as-is 3 months later.
This is why you shouldn't be optimistic about this getting fixed, even the legendary TTimo showed up but then forgot about us :(
(Also the new UI eats up 2 GB of VRAM for whatever reason, locking it completely from games, now I need a way to somehow downgrade Steam client just to play games... I have Steam on a laptop I haven't used in 2 weeks, can anyone tell me how to copy the Steam client off that laptop to the gaming machine and have it working and not updating?)
From what I understand from the log - they did some mess. In settings I have no beta enabled at all, also it is steam-runtime package ...
[alex@mymsi 22:44:53 ~]$ steam-native -no-browser
steam.sh[6642]: Running Steam on arch rolling 64-bit
steam.sh[6642]: STEAM_RUNTIME is disabled by the user
steam.sh[6642]: Can't find 'steam-runtime-check-requirements', continuing anyway
[2023-06-19 22:44:56] Startup - updater built Jun 16 2023 01:41:16
[2023-06-19 22:44:56] Startup - Steam Client launched with: '/home/alex/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-no-browser'
[2023-06-19 22:44:56] Opted in to client beta 'steampal_stable_9a24a2bf68596b860cb6710d9ea307a76c29a04d' via beta file
You are in the 'steampal_stable_9a24a2bf68596b860cb6710d9ea307a76c29a04d' client beta.
-vgui option brings back old GUI, but disables chat, mouse clicks are still broken. Change shortcut like
Exec=/usr/bin/steam-runtime -vgui
Then it is possible, when steam launched:
chmod -x steamwebhelper
and kill running instances.
Sure this can be automated to have old "no-browser" behave.
#!/bin/bash
NAME=steamwebhelper
HELPER=/home/alex/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_64/$NAME
chmod +x $HELPER
/usr/bin/steam-runtime -vgui -no-cef-sandbox -cef-single-process &
until pids=$(pidof $NAME)
do
sleep 1
done
sleep 10
chmod -x $HELPER
killall -9 $NAME
This works for me as replacement for "-no-browser" (change path to what you have there).
-vgui option brings back old GUI
Thank you! I've clicked around for a minute and never tried even launching a game, but so far my VRAM usage is safe from clicking anything within the Steam client (I have previously disabled all the hardware acceleration possible, made no difference in the new UI, but presumably still works on the old one). I'm on Steam beta (because it promised to get rid of the chat window when you have it disabled, but doesn't even deliver what's there in the changelog), so yes, -vgui does everything right, even in the current beta.
Also, it reacts to Alt-F4 by exiting, wow such feature! It's criminal that a program has no button and no shortcut to exit, and Steam just broke the law. This option brings a keyboard shortcut back, which is excellent. My pet peeve, ignore me if you love every program being TSR.
It still makes the whole screen choppy for a while after starting (literally 2 FPS mouse cursor), so I'd still prefer the old version which never did that, but after a minute that stops and we're back in business, "no biggie".
Thanks again! We'll see how long this "exploit" lasts :/
BTW, in Fedora, or presumably any modern Linux distro, it's just steam -vgui. I think steam-runtime is a mutant from Arch. AFAIR, they still keep 3 "versions" that don't differ in any way for years.
TSR
Haven't heard that since 1998 about :D
I can confirm since the update with the new UI (steam stable branch) every context menu broke. Unfortunately the CTRL (EDIT: or SHIFT) workaround doesn't work on Gnome. Changing the mouse focus behaviour works, but is no option for me as this is also the computer I use for my job.
Only "workaround" is using big picture mode.
This bug is getting really annoying. Please fix!
Arch Linux, X11, Gnome 3.
@jansalleine how about shift as the modifier in question? Works here.
@ChibaPet no. SHIFT does also nothing.
Yeah even more pull-down menus are broken on the prod/beta versions of STEAM now. This situation has gotten worse.
Can we get any insight as to whether this is even being looked into at all??? Many of the menus now just literally DO NOT work at all! >:|
I think I experienced this today when Launching Steam on 0.0 (because of https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9300)
If I launch Steam on 0.0 while I can right click things and not have Steam crash or nuke my GPU now the UI clicks "through" to whatever is below the context or drop down menu leaving you to reclick over and over trying to find the magic spot where it will accept the selection.
This is very similar to the issue I have with the What's New BS but it happens all over, again ONLY if I launch Steam on 0.0. If you launch on 0.1 right clicking just crashes the library or writes garbage to your VRAM until your GPU dies...Steam...better with every updegrate.
This issue affects me as well on Lubuntu 22.04 with Openbox and click to focus. The workarounds of pressing modifier keys (except Alt) or extra mouse buttons (forward/backward) while clicking work for me. It also works if I press and hold the right mouse button before opening a dropdown, works with right-click menus, too (just keep RMB pressed), @BloodyIron maybe this workaround works for you?
Doing some testing with xprop, so far it seems that the menus that do work normally (file menu toolbar and top bar below it) use _NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE_POPUP_MENU windows (that are always present in the background?), while when trying xprop or xwininfo on the ones that are affected by the issue I only ever get the underlying Steam window. This actually led me to find one menu that isn't such a popup but works normally, which is the library advanced filtering menu. (I had the idea of checking this because my compositor is set to make non-focused windows transparent and this is always triggered when I open one of the normally functioning menus (even back in the old UI), but doesn't happen for the ones affected by this issue.)
WHEN IS THIS GOING TO GET FIXED????
There is something - qt based client :D somebody did it:
https://github.com/Rosentti/opensteamclient
This stuff all shows how Steam has become a jumble of bad decisions. Their support only "supports" you if you run Ubuntu...but then the Steam Deck runs Arch. The Steam Deck runs KDE as the DE and large number of breakages and problems with the Steam client are because they use GTK.
I remember a time when you could not use K and G apps interchangeably. However the ecosystem seems to be moving back that way with GTK breaking so many things to force specific use cases that fit their "organizational direction." Steam is just shooting itself in the foot by using GTK and further alienating users with these breakages and segregation of support and understanding. GTK and its parent organization has become the enemy of user choice...Valve needs to switch to Qt and perhaps stop adding "features" that just make it garbage nagware.
I'm definitely going to keep an eye on opensteam so thanks for the heads up @alexzk1. Now we will see if they can go the distance or if somehow Valve shuts them down or the binary blobs they have to use introduce too many unfixable problems.
I've found a workaround for GNOME without disabling focus on hover. You just have to be holding right click as you press left click.
I've found a workaround for GNOME without disabling focus on hover. You just have to be holding right click as you press left click.
I never would have thought of that combination, but I can confirm it works.
You just have to be holding right click as you press left click.
I can also confirm that this works. With Openbox in my case.
Right-click just triggers me to try to bring up another pull-down menu where my mouse is, not enabling the right+left click work-around. For example, if I try to go to properties for a game, right click dismisses the first menu and tries to initiate a new menu at the point I right-clicked at. So not a universal work-around.
Right-click just triggers me to try to bring up another pull-down menu where my mouse is, not enabling the right+left click work-around. For example, if I try to go to properties for a game, right click dismisses the first menu and tries to initiate a new menu at the point I right-clicked at. So not a universal work-around.
You have to keep holding the right mouse button down right from the moment when you right-click e. g. a game in your library. Just never let it go and then navigate to properties and left-click additionally.
Right-click just triggers me to try to bring up another pull-down menu where my mouse is, not enabling the right+left click work-around. For example, if I try to go to properties for a game, right click dismisses the first menu and tries to initiate a new menu at the point I right-clicked at. So not a universal work-around.
For context menu in Library: Hold right click on the game, drag to the option, and press left click while still holding right click
For other dropdowns: Start holding right click, left click on the drop-down, and select the option while still holding right click
This work-around still isn't working for me... and really not the point... this really needs to get fixed.
We'd fix it ourselves, but we don't get to see the source code, let alone contribute.
Well that would be a novel thing now wouldn't it? Imagine if they figured out a way, in similar vein to nVidia, whereby parts of STEAM could be open-source, and parts closed-source. Such-that humanity could contribute to the ecosystem.
Perhaps, however, some might take issue with providing free labour to a company making profit. One company I rather admire myself, but I could see the concern around such. But it would reasonably beg the question...
If I were to contribute to the code, what do I get out of it?
I don't know the answer. But I do know know this damn pull-down menu bug is a real PITA and it bugs me pretty much every day. I suppose for that reason alone I wouldn't mind at least trying to see if I could fix it myself. My ego motivates me.
But I digress... this gamer in a tired, drunken stupor, has no means to make this situation better. But maybe, just maybe, I could make someone laugh.
Interestingly, here on the main computer I maintain an old pure GTK2 MATE (including marco) and ctrl/shift+click work-around always worked, as well as starting Steam with -vgui (which fixes all my other problems).
But I finally restarted my rarely used laptop with Cinnamon (I guess that means Mutter is the WM), which unfortunately also (finally) updated Steam and now nothing works, even with -vgui (normally only game properties need ctrl-clicks with -vui, but there, other stuff is also broken).
I thought maybe it's some default settings (like gpu accel for web views or whatever). But then, marco --replace helped with ctrl+click, so yes, there definitely are WMs that treat this event differently. Or maybe I changed too much stuff at once :)
I doubt this is a GTK issue. I run Mint which is based on Ubuntu with Cinnamon (Gnome fork) as DE. I have the same problem but the workaround with holding the right mouse button works. I also have never encountered a similar problem anywhere. Using Linux since the 1990s no application or game has ever shown a similar bug where I was able to open a right click menu but not select a menu item.
No no, not GTK, that's not what I'm saying, I was just telling a story ;)
I've just dnf installed marco because I remember the name on that laptop and tested that, but the current version in Fedora is built on GTK 3.24.
So it's just different window managers behaving differently? Basically every user with "focus follows mouse" has this issue, but looks like there are WMs that allow the work-around, and others that don't.
BTW, has anyone tried "SloppyFocusMouse" on Windows? It totally has the option buried somewhere deep, but possible to enable without any third party programs, at least last I checked (which was years ago, I also use Linux and focus follows mouse for 25+ years, we're all in the same boat here, impossible to break that kind of habit! :))
I do not use focus follows mouse. More so GTK is 100% the issue for some of my tickets. Most likely not for this issue but the GTK Steam uses absolutely is contributing to breakages. GTk around 3.1 - 3.2 stopped enumerating various things and hard coded 1. So if a user has more than 1...well fun ensues. This is also subject to if a GTK application touches on those hard coded functions. If it doesn't it will run fine with no indication there is a landmine waiting to be stepped on. However if the applications starts to use those things...BOOM! For me if I right click in Steam if Steam is on an XScreen other than 0.0 Steam will either crash the library or start writing garbage to my VRAM until my GPU dies. (Hint GTK hard codes XScreen counts to 1 now.)
I fixed mine by deleting everything in my steam installation folder but steamapps and compatibilitytools.d, because I don't want to re-download every game and proton versions.
Nothing else worked for me and that click and hold is not it.
I noticed that it was most likely an old theme file that got stuck because I installed a flatpak and deb version without clearing the entire folder and the issue was still there, when I deleted everything and reinstalled, no issue.
I ran into UI click issues with Steam (RPM Fusion) on Fedora 38 with GNOME 44. I've had occasional clicking issues with Steam on Linux in the past and kind of just tolerated it since I only do Settings on fresh installs, but it was exceptionally broken with more drop-downs as of a few days ago. GNOME focus mode to click didn't help. Holding both mouse buttons and/or holding some modifer key sometimes helped.
Minor rant
I've been meaning to figure out SteamCMD for a while now, but this UI mess finally pushed me to do it.
For the most part I just play bot matches in Dota 2, and all I use Steam for is to occasionally update the game. steamcmd.sh +login Espionage724 +app_info_update 1 handles that nicely without a busted UI :p
SteamCMD is good enough by itself for Dota 2 offline bot matches, but I also drop-in Goldberg to hard-disable network, set offline mode, and to set my username.
Is it so hard to just keep the legacy interface available via a flag? Why force a known-broken interface? Who asked for this? Who is this helping? All this has done is push me towards seeking an alternative to bypass Steam.
TLDR: +1/me too and a rant
Edit: Lasted a little over a week before https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Dota-2/issues/2392 now, also Linux-specific. I wonder if other MOBAs are this hard to play?
I forgot about SteaCMD and went to read the docs myself but all I get is the endless looping cloudflare verification...I love how everything is broken...insert this is fine meme.
Sidenote this issue has been a problem on the stupid "What's New" UI for me since its implementation. Just now it has spread like a cancer to all other UI elements.
Same issue here with ubuntu 22.04 patched 6.1 kernel and nvidia 535.
The right click workaround works though so thanks for sharing it.
Still a problem on Debian 11 and Openbox. I'm on a laptop with a combined trackpad and can't try the right + left click fix, but can confirm that holding CTRL or SHIFT work as a work around, but for some reason not ALT?
@gnollhide
I'm on a laptop with a combined trackpad and can't try the right + left click fix
Yeah, that's my laptop, that was my problem, for sure, on that laptop, with Mutter. I have a collection of gaming mice more expensive than that laptop, but the issue the community has is: why? Why can't it simply behave like every. single. other. program.
So don't worry, you're not alone. We're all in the same boat, even if some of us have mice ;)
but for some reason not ALT?
Yes, the default for basically anything from AfterStep 25 years ago to modern environments is alt-drag to move the window. That's why Alt doesn't work. You're supposed to Alt-drag windows and not expect Alt+Mouse1 to do anything else. If you change the drag modifier to let's say Super, you could use Alt as well, but seriously, you already have a work-around.
You're lucky to be on Debian (by definition everything 15 years old, am I right?! ;)) just because, for some reason, Steam refuses to cooperate with any WM forked from whatever GNOME calls its glorified decorator, within the last 5 years.
I've never seen a Steam Machine or Steam Deck in person, but considering what the Steam Runtime consists of, is it safe to assume they basically support Linux up to about 2010? :/
@gnollhide
Still a problem on Debian 11 and Openbox. I'm on a laptop with a combined trackpad and can't try the right + left click fix, but can confirm that holding CTRL or SHIFT work as a work around, but for some reason not ALT?
ALT doesn't work because your openbox probably has a mousebind set for A-Left (Alt + Left drag) which is used to move the window. This means openbox is intercepting that click and not sending it to steam.
I have my mousebind set to the Windows key instead and I can use Alt as a modifier to get into the steam menus, but not the Windows key.
Almost 4 months, Valve should really consider make the steam UI open source, so at least other people could try to fix it.
Almost 4 months, Valve should really consider make the steam UI open source, so at least other people could try to fix it.
Corporate warfare precludes behavior that magnanimous (or, some might say, simply ethical).
@nPHYN1T3 If you are sure about beeing GTK the issue for many of your problems wouldn't this
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues
be the best place to file an issue?
@nPHYN1T3 If you are sure about beeing GTK the issue for many of your problems wouldn't this https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues be the best place to file an issue?
No because I had reported this years ago, they don't care. Gnomes organizational direction is to move towards arandr provider or Wayland style configs (years before it matters). Given arandr provider is a "weakest sets the bar" and Wayland is a "dump all the work on one" style they are the death-knell for users like me who run multi GPU. Steam up to about a year ago worked fine but then they dropped an update where they started touching on the GTK calls that require XScreen enumeration. Given I run Steam on 0.1 it would do what all GTK apps do when they don't get the "right answer" to where they are running and crash or go into fun race conditions. This is just one of now far far too many lingering breakages with Steam. Right clicking in Steam for me often means Steam writes garbage to my GPU's VRAM until it dies. [See #9300](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9300)
Just wanted to say the newly added "context menu focus compatibility mode" works for me on Openbox. Very nice. Glad there's finally somethign being done about it
Edit: Okay, the Steam chat is still somewhat buggt. The emoticon picker still requires me to hold ctrl to change from emotes to stickers
Context menu fix is mostly working for me too on openbox with focus follows mouse enabled.
I also have the problem of the emoticon picker closing when switching between emoticons/stickers/effects unless holding a modifier key, but everywhere else in steam seems fixed.
Unfortunately it doesn't solve anything for me on XFCE. Bummer. :(
Edit: In fact, I just noticed that having this fix active breaks menus when I right-click in the friends list.
From the beta release notes: "Add a setting to improve compatibility with window managers that send an unfocus event before every pointer click event, e.g. openbox. This setting can be found in "Settings->Interface->Enable context menu focus compatibility mode". Enabling this setting will fix dropdown menus being unclickable on these window managers."
This setting does not exist in the settings with steam -vgui, which with this update also started exhibiting the problem on this computer!
But I could start steam without any arguments, switch the option, then go back to -vgui and the option is still stored and works, even if hidden.
I'm happy for now :)
Steam Version: 1688632274
Steam Client Build Date: Thu, Jul 6 05:25 UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Thu, Jul 6 10:20 UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
Fixed it for me, thank :-)
'Enable context menu focus compatibility mode' needs german translation though ;)
(not having this issue with -vgui)
What would have been ironic is if it used a dropdown rather than a check box.
One out of five problems fixed...(CTWM here)
Now if they'd fix:
- The new UI causes Steam to hang / lock up when run on an XScreen other than 0.0
- Clicking on notices, store, library (pretty much anything) results in a white (and blank) screen until you click on something else and back to what you want like 3 or 4 times. (This has been an issue for like a year!)
- The nasty UI lag, white rect flashing and black rect hanging when using menus without -vgui
- Right clicking and selecting properties of a game when run on an XScreen other than 0.0 causes either Library view to crash or Steam writes garbage to VRAM until the GPU dies. (This was present before the UI update and continues)
-
it consumes gigabytes of VRAM, making games stutter like crazy (even with all the GPU acceleration of web views/video playback disabled, as well as every other possible option in the interface menu)
-
there's no shortcut to quit (steam -vgui correctly reacts to Alt-F4 or whatever your shortcut for quit is)
- it consumes gigabytes of VRAM, making games stutter like crazy (even with all the GPU acceleration of web views/video playback disabled, as well as every other possible option in the interface menu)
Why do you think I run the pile of garbage on one of my other GPU's? ;) (XScreen 0.1 and 0.2 are other GPU's for me) 0.0 is where my games actually run, on my best GPU.
From the beta release notes: "Add a setting to improve compatibility with window managers that send an unfocus event before every pointer click event, e.g. openbox. This setting can be found in "Settings->Interface->Enable context menu focus compatibility mode". Enabling this setting will fix dropdown menus being unclickable on these window managers."
This setting does not exist in the settings with steam -vgui, which with this update also started exhibiting the problem on this computer!
But I could start steam without any arguments, switch the option, then go back to -vgui and the option is still stored and works, even if hidden.
I'm happy for now :)
This seems to work for me!:
Steam Version: 1688632274
Steam Client Build Date: Wed, Jul 5 21:25 UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Thu, Jul 6 02:20 UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
I can confirm that using the new setting for focus compatibility in the steam beta I can now finally select from dropdown menus again and the corresponding window opens :+1:
Steam Version: 1688685284
Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Jul 7 00:58 UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Fri, Jul 7 00:59 UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
Steam Version: 1688685284
Steam Client Build Date: Thu, Jul 6 11:58 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Thu, Jul 6 11:59 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
I'm still seeing the problem, it's worst in the Workshop, it's selecting whatever is directly behind the dropdown menu for me.
@nPHYN1T3 @Lamieur We got it now. You can stop cluttering this issue with other issues. Thanks!
- it consumes gigabytes of VRAM, making games stutter like crazy (even with all the GPU acceleration of web views/video playback disabled, as well as every other possible option in the interface menu)
This seems way more noteworthy than some dropdown boxes. Is there a ticket about this?
Edit: Maybe https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9638
Is there a ticket about this?
No idea, but of course it's irrelevant to the problem covered by this issue.
I'm sorry for rambling, but another work-around posted previously by alexzk1 solved more issues for me than just this one, which is why I mentioned it.
And TTimo, you're still a legend, thank you!
Right-click just triggers me to try to bring up another pull-down menu where my mouse is, not enabling the right+left click work-around.
I want to go back to this post from @BloodyIron because I just tested on another computer with fresh Cinnamon, where no ctrl/shift/super-clicks worked. So far the fix only made it to Steam beta build, but there's no way to subscribe to the beta from the production version (beta subscription is a drop-down menu :)) I'm seriously holding myself from going into a rant about missing keyboard navigation in this toolkit, @jansalleine :)
So the magic trick to subscribe to beta was to: hover over the drop-down button, then hold LMB and press RMB (cursor changes to a hand, like pointing to a link on a web site), then release, hold RMB and press LMB (then you finally open the list) and then it worked ;)
That's voodoo! But it worked, asked for a restart, then it's just going back to the settings, enabling the new option and it's all good.
Hope that helps someone searching for a work-around before this (or perhaps better) fix gets officially released.
From the beta release notes: "Add a setting to improve compatibility with window managers that send an unfocus event before every pointer click event, e.g. openbox. This setting can be found in "Settings->Interface->Enable context menu focus compatibility mode". Enabling this setting will fix dropdown menus being unclickable on these window managers."
The UI for Steam has been atrocious since the new UI came in...
Using Gnome + Wayland, 125% scaling. Without this setting the dropdowns everywhere are almost impossible to click an item on and it is incredibly frustrating. With that setting enabled it becomes very difficult to get the dropdown to show, but the items are at least clickable.
It is baffling how bad the UI has gotten. Regular UI is unresponsive in many instances, while the big-screen mode is janky/stuttery.
I just noticed that second level context menu items on the library aren't fixed by the new option. Eg "Add To > Collection" and "Manage > Browse Local Files"
I just noticed that second level context menu items on the library aren't fixed by the new option. Eg "Add To > Collection" and "Manage > Browse Local Files"
I can confirm. The "workaround" of keeping the right mouse button pressed while selecting the nested drop-down (e.g. browse local files) works but the new settings option apparently does not fix the second level menus.
EDIT: Also noticed that this problem is also visible in the steam workshop when you click on the "Your files" dropdown and then for example want to filter by subscribed files. The click on the menu then passes through the menu and clicks the link below it (most popular items in my case). I guess the focus option fix just has to be implemented for all the menu items.
I can confirm that the option works on openbox without focus follow on first level menus and dropdowns only, further ones still require the workaround.
Having the same issue in LUbuntu 22.04.2 LTS
My workaround is pushing the left control on the keyboard while clicking with the mouse ..
For some reason this works.
There are still some pull-down menus (edit community comment) that don't work with the beta feature:
Steam Version: 1689034492
Steam Client Build Date: Mon, Jul 10 17:59 UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Mon, Jul 10 11:48 UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
Having this problem with the current beta release. Turning off "focus follows mouse" doesn't fix it for me in openbox, but holding CTRL when clicking the menu item on the context menu is working.
HOLY SH*T, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I've been trying everything to do get dropdowns to work so I can uninstall some games via the UI instead of just outright deleting them. This worked perfectly. I really hope they fix this.
I am on
Debian 11.7, LXDE, Openbox. Steam version 1689034492
Disabling "focus follows mouse" got this working for me, but I can't believe that I have to turn a global option off in GNOME that I've used forever just so Steam menus actually work.
This and the fact the Steam client still doesn't scale text properly (or give you any control over it without hacking up a custom skin) is extraordinary.
I really wish the client would get better but it just seems to regress.
Steam Version: 1689983533
Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Jul 21 12:58 UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Fri, Jul 21 12:49 UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
Gnome 44.2, 200% scale, Wayland/Sway
NixOS 23.05 (Stoat)
- Context menu focus compatibility mode partially fixes it for me.
- Now I can select options in context menus
- Right clicking games now causes the context menu to flash on screen before disappearing... before it just wouldn't appear 95% of the time.
- I don't have a focus follows mouse option in my Gnome settings UI, I've never heard of it.
I don't have focus-follow-mouse here either, but noticed Ctrl+Click seems to work, I just used that to opt into Steam client beta for https://github.com/ValveSoftware/csgo-osx-linux/issues/3172.
EDIT: It's 3172 actually, 3192 is for mac and the fix wasn't directed at Linux, my bad.
This is back...either right click menu's vanish on their own or you click through them.
Steam Version: 1690583737
Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Jul 28 1:44 PM UTC -06:00
Steam Web Build Date: Fri, Jul 28 5:21 PM UTC -06:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
Gnome 42.9 X11
Issue persists. Changing Gnome window focus behavior to Click to Focus instead of Focus on Hover is still a working workaround.
Funny enough - a custom skin fixes this.
Default skin = can't select dropdowns Adwaita skin = dropdowns totally fine
how can skins in steam be selected? i have the snap version
I am still having issues with some drop-down menus. For example, in the library list of games, right click, and go to uninstall, that fails. As in, it does not uninstall the game. The menu closes as if I clicked on it, but no action seems to be taken.
Lots of other pull-down menus do work though. And yes, I am still using follow-mouse focus because it's a huge help to my workflow.
Can't wait for this to get comprehensively fixed, and do appreciate the improvements already implemented. :)
Steam Version: 1692041866
Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Aug 11 22:40 UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Mon, Aug 14 13:04 UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
I'm still seeing tons of this stuff. My Roommates Steam install has the "vanishing menu" bug and white / black rec flashing SUPER bad. Steam UI is virtually unusable as clicks don't register, menu's vanish, massive lag on the draw as it flickers...On mine I just see what you're seeing. Some menu's work, others it still has a kinda click through effect or it seems like it accepts the click but then doesn't do the behavior the click should trigger.
Same problem here. Right click a game in library, none of the options work. Click the gear on a game page, none of the options work.
it could be some incompatibility of one of the libraries used
STILL having issues with this. Most notably just trying to uninstall a game (right click menu on list in library).
Steam Version: 1694466342
Steam Client Build Date: Mon, Sep 11 2:49 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Sat, Sep 9 5:01 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020
It also seems like clicking on the left most bit of the menu is the only way to make it work. Like the "link" is only over the left most portion or say the U in uninstall. Meaning clicking U (or left of the U works) but clicking on the ninstall clicks through the item still. Like making a div a link but then not scaling the div width to the container width.
Well for me it's particularly frustrating that they mostly fixed it a bunch of months ago, and the remaining areas it's not fixed, seem to have become ignored... or something like that...
The initial fix seemed to come at a rather nice (fast?) pace, but the remainder... not
This has become a trend, break, fix, regress, conditionally fix, forget. Waiting months indeed leaves you feeling like it's been forgot, overlooked or in some bugs potentially deliberately ignored with a "won't fix" undertone. Steam is 100% broken for how I've used it for years now and that ticket has been complete radio silence with no attempts to rectify it since. While they have tried to fix this I suspect at some point they will just stop and tell us we're all using niche software and it's unsupported. Much like how the generic support will tell you to kick dirt if you're not using Ubuntu. I actually contacted consumer affairs here about this as Steam has to work to give us access to product we have paid for...but it doesn't work any longer leaving paid product unavailable. I'm sick of updates that push annoyances, ads and marketing while breaking core functionality...but here we are.
hmpf, a clean reinstall had worked for me
Tried that a month ago, just wasted time/bandwidth. i.e. your mileage may vary.
try the snap version, it is also more current
Snap is Ubuntucentric and I won't touch snap/flat or Ubuntu with a 100' pole...it also doesn't change the fact Steam is broken or at the very least not house cleaning configs/settings/variables correctly.
yes, but snap versions are distribution independent and actual
i have no problems with the snap version
Snap is also optional on Ubuntu, I removed it on purpose, so yeah, should be run without snap too.
yes sure, but with snap it exist one build for many linux systems.
i was able to fix this on debian 12 by removing some of the libraries as suggested by the debian guide for steam, found here: https://wiki.debian.org/Steam#Steam_runtime_issues
specifically this block of commands under Variant: remove offending files from Steam Runtime:
rm ~/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6
rm ~/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1
rm ~/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/amd64/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1
rm ~/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/amd64/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6
rm ~/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libxcb.so.1
rm ~/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libgpg-error.so.0
i'm running debian 12, so you may or may not need to adjust the paths.
apparently you can also start Steam with STEAM_RUNTIME=0 steam which will force it to use your system libraries, but obviously this only works if you have those libraries installed system-wide.
Yeah I'm going to hold off on modifying aspects of my STEAM install until I hear from VALVe to at least some capacity. Thanks for sharing @ratorres255 as that might be helpful for someone, but for me, I'm just going to mostly patiently wait. :P
you're not so much modifying the install as telling it where to find the libraries that it's already using. the problem with the steam-provided libraries is that they're never updated and don't play nice with other parts of debian. you could always move those files to a backup folder, try it, then move them back if something doesn't work, too.
The reason Steam ships with the "ubuntu" folder is old "stable" libs to test/build against. Since I don't run Ubuntu having games dependent on ancient Debian libs requires said folder. (sadly this is like the Win32 "Stable ABI" issue) If there is some rogue mixing of these libs you could solve the Steam issues simply by adding some LD_PRELOAD to its launch.
Either way Steam is still broken and not doing this right. It was fine for years. Now since they added all this What's New and Launch screen crap they have broken the UI to hell and back. Fooling with libs is like trying to smooth bubbles out of a layer of plastic. You just scooch them around because the problem was the application of the layer and only Steam can fix Steam.
Noticing this issue is affecting more than just the Uninstall menu. The fact a menu will have 4 or 5 options and some work and some require clicking the left edge of the entry is maddening. Again seems like a CSS issue where the link is applied to an element that is not the menu (or text label) width.
Yeah I can't even add a game to a collection now no matter what my focus mode is in. This is extremely obnoxious, and that aspect of the pull-down menu seems to only work 1 in 10 attempts, again, whether I have focus follow mouse or click to focus.
For me it was affecting every right-click context, sometimes it would take several tries for the menu to even show up.
Re-reading the guide it seems like you should only have to move those files if you launch steam with:
STEAM_RUNTIME_PREFER_HOST_LIBRARIES=0 steam
which i don't, so idk if the old libraries were replaced with something with different names (so steam uses the fallback libraries it's packaged with, maybe?) or what.
since deleting those files i haven't had any issues with any menus (or games). don't know if the client beta has anything to do with it but it might. steam has updated a couple times and hasn't tried to replace those files, at least.
The option "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" in setting/interface seems to have fixed it for me
Had the same problem, and the Settings > Interface > "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" fixed this for me as well.
Though for me the problem started happening midterm after I cleanup some of the mate and gnome themes bloat or so I thought was on my install on fedora core 39.
Would like to understand how this happens, as currently depend on Steam for gaming and I'm not going back to PS or Xbox or Windows.
welp something changed today loaded up steam and now right-clicking doesn't do anything sometimes, and selecting things fails most of the time too. turning on the compatibility setting didn't do anything for me either, unfortunately, but running it without the packaged runtime did.
you might only need to install libgtk2.0-0:i386, libxtst6:i386, and/or libsm6:i386 and run steam normally, but if you'd rather steam just use all up to date libraries here's what i had to do:
i launched steam with "STEAM_RUNTIME=0 steam", steam gives a warning with a list of missing 32bit dependencies which i installed, but i was still getting an error on launch "Could not load module 'bin/vgui2_s.dll'" so i ran this to find missing dependencies:
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/.steam/bin32 ldd ~/.steam/bin32/vgui2_s.so | grep 'not found'
which came back with this:
libSM.so.6 => not found
libICE.so.6 => not found
after installing the 32bit version of libsm6 (which also installed libice6) steam launched, it looks nice and the menus work.
you can run that command against anything you get errors with and it'll tell you what you need to install to get it to run.
in the end i installed these packages:
libxtst6:i386 libgtk2.0-0:i386 libpipewire-0.3-0:i386 libxcb-res0:i386 libopenal1:i386 libsm6:i386
then launch steam with "STEAM_RUNTIME=0 steam"
and it seems to be working.
no mess really all I ultimately did was install 32bit versions of libraries that steam needs to run anyways. my setup just makes it so steam uses the distro provided/approved/whatever versions instead of steams in-case-you-dont-have-them versions, as far as I understand it. just looks "messy" because I included how I got there for anyone curious.
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From: nPHYN1T3 @.>
Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 7:58:32 AM
To: ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux @.>
Cc: ratorres255 @.>; Mention @.>
Subject: Re: [ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux] can't select dropdown menu options (Issue #9273)
Seems to be working (for now) but man what a mess you had to make to get it there. Nevermind Steam now relies on libs I have blacklisted and or libs that break functionality (GTK has been broken for XScreen enumeration since like 3.1-3.2). The new CS (which I PAID for back in the day) ignores GPU selection and runs on the wrong one...Steam is a mess of assumptions. i.e. Valve doesn't just sell a console, they are basically bad console porters at this point. I suspect the compatibility concession will be short lived and soon we will just be told anything non Ubuntu / Gnome / KDE isn't supported. Lord knows several of my open tickets just sit silent for months being ignored like a silent "Won't Fix."
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For what it's worth, 'Settings > Interface > "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode"' didn't change anything here. Still need to press shift for clicks on submenus to work.
I haven't yet tried the 'STEAM_RUNTIME=0' option. But it shouldn't be required - Steam should ship working libraries.
The option "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" in setting/interface seems to have fixed it for me
For me, this has been for a while and I am still having issues.
remove offending files from Steam Runtime
This is not a supported thing to do, and can break Steam.
STEAM_RUNTIME=0
This is not a supported thing to do, and can break Steam.
STEAM_RUNTIME_PREFER_HOST_LIBRARIES=0
This environment variable no longer has any effect since 2020: it is ignored, apart from logging a warning. Before 2020, it was not a supported thing to do, and could break Steam.
In general, if you have a newer version of a particular library on your host system, Steam will use that in preference to the version in the Steam Runtime. Unfortunately, a few specific libraries including libgtk2.0-0:i386 don't do that, because using a newer host copy of those libraries breaks the tray icon (#8577, #9324, possibly others).
@kisak-valve, please could you retitle this to "can't select dropdown menu options when using focus-follows-mouse" since that seems to be a key thing for the majority of commenters here?
If there are people experiencing similar symptoms even when using click-to-focus, then that might be a separate issue.
If I understand correctly, Settings > Interface > "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" resolves this for some people, but not all?
The interesting part is they actually fixed this in a previous beta build a few months back. It lasted about a week before it regressed again and has been since for a few or more months now.
@kisak-valve, please could you retitle this to "can't select dropdown menu options when using focus-follows-mouse" since that seems to be a key thing for the majority of commenters here?
If there are people experiencing similar symptoms even when using click-to-focus, then that might be a separate issue.
If I understand correctly, Settings > Interface > "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" resolves this for some people, but not all?
I am one of those who have issues but don't use focus-follows-mouse.
Edit: XFCE 4.16 on Ubuntu 22.04, NVidia 1660.
Replying to 1742843393
This setting unfortunately does nothing on my end. XMonad.
@kisak-valve, please could you retitle this to "can't select dropdown menu options when using focus-follows-mouse" since that seems to be a key thing for the majority of commenters here?
I am not using focus follows mouse.
Hello @smcv, unfortunately no, I can't summary narrow the scope of this issue in that direction. We have #6 for tracking long standing issues with focus follows mouse.
The riddle here appears to be what makes the behavior on Xmonad, Openbox, and other lightweight DEs different from other desktop environments, and I don't have the insight to refine to topic myself.
Add a setting to improve compatibility with window managers that send an unfocus event before every pointer click event, e.g. openbox. This setting can be found in "Settings->Interface->Enable context menu focus compatibility mode". Enabling this setting will fix dropdown menus being unclickable on these window managers. in the 2023-07-05 Steam client beta gave the option to mitigate a desktop environment quirk with openbox, but it doesn't appear to be a universal solution.
I think the "what makes the light weight DE's different" is the wrong way to look at it. I'm not using a DE (CTWM). As XMonad is also not a DE. Further Steam was fine on all these DE/WM for years until the recent UI changes that has both forced unwanted garbage into the users focus and broke input. So rather that what is different with the DE/WM...how about what did the new UI change that broke everything. i.e. get rid of the garbage new UI...problem solved. ;p Feel free to regress that all the way back to when that "What's New" DLC / Advertisement trash wasn't a thing. In theory you'd close every issue I have minus 2. The Steam script that wastes write cycles on start (steam_exec_test.sh) and Steams pension for privilege escalation.
how about what did the new UI change that broke everything. i.e. get rid of the garbage new UI...problem solved. ;p
Yeah. Right. Very helpful. I would suggest you don't use an ancient window manager like Xmonad and instead switch to something like Gnome or KDE (or a wayland tiler if you must use tiling).
:shrug: you're in the minority, and very very very small minority in what is already a minority of minorities.
[...] in the 2023-07-05 Steam client beta gave the option to mitigate a desktop environment quirk with openbox, but it doesn't appear to be a universal solution.
It's not just universal, it also doesn't work for me on openbox (without focus-follows-mouse).
@flukejones XMonad isn't ancient and it's not what I use so perhaps read next time. When this affects things like XFCE, the "age" of the WM/DE matters little. Gnome and KDE are wasteful pigs and do not run on my hardware. GTK broke compatibility with XScreens back at 3.1-3.2 Plus if you want to push the "only use $X" argument you are basically saying just buy a console, or Apple products. This is for Linux, choice, freedom and personal needs are more important than you're homogeneity.
I have this problem on stock Ubuntu 23.04 with the stock Gnome DE. It is
ridiculously frustrating to have to rely on luck to be able to uninstall
something.
On Mon, Oct 2, 2023, 7:44 AM nPHYN1T3 @.***> wrote:
@flukejones https://github.com/flukejones XMonad isn't ancient and it's
not what I use so perhaps read next time. When this affects things like
XFCE, the "age" of the WM/DE matters little. Gnome and KDE are wasteful
pigs and do not run on my hardware.—
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Switching from 'Focus on Hover' to 'Click to Focus' via the Windows tab of Gnome Tweaks is a viable workaround
@JodyGoldberg For me it's not. I depend on "Focus on Hover" for my workflow for my day job. Switching to Big Picture Mode is the only workaround that worked for me.
Also: @kisak-valve I also use Gnome 3. So it happens on "non lightweight" DEs too. I'd assume there's some general incompatibility between the runtime libraries shipped with Steam and the system libraries on some systems. That would explain why switching to all native libraries seems to fix the issue according to some users here.
well after simon's reply i did a little poking around after and i'm not sure how much that contributed to it working, as i also have the compatibility option enabled... even so turning it off and on at this point doesn't seem to make a difference (still works the same either way), and launching it with STEAM_RUNTIME=0 steam isn't any different than launching it from the application menu quick launch thingy (but i think that's expected, based on what simon said)
i don't have an issue selecting options from dropdown menus anymore, but ~25% of the time the right-click menu disappears immediately after it opens.
for what it's worth i'm on a laptop with iris xe, and the app shortcut has PrefersNonDefaultGPU and X-KDE-RunOnDiscreteGpu set to true (only thing i can think of that might be pertinent).
Can't you give us a small example source code, of cause not the real code, but just a little GUI window with some buttons and select... what are they called widgets? You know, the stuff that is the issue here ;)
So we/the community could test/debug/maybe fix it...
Just a silly idea...
Based on this comment by @ratorres255 I just installed lib32-libsm and lib32-libxtst on my Arch and now it seems to be working. I guess it would be worth getting these added to steam-package's dependencies.
The steam-native-runtime package already pulls these dependencies.
Hello @pschichtel, for clarity, what desktop environment are you using and did you test adding those packages individually and confirm that both are needed to be provided by the host system to have an effect on this issue?
@kisak-valve Archlinux with Gnome 44 (Wayland). I haven't tested individually, but I can do so now.
@kisak-valve Seems like I have fooled myself while testing.
I've been testing 2 things (the two places where this issue annoyed me today):
- Right-clicking on a game in the library, then going to properties. Sometimes the context menu doesn't open when right-clicking, sometimes the context menu opens, but when left-clicking "Properties" the context menu closes without opening the properties window
- in Settings under storage, switching between libraries often takes multiple attempts (I have 3 + "Add Drive", all are equally affected).
The 2. issue can be worked around by working slowly. When opening the dropdown and immediately moving the mouse down to an entry usually made the click ineffective, but when letting the dropdown open fully before moving the mouse down it always worked. This issue seemed to get progressively more difficult to reproduce when installing lib32-libxtst -> lib32-libice -> lib32-libsm, but it was still reproducible. Additionally installing steam-native-runtime did not change anything. The "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" option fully resolves this issue for me, at least 1-2 minutes of constant trying did not result in a single issue. Without the mentioned libraries and the compat option this was very reliably reproducible.
The 1. issue did not seem to be affected by the libraries, I'm probably just less consistent in reproducing it. Sometimes it works repeatedly on the same game, but then doesn't work when switching to a different game. Sometimes I need to right-click the same game 10 times until it finally opens the context menu and even then the properties window might not open. Sometimes it stopped working when clicking other interfaces elements, sometimes it didn't. The "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" completely resolves this too it seems, at least minutes of trying did not reproduce it once.
i feel like the libraries must have done something because i no longer have issues selecting things when the right-click menu comes up, it's just now sometimes the menu pops up and immediately disappears. i might try starting from a new clean install of debian-stable instead of sid, and try things one-by-one to see what fixes (or changes) what.
if i did try something like that are there any libraries or settings i should start with? i love troubleshooting odd issues like this so i'm more than happy to help but i'd be way better off with a bit of direction on where we think the problem might actually be. any pointers on tools that we can use to capture a trace (or what to trace) would be awesome too.
Can't you give us a small example source code, of cause not the real code, but just a little GUI window with some buttons and select.
what are they called widgets? You know, the stuff that is the issue here ;)
So we/the community could test/debug/maybe fix it.
Just a silly idea.
Hello, the issue is still there. Debian Trixie, JWM. Tried the workaround described here (switching focus mode, modifying click with Alt, Ctrl and Shift, pulling the libraries). Only switching to Big Mode helped. However, a weak ago everything worked fine on Ubuntu 23.04 with KDE/JWM and sloppy focus mode.
Edit: Big Picture Mode is slow and cumbersome to navigate, but it has native decorations if not fullscreen, yay.
In Openbox, with "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" enabled, I see some context menus start to work correctly, but not all.
I found a workaround to add in the Openbox rc.xml that seems to work consistently on all the Steam context menus.
Inside of <context name="Client">, replace each of this action:
<action name="Focus"/>
with this action:
<action name="If">
<query>
<focused>no</focused>
</query>
<then>
<action name="Focus"/>
</then>
</action>
I see the same issues with not selecting items in menu drop downs and not opening menus when right clicking library items in Steam. I noticed this started happening a lot after upgrading from Ubuntu 22 LTS to Ubuntu 23.
:~$ apt-cache show gnome-shell | grep Version
Version: 44.3-0ubuntu1.1
Version: 44.0-2ubuntu3
:~$ screenfetch
./+o+-
yyyyy- -yyyyyy+ OS: Ubuntu 23.04 lunar
://+//////-yyyyyyo Kernel: x86_64 Linux 6.2.0-34-generic
.++ .:/++++++/-.+sss/` Uptime: 52m
.:++o: /++++++++/:--:/- Packages: 2446
o:+o+:++.`..```.-/oo+++++/ Shell: bash 5.2.15
.:+o:+o/. `+sssoo+/ Resolution: 3840x1080
.++/+:+oo+o:` /sssooo. DE: GNOME 44.0
/+++//+:`oo+o /::--:. WM: Mutter
\+/+o+++`o++o ++////. WM Theme: Adwaita
.++.o+++oo+:` /dddhhh. GTK Theme: Yaru-blue-dark [GTK2/3]
.+.o+oo:. `oddhhhh+ Icon Theme: Yaru-blue
\+.++o+o``-````.:ohdhhhhh+ Font: Ubuntu 11
`:o+++ `ohhhhhhhhyo++os: Disk: 164G / 1.5T (12%)
.o:`.syhhhhhhh/.oo++o` CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12400 @ 12x 4.4GHz [51.0°C]
/osyyyyyyo++ooo+++/ GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6600 (navi23, LLVM 15.0.7, DRM 3.49, 6.2.0-34-generic)
````` +oo+++o\: RAM: 5746MiB / 15795MiB
`oo++.
Inside of
<context name="Client">, replace each of this action:<action name="Focus"/>with this action:
<action name="If"> <query> <focused>no</focused> </query> <then> <action name="Focus"/> </then> </action>
@peterfab9845 This 100% fixed all the Steam/openbox issues I've been having.
https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1766922429
I'm on EndeavorOS with xfce, mouse focus disabled, and every menu is working, apart from the one for sorting my wishlist.
Additional information: it seems to be triggered by "focus follows mouse". Disabling focus follows mouse in the desktop settings allowed the dropdowns to work.
And, no, "just disable focus follows mouse" is not an acceptable "fix" lest anyone think it isn't a bug. It worked fine previously.Good find, I've changed the window focus on Gnome Tweaks to "Click to Focus" and the issue stops happening.
Thanks, this worked for me, installed gnome tweaks, and selected, "Click to Focus" in the "Windows" Options.
OS: Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS
For those who missed it, there is an option in Settings->Interface, depicted in the attached screenshot, that should fix this issue if you want to keep window focus set to following the mouse. It's the bottom one, labeled "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode", and you should be able to enable it and fix this problem. I'm not doing anything special with this computer, and since enabling this setting, the dropdown menu problem has not appeared for me in either KDE or GNOME.
Full disclosure: I am using Steam Beta Update on this computer, so I don't know if the option appears in the main branch build. If you can see it on your settings window, give it a go and see if it eliminates the fiddly "CTRL+click" nonsense some of us were using. To reiterate, I stubbornly use focus follows mouse on all my setups (Windoze included) and this setting fixed the menu problem everywhere I observed it.
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1783535928
Nope, didn't help me at all.
https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1783535928
As others have mentioned higher up in this thread, for me Lubuntu/openbox this only fixes the first level of context menus, if there's branching menus, those subsequent menus will still not work.
Same here with NixOS, Wayland, Hyprland and Steam Native!
Never mind we can't install anything or configure anything - this prevents purchases.
This is a wake up GabeN level issue.
The Steam Client is rendered unusable.
Pop!OS 22.04
GNOME 42.5
WM: Mutter
nVidia: 535.113.01
steam.sh[20087]: STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
setup.sh[20231]: Updating Steam runtime environment...
setup.sh[20231]: Found newer runtime version for 64-bit libGLU.so.1. Host: 1.3.1 Runtime: 1.3.8004
setup.sh[20231]: Found newer runtime version for 64-bit libdbusmenu-gtk.so.4. Host: 4.0.12 Runtime: 4.0.13
setup.sh[20231]: Found newer runtime version for 64-bit libdbusmenu-glib.so.4. Host: 4.0.12 Runtime: 4.0.13
setup.sh[20231]: Forced use of runtime version for 64-bit libcurl-gnutls.so.4
setup.sh[20231]: Found newer runtime version for 64-bit libSDL2-2.0.so.0. Host: 0.18.2 Runtime: 0.2800.4
setup.sh[20231]: Forced use of runtime version for 64-bit libcurl.so.4
setup.sh[20231]: Found newer runtime version for 64-bit libSDL-1.2.so.0. Host: 0.11.4 Runtime: 1.2.68
setup.sh[20231]: Found newer runtime version for 64-bit libvulkan.so.1. Host: 1.3.204 Runtime: 1.3.239
setup.sh[20231]: Forced use of runtime version for 32-bit libgtk-x11-2.0.so.0
setup.sh[20231]: Forced use of runtime version for 32-bit libdbusmenu-gtk.so.4
setup.sh[20231]: Forced use of runtime version for 32-bit libdbusmenu-glib.so.4
setup.sh[20231]: Forced use of runtime version for 32-bit libcurl-gnutls.so.4
setup.sh[20231]: Found newer runtime version for 32-bit libSDL2-2.0.so.0. Host: 0.18.2 Runtime: 0.2800.4
setup.sh[20231]: Forced use of runtime version for 32-bit libcurl.so.4
setup.sh[20231]: Found newer runtime version for 32-bit libvulkan.so.1. Host: 1.3.204 Runtime: 1.3.239
steam.sh[20087]: Steam client's requirements are satisfied
[2023-11-07 21:27:07] Startup - updater built Oct 31 2023 02:08:17
I'm STILLLLL having this issue! It's been 9 MONTHSSSS for just a stupid pull-down menu bug! Let's get this FIXED ALREADY VALVE! >:| My patience has worn thin with something as mundane as this.
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1783535928
Wow thanks, this solved it for me, used the big picture mode before.
The fix for me was changing windows focus mode to "click". Both sloppy and mouse broke Steam.
There's an option in the Steam settings for "Context Menu Focus Compatibility Mode" that should let you continue to use focus-follows-mouse like a sane person.
The issue is why isn't this setting automatically turned-on.
There's an option in the Steam settings for "Context Menu Focus Compatibility Mode" that should let you continue to use focus-follows-mouse like a sane person. The issue is why isn't this setting automatically turned-on.
It does not work for most.
There's an option in the Steam settings for "Context Menu Focus Compatibility Mode" that should let you continue to use focus-follows-mouse like a sane person. The issue is why isn't this setting automatically turned-on.
Thanks, I missed that above somehow.
This option fixes it for me with Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon. Steam version 1698777785.
There's an option in the Steam settings for "Context Menu Focus Compatibility Mode" that should let you continue to use focus-follows-mouse like a sane person. The issue is why isn't this setting automatically turned-on.
There's menus where it doesn't work through, like uninstalling a game. It DOESSSS (for me) fix SOMEEEE of the pull-down menus though. But last I checked it's not complete.
There's an option in the Steam settings for "Context Menu Focus Compatibility Mode" that should let you continue to use focus-follows-mouse like a sane person. The issue is why isn't this setting automatically turned-on.
There's menus where it doesn't work through, like uninstalling a game. It DOESSSS (for me) fix SOMEEEE of the pull-down menus though. But last I checked it's not complete.
Doesn't do anything for me, though. As well as changing the foucs mode.
Context menu focus compatibility does not work on my end, nor does installing lib32-libsm and lib32-libxtst as they were already installed.
CTRL+LMB workaround works but is excessively clunky.
same issue here, toggling the context menu focus compatibility setting on does not resolve it.
PopOS 22.04
Steam Version: 1700160213
Update: Was just able to "fix" the issue by changing the Window Focus Mode from On-Hover to On-Click within GNOME Tweaks. I switched it back and forth a couple times and can confirm that this was what caused the drop-down menus to break. This issue might be related to window focus?
Does anyone else having this issue have windows set to focus on hover for GNOME?
Update: Was just able to "fix" the issue by changing the Window Focus Mode from On-Hover to On-Click within GNOME Tweaks. I switched it back and forth a couple times and can confirm that this was what caused the drop-down menus to break. This issue might be related to window focus?
I know it's not Gnome but how would I do something like this on Hyprland/Sway or even other window managers? For me this issue didn't occur on KDE Plasma, which is weird?
I know it's not Gnome but how would I do something like this on Hyprland/Sway or even other window managers? For me this issue didn't occur on KDE Plasma, which is weird?
for Hyprland you can use this
I know it's not Gnome but how would I do something like this on Hyprland/Sway or even other window managers? For me this issue didn't occur on KDE Plasma, which is weird?
for Hyprland you can use this
Thanks!
same issue here, toggling the context menu focus compatibility setting on does not resolve it. PopOS 22.04 Steam Version: 1700160213
Update: Was just able to "fix" the issue by changing the Window Focus Mode from On-Hover to On-Click within GNOME Tweaks. I switched it back and forth a couple times and can confirm that this was what caused the drop-down menus to break. This issue might be related to window focus?
Does anyone else having this issue have windows set to focus on hover for GNOME?
I use Focus on Hover and have the issues in this thread still. I'm not going to stop using that feature too, as my workflow benefits heavily from it.
It's now NOVEMBER and this was reported in MARCH. Is ANYTHING being done about this at this point??? The earlier partial-fix seemed to come out pretty reasonably-paced, and nothing more since :(
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1783535928
Thank you. I did activate that and it didn't solve the issue at first. Then I also activated "Enable GPU accelerated rendering in web views" and then, for some reason, it finally worked.
@kisak-valve do you know if anyone at VALVe is still aware and/or working on this? This still is broken for me.
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1766922429
This solved many UI interaction issues I had with current Steam client (Debian steam-installer package) running on Debian 12 using Openbox.
Including: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9655
Thanks!
Fedora 38
Xorg + Openbox
Using the compatibility mode on, the workaround with CTRL+click started to work for me. However, I will see whether I will need to apply also the configuration changes noted in comment https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1766922429 in future. I already realized that from time to time I have to restart steam client, as all menu buttons stop working (Steam, View, ....). I haven't tried yet whether the CTRL+click fixes this too.
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1783535928
why can't steam just be normal
How are you supposed to enable compatibility mode when I can't click drop downs and thus can't get into the interface settings? (Ctrl+click etc doesn't work, nothing works)
How are you supposed to enable compatibility mode when I can't click drop downs and thus can't get into the interface settings? (Ctrl+click etc doesn't work, nothing works)
I've explained a very convoluted work-around here: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1625865567 - it's the Konami Code of Steam, good luck figuring it out without being told all the unintuitive steps!
Take note: assuming you're in the same situation, then, even after you go through all this pain and enable the compatibility mode, you will notice that it didn't help at all. You'll be able to enter the settings normally, but for example right-clicking on a game in the Library, you can't click on any action in that context menu. However, ctrl/shift/win/whatever-clicking should work in these still affected menus.
However, ctrl/shift/win/whatever-clicking should work in these still affected menus.
It doesn't for me.
I've explained a very convoluted work-around here: [#9273 (comment)](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1625865567) - it's the Konami Code of Steam, good luck figuring it out without being told all the unintuitive steps!
Unfortunately this doesn't work for me (neither does holding any modifier while I left click help)
just curious, can someone confirm that this is happening on Wayland too? Just curious whether this is Xorg only. I am aware of several apps nowadays that stopped working properly on Xorg (I guess that they test just on wayland or even dropped the support for Xorg completely).
I came here to check the solution to this problem, as it persists in Linux Mint ("Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" didn't work) and, honestly, I think that it's a little bizarre that such an important interface problem hadn't been solved until today.
Happy New Year! 🤗
I came here to check the solution to this problem, as it persists in Linux Mint ("Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" didn't work) and, honestly, I think that it's a little bizarre that such an important interface problem hadn't been solved until today. Happy New Year! 🤗
I must admit even if this eventually gets fixed some day I got so used to using big picture mode instead as a workaround, that I'll probably stick to that.
I am still having issues with the pulldown menus with the focus-follows-mouse functionality which WORKED PERFECTLY BEFORE THIS CHANGE HAPPENED.
I feel like this issue is now being IGNORED by VALVe...
Can we get ANNNYYY communication from VALVe on this matter????
I came here to check the solution to this problem, as it persists in Linux Mint ("Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" didn't work) and, honestly, I think that it's a little bizarre that such an important interface problem hadn't been solved until today. Happy New Year! 🤗
I must admit even if this eventually gets fixed some day I got so used to using big picture mode instead as a workaround, that I'll probably stick to that.
I don't see a way to do things like backup and restore a game with big picture.
I'll add a me too on the "can't believe this is still broken". I haven't been able to backup/restore a game or shutdown the app via the menus since spring.
Also, I'm mystified why this app doesn't have keyboard shortcuts (e.g. alt-s for the steam dropdown menu) like EVERY other app menu I've ever seen. Isn't that UI 101?
Also have this issue, have for a long time. I use very new GNOME desktops on Fedora with Wayland without very many tweaks. My Window Focus mode is, and always has been "Click to Focus" so that doesn't really help me. Enable context menu focus compatibility mode seems to make no difference to behavior for me. Perhaps it fixes issues for those using "Focus on Hover" mode, in which case this might actually be two different bugs that result in the same weird behavior.
Maybe this will be helpful: in my experimentation the issue might be related to event timing on mouse down and mouse up. If I just click like I normally would on an item in a menu, it will appear to successfully register the click maybe 20% of the time. But, if I hold down the left click for a couple hundred milliseconds and then release the click, the inconsistent behavior becomes more clear. One of two behaviors seem to be randomly happening:
- The menu closes itself before I release the left click. This seems definitely like some kind of focus issue, because the menu should be waiting for me to release the click before doing anything, if I mousedown on the menu. It must think that the menu lost focus instead and then closes itself.
- The selected menu item works as expected on mouseup.
Interestingly, if the menu decides to wait for a mouseup, then when the mouseup does happen it registers a click on the intended menu item 100% of the time. If it decides not to wait for mouseup, then it doesn't matter if you can still see the menu item when the mouseup happens, because the menu has already decided that it will close itself. When you click and release quickly (like a normal human being) it is hard to tell that the mouseup event is the discriminating factor.
When you mousedown anywhere other than the menu, all currently open popup menus close. Which makes sense. So maybe when the menu is closing itself, it is because that global logic to close menus think its because I am mousedown-ing not on that menu when in fact it is, and so globally the menu gets closed before it has a chance to handle a mouseup event.
Should we just expect this to be never fixed? This is a TRIVIAL thing to fix.
This is a TRIVIAL thing to fix.
Would be if anyone knew why it's broken. The fact that the "compatibility mode" option isn't enough to fix it clearly demonstrates that currently nobody knows.
It's worth noting the menus also sometimes appear randomly - like when alt tabbing from/to other apps, etc.
I feel like this issue is now being IGNORED by VALVe...
You're probably right, and it's hard to blame them - they're the maintainers of a distribution (SteamOS) on which it works fine. Many distros/WMs/DEs are unaffected, and the main culprit (so far - not the case on my system though) being focus-follow-mouse which is a fairly niche option that most people don't use, doesn't make it particularly high priority. Personally I can deal with holding Ctrl just fine ; frustrating, but I'm sure Valve has bigger fish to fry - I'm more than happy they spend their time on game compatibility or re-developing CSGO features for CS2, haha.
The fact that the "compatibility mode" option isn't enough to fix it clearly demonstrates that currently nobody knows.
It also shows that Valve has looked into it at least once, otherwise that option would not be there.
Here's what gets me, in the June 16th, 2023 they actually fixed this problem. And then regressed two betas later.
Relevant comment from when it was fixed.
I mean, there is a trivial fix:
Add an option to use the legacy UI that didn't have this issue (I get that VALVE really likes this new electron based UI and it probably makes UI updates easier on their end, but evidently it has problems).
I don't think they will add that though, so aside from that it's nontrivial since nobody really seems to know the root cause nor are they seemingly very interested in investigating it (that is to say, it'll probably be fixed eventually but it's a low priority issue).
Now interestingly it's broken in two different ways on two of my machines, on my main workstation where I use BSPWM it's the "classic" presentation of this bug, but interestingly on my mobile workstation (where I use hyprland) it presents somewhat differently. The menus are clickable, but the menu bar menus (steam, view, friends, games etc) are next to impossible to actually select (you have to move the cursor fast enough to not touch any of the window contents or it'll defocus the menubar and close it, the menus like 'library' do work fine though) but if you can hit the menu it's actually clickable even without the fix option on, I have yet to try the fix on the mobile workstation because I don't use steam often enough that I've gotten around to it.
Here's what gets me, in the June 16th, 2023 they actually fixed this problem. And then regressed two betas later.
I wonder if anyone has it stored somewhere! I also wonder whether it still supported -vgui. On my main PC, I'm on the client from June 21st, but I believe it's from the non-beta channel (doesn't have the "compatibility mode", but does accept -vgui and doesn't leak VRAM on Nvidia). If those two good betas still had -vgui, that would be a perfect Steam client to keep non-updated! :)
I get that VALVE really likes this new electron based UI and it probably makes UI updates easier on their end, but evidently it has problems
No no, the old UI (which for a time we could just launch with -vgui argument I was talking about) already had the same issues for YEARS. For as long as I can remember, with focus follows mouse, you couldn't reliably use the main menu on the top - make the cursor leave the pop-up menu area and it disappears.
The Store was Electron all along, profile etc. was Electron all these years. No correlation to the toolkit used to present drop-down boxes or right-click context menus.
This was a problem for years for the Steam UI toolkit, but they used Gtk or whatever for all the dialog windows, so it was fine and we just lived with the minor inconvenience.
Last year with the "modern" reskin, they simply started using the broken-for-10+-years toolkit for everything, which increased our frustration :)
No no, the old UI (which for a time we could just launch with -vgui argument I was talking about) already had the same issues for YEARS. For as long as I can remember, with focus follows mouse, you couldn't reliably use the main menu on the top - make the cursor leave the pop-up menu area and it disappears.
Really? I didn't have this issue until the UI update, so I guess it affected different configurations with the old GUI?
The Store was Electron all along, profile etc. was Electron all these years. No correlation to the toolkit used to present drop-down boxes or right-click context menus.
The program's context menu etc were VGUI or GTK if memory serves, correct me if I'm wrong though I may be thinking even further back, and those parts worked more or less. The electron stuff has been broken and leaky since introduced and I haven't warmed up to it in the slightest (though people insisted on it).
Really? I didn't have this issue until the UI update, so I guess it affected different configurations with the old GUI?
Exactly. Once you made it to a window, everything worked, and of course all the context menus worked. Only the top menu was broken.
correct me if I'm wrong though I may be thinking even further back, and those parts worked more or less. The electron stuff has been broken and leaky since introduced and I haven't warmed up to it in the slightest (though people insisted on it).
Again: the main window (Store, Profile, game "profile" within the Library) was CEF for the last 10+ years. There's nothing "Electron" about this change. Do you have trouble accessing menus in Signal, or Discord (those are Electron), or Chrome itself? No, it has nothing to do with CEF (which you call Electron, but it's not - in fact, we can wish it was Electron, then it would work just fine!)
What is it then? Bug in CEF?
Can we have example code?
Just one window with dropdown menu etc... maybe a button that opens xdg-desktop-portal too :-)
I'm experiencing this issue on Gentoo Linux with LXQt. For what it's worth, this bug seems to behave exactly the same as https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9666, since that is also a drop-down menu.
My info:
Steam Version: 1702079146
Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Dec 8 1:33 AM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Sat, Dec 9 12:30 AM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021
Hardware:
Computer Information:
Manufacturer: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.
Model: X470 GAMING PLUS (MS-7B79)
Form Factor: Desktop
No Touch Input Detected
Processor Information:
CPU Vendor: AuthenticAMD
CPU Brand: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Eight-Core Processor
CPU Family: 0x17
CPU Model: 0x8
CPU Stepping: 0x2
CPU Type: 0x0
Speed: 3200 MHz
16 logical processors
8 physical processors
Hyper-threading: Supported
FCMOV: Supported
SSE2: Supported
SSE3: Supported
SSSE3: Supported
SSE4a: Supported
SSE41: Supported
SSE42: Supported
AES: Supported
AVX: Supported
AVX2: Supported
AVX512F: Unsupported
AVX512PF: Unsupported
AVX512ER: Unsupported
AVX512CD: Unsupported
AVX512VNNI: Unsupported
SHA: Supported
CMPXCHG16B: Supported
LAHF/SAHF: Supported
PrefetchW: Unsupported
Operating System Version:
"Gentoo Linux" (64 bit)
Kernel Name: Linux
Kernel Version: 6.1.67-gentoo-x86_64
X Server Vendor: The X.Org Foundation
X Server Release: 12101010
X Window Manager: Openbox
Steam Runtime Version: steam-runtime_0.20231024.64411
Video Card:
Driver: AMD AMD Radeon RX 6400 (navi24, LLVM 16.0.6, DRM 3.49, 6.1.67-gentoo-x86_64)
Driver Version: 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 23.1.9
OpenGL Version: 4.6
Desktop Color Depth: 24 bits per pixel
Monitor Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
VendorID: 0x10de
DeviceID: 0x1f82
Revision Not Detected
Number of Monitors: 1
Number of Logical Video Cards: 2
Primary Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Desktop Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Primary Display Size: 18.78" x 10.55" (21.54" diag), 47.7cm x 26.8cm (54.7cm diag)
Primary VRAM: 4096 MB
Sound card:
Audio device: ATI R6xx HDMI
Memory:
RAM: 64104 Mb
VR Hardware:
VR Headset: None detected
Miscellaneous:
UI Language: English
LANG: pl_PL.utf8
Total Hard Disk Space Available: 1031018 MB
Largest Free Hard Disk Block: 57528 MB
Storage:
Number of SSDs: 6
SSD sizes: 4000G,4000G,320G,128G,659M,0B
Number of HDDs: 0
Number of removable drives: 0
Guess this is where people more consistently complain about this issue. Still not fixed half a year after it was marked fixed. Turning on/off focus follows cursor does nothing. Possibly relevant info:
uname -r: 6.5.7-arch1-1
WM: xmonad 0.17.2
Using multihead display (3440x1440 + 1920x1080).
Having less windows present seems to make some dropdowns break less often (only top menu bar). Everything else completely borked (right-click context menus outside of library, add non-steam-game, notifications).
Trying to do anything in the steam client aside from starting games is like pulling out hairs one-by-one.
Still not fixed half a year after it was marked fixed
Reminds me of how Discord pretended that the robotic voice bug was fixed, when in reality it fixed itself after 2 years of gaslighting the users that the issue is fixed.
I forgot to include that I'm on openbox 3.6.1-r8.
Having less windows present seems to make some dropdowns break less often
Not over here. Nothing affects this here.
Having less windows present seems to make some dropdowns break less often (only top menu bar)
Not an issue over here - this works reliably every time. But like you said later on, it doesn't help with adding more library storages.
FWIW I wanted to take an obligatory shit on the bandwagon of building things based on Chrome and CEF, that Valve got itself into. This problem did not exist when VGUI was the graphic interface for Steam. It seems it's a Chrome/CEF issue.
This is actually working! https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/discussions/0/3842179510157649621/#c3841053719667626633
Just Ctrl+click the items in the drop-down menus and they should work
Just Ctrl+click the items in the drop-down menus and they should work
It does not. Its been mentioned 100 times in this thread.
Just Ctrl+click the items in the drop-down menus and they should work
It does not. Its been mentioned 100 times in this thread.
@hjpaul7 and have you tried that when the compatibility mode is on? Just curious. As it didn't worked for me originally neither, but after I switched the compatibility on & restarted the steam, the trick with Ctrl+click started to work for me.
Openbox, Fedora 38.
@hjpaul7 and have you tried that when the compatibility mode is on?
Indeed, I have.
@hjpaul7 thanks for the info. Good to know that in my case I am just lucky it works for my specific setup.
@hjpaul7 thanks for the info. Good to know that in my case I am just lucky it works for my specific setup.
It seems dependent on the DE or WM. Reports are a bit all over the place. I believe Gnome and Openbox have luck with Ctrl + Click, while KDE and XMonad don't.
I tested it in a Cinnamon-Wayland session (Mint 21.3) and menu selection worked (but doesn't work in Xorg).
In any case, Xorg will still be in several distros this year and is still common for playing games. So it's important to solve this.
I tested it in a Cinnamon-Wayland session (Mint 21.3) and menu selection worked (but doesn't work in Xorg). In any case, Xorg will still be in several distros this year and is still common for playing games. So it's important to solve this.
Totally not a staged deprecation
Using Ctrl+click does not appear to make any difference in behavior for me, regardless of the state of Enable context menu focus compatibility mode. Still unreliable. On Fedora+GNOME+Wayland.
i managed to solve it on my computer, i reinstalled steam using this guide (which i dont think really did anything) and then i wont on steam-settings-library and enabled "low performance mode"
i managed to solve it on my computer, i reinstalled steam using this guide (which i dont think really did anything) and then i wont on steam-settings-library and enabled "low performance mode"
Doesn't work for me.
What I've tried so far: changing focus mode, activating compatibility mode, activating low performance mode, key modfiers (Ctrl, Shift, Alt, Win). Nothing helps, except Big Picture mode. Debian, x11, JWM.
Well I'm guessing Steam will just get worse and worse given how many of these tickets are pushing a year with no fixes. Steam version 1705108172 still makes doing almost anything a frustrating mess with clicks passing through to lower elements and things just broken and jank in general.
Still have this issue. It's now coming on 12 MONTHS with this BASIC PULL DOWN MENU PROBLEM.
I am willing to volunteer to fix this, if someone from Valve would guarantee that my account is not going to be banned for reverse engineering Steam, and I would be willing to provide a patch that everyone who is facing this issue could "apply".
This issue illustrates clearly how the "work on what you find interesting" policy that Valve has internally can indeed break down and misfire, because nobody is going to find a bug like this "fun" to fix.
@icebreaker I am not a Valve employee, so I'm not one to decide what will happen if that comes to fruition. I am also not sure how vast is your background in RE, so, I'd like to give you an obligatory reminder that RE is legal in EU under the stipulation that your end goal is:
- to fix a proprietary software that experiences bugs on a specific system
- to port the proprietary software to a system not supported by the proprietor
I am also not a lawyer - reverse engineering is controlled in EU via EU Directive 2009/24/EC. A good summary is available here https://www.vidstromlabs.com/blog/the-legal-boundaries-of-reverse-engineering-in-the-eu/ and the relevant directive is described here https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32009L0024
If you are not located in the EU, the mentioned directive and its conditions are null for you.
I would also advise that you get in touch with Valve officially via email with your proposition.
@kisak-valve please consider this proposition or forward it to someone who can decide on the matter. We would all just like to see this bug and many others resolved.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that directive would only protect them from legal action, I'm reasonably certain that VALVE can still ban their account (their EULA almost certainly has rather explicit text along the lines of "we can ban you for anything, including no reason, but also specific reasons such as tampering with the steam client, steam network, any components thereof, or using unauthorized software to interact with either, among other reasons", admittedly their version is probably a bit more authoritarian sounding.
Which is precisely why they want guarantees from VALVE as to their immunity to such a ban, I agree that the best way to acquire this is to email VALVE directly and get contracts involved.
I've not read the EULA for some time. Sadly the reality is the EULA is a hostage situation, agree or lose all your money/paid product. i.e. why bother reading, you forfeit or agree no matter how insidious. However if they can ban you for arbitrary things like using third party software to access or interact with things that means anyone using OpenSteam can lose everything simply for trying to get access to their paid product without a client that ever increasingly adds to "enshitification" of things.
IANAL. My bet would be that any EULA that threatens denial of service for exercising your basic rights is legally unenforcable in EU. And that sounds like a lot of hot water already, so I honestly advise that this matter is taken to email, as this is the next thing closest to having an agreement in writing after having it signed by Valve in pen and paper.
Need I remind you all, that if not for people scoping out Steam with IDA, we wouldn't have found out that VAC bans used to be issued for looking up the wrong websites https://yro.slashdot.org/story/14/02/17/1326200/report-valve-anti-cheat-vac-scans-your-dns-history which is an important find in terms of privacy protection. So, snooping on Steam with IDA historically isn't exactly off the table if you have a legal pretense to do this.
This is all a tad in the weeds but valve also has a number of .cn domains they send your data to...Valve has become super evil...(and lazy).
OpenSteam can lose everything simply for trying to get access to their paid product without a client that ever increasingly adds to "enshitification" of things.
If they wanted to? Yeah, probably. The actual reason for EULA terms like those is to easily allow banning people using malicious software to interface with steam, but yes they can. Just like discord can ban you for using any client but the officially provided one.
I haven't read the EULA in ages, because at the end of the day I'm forced to agree if I want my thousands of dollars worth of steam games to remain accessible (they could, frankly, ask for my firstborn son and I'd still kinda feel like I should accept the EULA anyway), but it's a very standard thing to put in a EULA.
Need I remind you all, that if not for people scoping out Steam with IDA, we wouldn't have found out that VAC bans used to be issued for looking up the wrong websites
I wonder if article 5(3) of the ePrivacy directive (2002/58/EC) applies here... It seems like it'd be illegal under it, but IANAL.
IANAL. My bet would be that any EULA that threatens denial of service for exercising your basic rights is legally unenforcable in EU.
Sure, but that'd require you to have the time, energy, and resources to fight VALVE in court. I seem to recall some Russian guy had to sue them to regain access to his library after he was banned (and they had to just ban him from all social aspects of steam instead), don't quote me on it.
VALVE were also sued for lack of refund policies.
Here's the thing, corporations can and will break the law until they face consequences, I sure don't have the time or resources to sue a behemoth like VALVE. They'd flatten me with stall tactics until I'm thoroughly bankrupt.
So, snooping on Steam with IDA historically isn't exactly off the table if you have a legal pretense to do this.
Indeed, but it's still a move that risks at minimum lengthy inconvenience (you getting banned and having to win over VALVE in court to get your account back) or worse (you getting banned and failing to convince a court/losing because of lack of resources).
It seems unlikely the EU would bother taking this battle if it only affects one individual, unless that person is relatively connected.
I've spoke with my countries consumer protection but that was a dead end given Steam operates in another country. Seems dodgy to me though given they are allowed to do business outside their originating country but then consumer protections don't apply unless massive pressure is applied...
Hey let's keep this on topic please. The drop-down menu stuff guys. If you want to keep the other discussion going, please take it elsewhere. Maybe exchange numbers or something? I dunno!
Hey so,
Before the newest beta release, Steam on Hyprland with the workarounds produced the weird "transparent menu" and 3/10 times crashed Steam.
After I switched to the beta channel, the issue is completely gone, though, you just need the workarounds still!
Though it's rare, sometimes it just freezes and can even crash Hyprland?
Fwiw, I've tried various combinations of Shift/Alt/Ctrl+Click for opening the "Properties..." menu of Dota 2 and have no success. I use focus follows mouse. The workaround of temporarily switching to focus-on-click works for me. I guess I could complain, but I am pretty happy that Valve is willing to support Linux almost as much as Windows. Fingers crossed that someone at Valve will be willing to tackle this bug!
Interesting fact, on i3wm disabling "focus follow mouse" didn't even help
No idea how did they manage to mess it up so much...
Messing it up so much can happen, the fact it's almost a year later with no fix is the real issue. I have several tickets open all pushing a year and hinting they will never be addressed.
Steam just updated and now this is fixed for me, though the scaling is off and the window is tiny it should be an easy fix.
Edit;
Heh, you can fix the scaling issue with GDK_DPI_SCALE=1.8 steam, but this breaks the ui dropdowns again. Small steam it is!
I didn't had this issue, did a clean reinstall of Arch XFCE (formatted home partition too) and now have this problem. Can't get to subscribed content in workshop now!
Window menues (Steam, View, Friends, etc.) work. Webpage dropdowns don't, they are click-through now.
Did i miss a lib32-something or what?
Steam just updated and now this is fixed for me, though the scaling is off and the window is tiny it should be an easy fix.
Edit;
Heh, you can fix the scaling issue with
GDK_DPI_SCALE=1.8 steam, but this breaks the ui dropdowns again. Small steam it is!
Failing for me in at least one area right now, right click on game in library list (left side) > manage > uninstall. Game does not uninstall, suggesting that the GUI did not register that I clicked on "Uninstall" despite the presentation of the menu going away.
Sounds like this might be slowly improving for some of us, which "fills me with hope" (heh, undertale). But I still want it comprehensively fixed.
Steam updated few days ago (Steam Version: 1709168962) and re-fucked this for me. Used to use the beta version, switched back a while ago cuz of finally gettin' too fed up with this bug. Looks like beta reached stable tho and I'm hit with it again. Makes using the Workshop impossible; I've gotta use my phone now (which also has it's own slew of bugs tbh)
I'd post some diag info, but tbh given how long-standing and wide-spread this problem is I kinda doubt it'd matter lol, so just adding my piss to the sea of piss
Steam updated few days ago (
Steam Version: 1709168962) and re-fucked this for me. Used to use the beta version, switched back a while ago cuz of finally gettin' too fed up with this bug. Looks like beta reached stable tho and I'm hit with it again. Makes using the Workshop impossible; I've gotta use my phone now (which also has it's own slew of bugs tbh)I'd post some diag info, but tbh given how long-standing and wide-spread this problem is I kinda doubt it'd matter lol, so just adding my piss to the sea of piss
For me, it basically fixed it again, now though; with the Hyprland windowrules enabled, it sometimes freezes for an solid 3 seconds.
I have no more problems with drop down menus anymore in Steam Client (stable) 1709846872.
Arch Linux, Gnome 3 on X11, mouse window focus on hover set with gnome-tweaks.
\o/
I am on beta 1709920887 and the issue persists for me on Gnome + Wayland. Interestingly, it seems to be more reliable than it was on my mouse, but still just as unreliable using the touchpad.
I tried switching to beta 1709920887 as well, im on void with gnome + x11, enabling the Enable context menu focus compatibility mode seemed to fix it for the steam client settings, but i still cannot get into game properties and so on
Hahahahahahahaha, found the root cause of the issue for me, i recently installed Just Perfection extension for gnome to tweak something, turns out turning that extension off fixed this issue for me x)
So i for anyone else on gnome, check if you got any similar extensions i guess? :thinking:
Hahahahahahahaha, found the root cause of the issue for me, i recently installed
Just Perfectionextension for gnome to tweak something, turns out turning that extension off fixed this issue for me x) So i for anyone else on gnome, check if you got any similar extensions i guess? 🤔
Hardly a "root cause" since this is a remedy only for GNOME users. Meanwhile the bug manifests on pretty much everything: GNOME, LXQt, Hyprland, XFCE, Wayland, Xorg, LXDE, OpenBox... and the list goes on.
I hope trashing VGUI was at least worth for Valve, because for the users it's more trouble than it's worth.
As steam is closed source we can just wild guess about a "root cause". My wild guess would be that when they introduced the new desktop ui and new big picture mode they merged parts of the code base, using their own input handler that handles input in both modes. At least this is the only way I can think of how you can f*** up inputs. But who knows?
Anyway, what I can say is:
I have now also tested Steam Client (stable) 1709846872 on my laptop with touchpad. The only thing that does not seem to work is Gnomes' "touch to click" option in selects. Using the "real" left button below the touchpad to click works fine.
EDIT: system is the same as above: Arch Linux, Gnome 3 on X11, mouse window focus on hover set with gnome-tweaks.
Steam 1709920887 - still no progress with JWM.
Correction, disabling the Just Perfection extension fixed half of the drop down menu issues for me, if i tried to click something in a secondary drop down it would still not work, and that turned out to be an issue related to the hover focus which i recently turned on, i switched back to focus on click and it all works fine now.
In fact turning Just Perfection back on now doesn't result it drop downs to miss click inputs anymore.
All in all, smells like an issue regarding catching input events related to window/modal/menu focus, at least on gnome.
Still seeing this here, Debian with Openbox. It's most painful trying to right click someone to invite them to a game here. None of the workarounds work and I have to try eight or ten times for it to register a click before the pop-up menu disappears. It'd be awfully nice if some of the money we all dump into Steam games resulted in a minimally-functional client.
Another workaround that I haven't seen mentioned is:
Hold right click down till after you've left clicked.
For example:
- Right click and hold on game in library
- Left click and release on Uninstall
This works for me with X11, openbox. Even when Enable context menu focus compatibility mode helps, I still need to use this for nested menus.
@sagebind Not sure how this affects your mouse event musings.
Right click and hold on game in library
Left click and release on Uninstall
Wow, that worked. Thanks.
Is this resolved for anyone else using the "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" setting under the Steam Interface settings?
@Bernie-McGee Not for me, that just solves it for one level of menu, submenus still will fail to register clicks without any of the workarounds.
I see the same behavior as MerkaST---I can now view properties for a game, but can't, e.g., Manage > Browse Local Files. But, that's progress! :)
I haven't read every single comment in here, but I've skimmed most of them, and done some Ctrl+F searches... And it seems I might have some new information.
First, I'm not using a non-standard setup at all. I use KDE (currently 5.27, but 6.0 is available.. Just have to actually upgrade, but want to first clear some space so I can download all the packages), click-to-focus (I'm not using focus-follows-mouse), and this issue still happens.
Specifically, it happens if the right-click is what focuses the window to begin with. If I'm doing something in a different window, and then move to right-click a game in Steam's window and then click a menu item, it selects what's behind the menu instead of the menu item I selected.
Everything everyone else says seems to indicate that this should not happen for me, but it does. Granted, if the Steam window is already in focus, there's no problem.. But when it isn't already in focus, there is a problem.
Something is fundamentally broken about how Valve is implementing menus within Steam. You shouldn't have to manually code in a bunch of exceptions for your logic just to get simple drop-down and right-click menus to work, which means it's more likely that the underlying idea behind how their menu-handling code works is conceptually flawed, as if written by someone who had never studied how other widget toolkits solve the problem.
Edit: It's worth noting that turning on 'Enable context menu focus compatibility mode' fixes the bug for me, but not for nested menus, as others have said. This means it is indeed the same bug, just that I'm in a configuration that shouldn't exhibit it, and it only happens if bringing up the menu is what focuses the window to begin with.
Everything I've said thus still applies, even if the 'fix' technically 'works' for most (but not all) cases.
- Right click and hold on game in library
- Left click and release on Uninstall
Wow, that worked. Thanks.
did not work for me
Is this resolved for anyone else using the "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" setting under the Steam Interface settings?
I've had that on for more than 6 months and it's improved things, but there's still plenty of parts the menus are non-usable.
Same experience for me. Just checking in, since Minecraft Launcher has a similar ongoing bug.
Something is fundamentally broken about how Valve is implementing menus within Steam. ... flawed, as if written by someone who had never studied how other widget toolkits solve the problem.
Well, Steam already ignores the DE's window manager and insists on opening in the foreground and taking focus every time I'm trying to do something in another window, so that sounds about right.
Well, Steam already ignores the DE's window manager and insists on opening in the foreground and taking focus every time I'm trying to do something in another window, so that sounds about right.
That's a different issue entirely. I'm curious though, does your window manager have something akin to KDE's "Focus stealing prevention" setting? I have that set to 'Medium', so I expect some apps to steal focus.. And it's just something I live with. Doesn't happen often, and I'm not bothered much the few times it happens when I don't expect it to (most of the time I expect it to happen).
I wonder if it would still happen if I used 'High' or 'Extreme' instead. For the record, the default is 'Low'.
The levels are described like this:
- None
Prevention is turned off and new windows always become activated.- Low
Prevention is enabled; when some window does not have support for the underlying mechanism and KWin cannot reliably decide whether to activate the window or not, it will be activated. This setting may have both worse and better results than the medium level, depending on the applications.- Medium
Prevention is enabled.- High
New windows get activated only if no window is currently active or if they belong to the currently active application. This setting is probably not really usable when not using mouse focus policy.- Extreme
All windows must be explicitly activated by the user.
Turning on "enable context menu compatibility focus" method worked for me.
Cinnamon mint
Is this resolved for anyone else using the "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" setting under the Steam Interface settings?
No, turning on the option didn't help. Also, after restarting Steam client, the option is reverted to off automatically.
Xfce 4.16, Steam ver. 1716242052
Another workaround that I haven't seen mentioned is: Hold right click down till after you've left clicked. For example:
- Right click and hold on game in library
- Left click and release on Uninstall
This works for me with X11, openbox. Even when
Enable context menu focus compatibility modehelps, I still need to use this for nested menus. @sagebind Not sure how this affects your mouse event musings.
Confirmed, I can use this on Ubuntu 20, XFCE. Though it's a bit kludgier than described there.
The combo I discovered worked was hold down both left and right buttons, move the cursor onto the bit of the dropdown, then click AGAIN. Also turn off any existing tags like Single Player. Makes me cry blood. It's the equivalent of waving a dead cat out the window and needs to be fixed (obviously).
And side rant: I thought Discord was the pinnacle example of a messy app with random UI paradigms thrown across it ... then I saw Steam. Omg. What, what happened here.
No, Context menu compatibility mode did not work for me. Ubuntu 20, XFCE.
This remains an issue for me on Ubuntu 23.10 vanilla Gnome with Xorg. And there's newly introduced bad behaviour in the desktop environment. When the Steam window had focus, I could not alt-tab away or ctrl-alt-left/right to switch desktops anymore. I must click outside the window to restore control.
Turning on "enable context menu compatibility focus" did not work for me. No change in behaviour.
The workaround for me to access game library context menus is: Right click and continue to hold down the right mouse button. Navigate to the needed submenu and menu item. Continue to hold down the right mouse button when left clicking the desired menu option. Seems to work 100% of the time.
I would love to see this bug fixed anytime soon. Proper context menu and window behaviour has regressed over the past year.
"enable context menu compatibility focus" works for my case. I use a Thinkpad running Ubuntu 24.04.
Fedora 40 LXQt Desktop here. Just confirming that Settings > Interface > Enable context menu focus compatibility mode did resolve the issue.
Ubuntu 22.04 XFCE here, and also had this issue previously on 20.04. Turning on "enable context menu compatibility focus" also had no affect.
For me only dropdowns in web views are afflicted, like every sorting dropdown in the store, wishlist, and workshop. Library and other windows have not had issue.
Right click and continue to hold down the right mouse button. Navigate to the needed submenu and menu item. Continue to hold down the right mouse button when left clicking the desired menu option.
This did work for me. Other mentioned work around either do not apply to my system or did not work.
CachyOS / Gnome shell, this Steam option also fixed my menus/context menus closing when using the focus follows mouse in gnome tweaks.
Settings > Interface > Enable context menu focus compatibility mode
Thanks!
Since I haven't weighed in for a while, it's worth noting that "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" does not help under Openbox with followMouse. If, for instance, I get a context menu from the friends menu, the menu goes away before I can invite someone to a game, or join their game. It's a significant problem for gaming with friends - they always have to invite me, or I have to invite them through an in-game mechanic.
This is such a massive UX issue. How is Valve still isn't solving this?
It doesn't matter as long as no error occurs that cannot be avoided (for Valve)
This is such a massive UX issue. How is Valve still isn't solving this?
Because Steam continues to print money. Maybe it needs to be escalated to Gabe Newell? His email is well known.
This is still an issue.
Settings > Interface > Enable context menu focus compatibility mode kinda works for context menus but I'm still having issues with sending emoticons. It used to just close them, and now it opens the menu I want (be it Stickers or Room Effects) but closes is right after
Additional information: it seems to be triggered by "focus follows mouse". Disabling focus follows mouse in the desktop settings allowed the dropdowns to work.
And, no, "just disable focus follows mouse" is not an acceptable "fix" lest anyone think it isn't a bug. It worked fine previously.
In the current settings (25.07.2024), the option seems to be Settings > Interface > Enable context menu focus compatibility mode
This is on Lubuntu 24.04.
I have an issue where when I turn on Enable context menu focus compatibility mode the menu items work but I can't select anything in a submenu, for example I can't uninstall a game since the uninstall button is under Manage -> Uninstall. Without the option enabled I can't select anything in any dropdown menu.
I am on Debian 12.6 Bookworm.
Just for the record, my current configuration to make it working on gentoo with i3 is: picom, steam launched with -system-composer, Enable context menu focus compatibility mode disabled.
Steam Beta Branch: Steam Beta Update
Steam Version: 1721420033
Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Jul 19 1:31 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Fri, Jul 19 1:30 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021
Set to on (compatibility mode)
Still getting the bug where dropdown menu options in areas (such as uninstalling a game) doesn't work.
This is now well over a year for a rather basic UX bug. Not being able to click on an interface aspect like this, come on VALVe.
Oh and I'm using focus on hover (without raising the window) because it's amazing for my workflow and productivity. I'm not changing my environment because STEAM can't do this.
This is a Wayland issue, btw, folks. This does not happen on x11
Same issue on Ubuntu 24.04 with mouse focus enabled.
I've recently moved from Gnome to KDE and don't see the same issue on KDE.
Like others say, you can get around it by holding the right button to access the item
fedora 40 gnome 46.4 couldn't click any drop-down menus
with context menu compatibility mode on everything works as it should
Lubuntu 24.04 LTS (Openbox) also couldn't click any drop down.
But with "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" on, it works as intended. Now I can change the steam client to the brand new Indonesian interface (which actually since last year)! Woohoo!
Having this issue on NixOS 24.11 with xmonad as my window manager and picom compositor. Using focus follows mouse. Dropdown menus such as "view", "friends", and account on the right flash for a millisecond before closing.
Using the "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" does something as the menus now stay up a little longer (like half a second) but not long enough to actually click on anything, so the problem persists.
Having this issue on NixOS 24.11 with xmonad as my window manager and picom compositor. Using focus follows mouse. Dropdown menus such as "view", "friends", and account on the right flash for a millisecond before closing.
This continues to be the situation here. I can right click a game, click "Manage", and move to "Uninstall" but it won't register without shift being held down. However, if I want to play a game with my wife or one of my kids, either I have to use an in-game invite function or have them invite me, because it's physically impossible to select "join" from the pop-up menu you get from right-clicking a friend.
We spend enough on Steam games here, with six of us, that it's obnoxious that something that works was consciously broken and then hasn't been fixed for such a ridiculous amount of time. BAD JOB, VALVE.
NixOS 24.11 with XFCE, unstable packages. Every context menu works except for wishlist sorting. That does not work at all. Context menu opens, but when I click on some option, it either does nothing or registers click on game below that option and redirects me to that game page. Enable context menu focus compatibility mode does not help.
Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
Steam Version: 1721173382
Steam Client Build Date: Tue, Jul 16 4:22 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Mon, Jun 24 12:16 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021
xubuntu 22.04-4 lts, so xfce. i am NOT using focus follows mouse presently, it's the standard click to focus.
wishlist dropdown passes clicks through. workshop dropdowns (your files -> subscribed items, etc) similar. even trying to report posts, block users, or edit posts in forum threads.
context menu focus compatibility mode has no impact whatsoever on these behaviors. i haven't found anywhere that it actually changes things.
the right click trick SOMETIMES helps... if i right click on the dropdown on a forum post, i can click the desired item in that list while it's behind the right click context menu. same for workshop dropdowns.
wishlist? no dice. i can't find a way to get the right click menu and left click menu to show up at the same time. i'm on a laptop, using a trackpad, so clicking both mouse buttons at once isn't feasible without some kind of synthetic event, which i haven't had the energy to try to pursue. no combination of shift/ctrl/super/alt/whatever key plus click changes anything. in order to sort my wishlist i have to open it up in a full web browser (where these problems are not extant).
been tracking this issue since last year, really frustrating it's still extant. nothing else i've ever encountered on linux behaves this way.
Problem STILL happening. Ubuntu 24.04. Well over a year later for a basic pull-down menu.
Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
Steam Version: 1721173382
Steam Client Build Date: Tue, Jul 16 5:22 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Mon, Jun 24 1:16 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021
On NixOs 24.05 with Xmonad I set "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" with big picture mode, then returning to regular mode it makes the menus (Steam,View,Friends,Games,Help) not quite disappear instantly. Now what I found is that If I click on Friends and as the menu appears I quickly move the cursor to View then the menu stays open, at that point I can go back to Friends and click on what I want. It's a little annoying but really not that bad at all. So, I need to hover over another menu before the event fires that would close the first menu.
Edit: this has gotten more difficult to do, it now takes me 15 or so tries before I can get the menu to stay open this way, the timing needs to be perfect.
STILL BROKEN
I have the same issue. Ubuntu 24.04, GNOME. I am not able to select from any drop down menu. First I thought it is about adding a new drive only. It is about all dropdowns in the Steam client. Any solution for it? I tried to uninstall steam. Re-install steam. It is not working! grrr
My version:
$ steam --version
steam.sh[8701]: Running Steam on ubuntu 24.04 64-bit
steam.sh[8701]: STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
setup.sh[8761]: Steam runtime environment up-to-date!
steam.sh[8701]: Steam client's requirements are satisfied
Steam is already running, exiting (command line was forwarded).
Found this in this forum and this solved my problem:
"Settings->Interface->Enable context menu focus compatibility mode".
I am happy that this setting can be changed without dropdown :-)
In this thread: gazillion hacks and workarounds for problems unknown in VGUI
Found this in this forum and this solved my problem: "Settings->Interface->Enable context menu focus compatibility mode". I am happy that this setting can be changed without dropdown :-)
that has worked for me, but this doesn't seem to work on every system
Enabling steams compatibility mode did not work for me when using "sloppy" mouse settings. Interestingly, when using "focus follows mouse" and compatibility mode, I can access the individual game settings but cannot use emojis or animated stickers in chat...
Sadly, the only way for me to access game settings and chat emojis/stickers is changing the mouse behavior to "click"
(Linux Mint 22 Cinnamon)
Found this in this forum and this solved my problem: "Settings->Interface->Enable context menu focus compatibility mode". I am happy that this setting can be changed without dropdown :-)
This does not work for me.
I can now select items in dropdown menus again (after last steam update?). After over a year... Thanks! Hope this isn't a fluke. ;-)
I can select it, but cannot pick it :) Clicking on the option, it just closes the menu. It works however with the previous hack (Ctrl+click when the compat mode is enabled) . Steam Version: 1721173382
Ouch little bit late but... happy anniversary :partying_face: (555+ days since the ticket has been opened)
I had this issue in Fedora 40, GNOME, however I was not using mouse following. Brand new install of steam, after cleaning it out after another issue.
But now it's working.
I only thing I can think of that may have fixed it, was that I opened gnome-tweaks to make sure that I wasn't using mouse following (I wasn't). Can't remember if I switched to another window select method and back, but I might be something to try if you are seeing this problem but are not using mouse following.
I know that mouse following focus isn't for everyone, but it's important for my workflow and I'm not turning it off.
I really need this fixed. These are pull-down menus FFS this is basic UX stuff, and this has been broken for 1.5 years now. I know the situation has improved but it's still broken for most of the pull-down menus in the STEAM GUI. Can we PLEASEEEE have more work done on this?!?!? Bueller?????
I'm really curious now... I haven't changed anything I can think of on my workstation. Still Openbox, still lazy focus-follows-mouse. And yet, now pop-up menus aren't flipping away any more. Did Steam push a fix out? It's super nice being able to invite friends and family to games without doing the modifier-dance to try to get a click registered in time.
Thanks, Valve/Steam folks, if you've finally nailed this one down! It appears to be working regardless of how I have "enable context menu focus compatibility mode" set.
I had this issue in Fedora 40, GNOME, however I was not using mouse following. Brand new install of steam, after cleaning it out after another issue.
But now it's working.
I only thing I can think of that may have fixed it, was that I opened gnome-tweaks to make sure that I wasn't using mouse following (I wasn't). Can't remember if I switched to another window select method and back, but I might be something to try if you are seeing this problem but are not using mouse following.
Exactly the same here, Fedora 40, new steam install. Opening gnome-tweaks and changing to 'Follow mouse' fixed it (but unsure if that and not just opening gt did it).
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-2424480201
Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
Steam Version: 1726604483
Steam Client Build Date: Tue, Sep 17 2:03 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Mon, Sep 16 5:12 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021
Ubuntu 24.04
GNOME 46
Here is one example that doesn't work for me (I'm using focus follows mouse, and does NOT bring window forward):
Right click on game -> Manage -> Uninstall. Click, menu goes away, nothing happens.
Works in areas, but the areas that have been broken for me this whole time are still broken :(
You on a diff version of ... something... from me?
So I took out my mega-turbo-useless laptop, the only one of my computers which doesn't keep Steam at the last -vgui version, which is, of course, excellent. This is Fedora 40 Cinnamon, Steam subcribed to the beta channel, Steam updated to a build date of 2024-10-11 after restarting.
Beta testing results surprised me!
It's a laptop, it has a touch pad. But it's Lenovo, it has a joystick and 3 physical buttons.
If I click on a menu item (like "Properties" for a game) by tapping the touch pad, the menu will simply disappear as usual, I'm clicking random stuff that was behind the menu.
But if I click on the same menu with the physical button, it totally works!
You will not believe what the difference is!
In order for the menus to register a click, it needs to send a "Press" and a "Release" events within a certain time window.
Tapping the touch pad produces a sequence of Press -> 500 ms pause -> Release. I have no idea why a momentary tap gets emulated as a half a second press, but this is what xev confirms. A millisecond-log touch is converted into Press->LOOOOOONG PAUSE->Release.
Meanwhile, tapping a physical button is Press -> Release. Maybe 50 ms apart.
Yes, the whole difference from a button press registering and not registering is how long the primary mouse button was pressed before being released.
Yes, I can reproduce 100%.
If I keep the mouse button pressed for just a second, then release it, the menu disappears.
If I tap the button (like a gamer!), it just works.
It's the same button!
Steam now has a new work-around for "clicks" (Press->Release sequences), but it does NOT work for tapping on touch pads (which produces the same Press->Release sequence, but with a long wait between producing each of those two events).
I'm on Debian stable with xmonad on steam version 1726604483 and have also been having this issue for a long time. cessationoftime's workaround of switching from another menu at just the right time is the only workaround that has worked for me. It takes a little speed, but less than what is required to click on the menu and then the item you want to choose within about a tenth of a second.
Update: The menus are working for me now on version 1731433018!
Update 2: Actually, it was a change in my xmonad config that fixed it (and reverting the change makes the issue appear as before). See XMonad.Util.Hacks for the "standard" fix (though I initially did something slightly different which surprisingly also worked). Long story short, clicking on a menu triggers a bunch of X events (some of which seem hard to understand, as has been reported in other posts), and xmonad can be taught to ignore certain pointless ones.
same issue here on endeavour os
Inexplicably, while this was suddenly working for a few days, yesterday, equally inexplicably, it stopped working, and I'm back to having to, for instance, use shift to register submenu option clicks.
What's really unfortunate is that previously, all of this just worked unproblematically. For years it worked unproblematically.
Same issue here. Can't select any "Sort By" options in my wishlist. I've tried all applicable solutions above to no avail.
Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Arch Linux - xfce4
Opted into Steam client beta?: [No]
Have you checked for system updates?: [Yes]
Just adding that I have this same issue. Using Gnome47 on OpenSUSE Tumbleweed.
Was able to get a workaround to work by going into gnome tweaks and changing my windowing mode to "click to focus."
I really hope this gets fixed soon.
Manjaro with Gnome shell on X11
Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
Steam Version: 1730853027
Steam Client Build Date: Tue, Nov 5 22:33 UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Wed, Nov 6 01:21 UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021
Some context menus/dropdowns work okay: both top bar menus, browser context menu, friend profile context menu. These work okay.
But others are just ignored and instead whatever is under it is being clicked on: game context menu, play/stream drop down menu.
Essentially, I'm unable to uninstall or manage any game via steam client.
Ubuntu 24 LTS:
STILL BROKEN
The way I can work around this for SOME menus, is to right click on something and HOLD DOWN that button on my mouse, while I left click on the things I want to do. This is how I uninstall games. But it doesn't work in all menus (I forget which ones).
Hack work-around, really need a proper fix here....
Still broken but, sometimes I can click stuff. I might have to try to click an option 15 times but it's not completely broken in my case
Can we at least get some sort of insight from VALVe if this is being worked on or WILL NEVER get fixed?
I suspect this issue stems from Wayland/X fuckery because I have a potential fix for this, however, this coincided with allowing "Compatibility Mode" in Steam, so I'm not sure if it helped or not. Never-the-less, in case it helps:
In dconf editor (Ubuntu) allow xwayland-allow-grabs
The full address is /org/gnome/mutter/wayland/xwayland-allow-grabs
I'm pretty sure you could do the same with nano or whatever in a terminal.
I don't have Wayland, GNOME or Mutter installed. Somehow I doubt your instructions can help me.
This isn't something that should be fixed with hacks or workarounds. This is fundamentally something weird that the Steam client for Linux is doing.
The vast majority of Linux GUI applications register click events just fine without needing special window manager or compositor specific workaround checkboxes. Valve is fundamentally doing something weird here that should probably be fixed.
But maybe it's difficult to fix because it's deeply ingrained into their GUI architecture. I wouldn't know, since Steam client is not open source.
The way I can work around this for SOME menus, is to right click on something and HOLD DOWN that button on my mouse, while I left click on the things I want to do. This is how I uninstall games. But it doesn't work in all menus (I forget which ones).
Hack work-around, really need a proper fix here....
Okay, something that actually works. Thank you, I can finally uninstall stuff properly.
The way I can work around this for SOME menus, is to right click on something and HOLD DOWN that button on my mouse, while I left click on the things I want to do. This is how I uninstall games. But it doesn't work in all menus (I forget which ones).
Hack work-around, really need a proper fix here....Okay, something that actually works. Thank you, I can finally uninstall stuff properly.
What would actually work is if someone from VALVe like I dunno @kisak-valve could chime into this basic problem that's been going on for 1.75 YEARS. Can we PLEASE get someone to fix this very basic menu GUI problem? This is isolated to how STEAM interacts with the mouse for pull-down menu clicks... Like, one of the biggest gaming companies on the planet can't get this right after this much time? How much more money do I need to spend to get this fixed already?
Amazing how Steam fell apart without VGUI
I had this issue after installing manjaro with the xfce desktop environment. I had to switch to "focus on mouse" for the dropdown menus in the workshop to work.
I now switched to the kde plasme desktop environment and the issue is gone.
Switched to GNOME (Wayland). No issues, seems much smoother.
People should also remember at least Hyprland does some pretty funky shit. I don't know about others. Still, this is VAlVE's problem though...
Switched to GNOME (Wayland). No issues, seems much smoother.
People should also remember at least Hyprland does some pretty funky shit. I don't know about others. Still, this is VAlVE's problem though...
I'm using Fedora Gnome using Wayland, still not working
forum
This Worksss... Thanksss
The way I can work around this for SOME menus, is to right click on something and HOLD DOWN that button on my mouse, while I left click on the things I want to do. This is how I uninstall games. But it doesn't work in all menus (I forget which ones).
Hack work-around, really need a proper fix here....
Bless you. This fix was exactly what I needed for in the mean time:
as of dec 17th 2024 this issue is still present in the steal arch client from pacman multilib
the hold down strat i see in the comments seems to work for me just fine, still anoying but thank you i needed that, i can live with this
Having this problem with the current beta release. Turning off "focus follows mouse" doesn't fix it for me in openbox, but holding CTRL when clicking the menu item on the context menu is working.
over one year on... and this is the solution I've been looking for. Thank you! <3
Edit:
I'm on Artix using LXDE Openbox with the Standard steam runtime.
I had this issue after installing manjaro with the xfce desktop environment. I had to switch to "focus on mouse" for the dropdown menus in the workshop to work.
I now switched to the kde plasme desktop environment and the issue is gone.
I havent seen this comment before. Turning it on, for me, seems to have fixed the issue.
CTRL key doesn't work for me(Ubuntu, XFCE) and causes the underlying window to handle the click instead of the context menu.
I'm on Linux version Manjaro 24.2.0 with Xfce, I have this isue on the workshop. for me what fixed it was:
Window manager:
Focus follows mouse checked
Raise on click unchecked
Nearly two years and this is still an issue 😭
Cinnamon 6.2.9
Windows focus mode: Sloppy
Automatically raise focused windows off
I'm on Artix using LXDE Openbox with the Standard steam runtime.
@Sazu-bit, is workaround from https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-1766922429 doesn't work?
There's a Steam setting that fixed this for me:
Go to Steam settings, then interface, then scroll down and at the bottom there should be a toggle named "enable context menu focus compatibility mode".
There's a Steam setting that fixed this for me: Go to Steam settings, then interface, then scroll down and at the bottom there should be a toggle named "enable context menu focus compatibility mode".
As has been outlined MANY TIMES IN THIS THREAD that only solves some of the problems.
I'm now seeing issues with other menus like editing community discussion posts... I am having a pig of a time clicking on those edit menus now.
CAN WE PLEASE HAVE THIS FIXED ALREADY????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
I can confirm I'm having this issue on my system as well. Debian "testing" 64-bit, Steam "stable" branch as of January 1st, 2025.
Although my issue is more weird as it's more specific, as it only has been affecting the dropdown menu for these buttons and only these buttons instead too. It only happens after a period amount of time from boot, with it happening on some boots and (rarely) never on others.
I got this issue again. Arch/Manjaro.
The following log might be related:
/usr/share/themes/Breeze/gtk-2.0/widgets/entry:70: error: unexpected identifier 'direction', expected character '}'
/usr/share/themes/Breeze/gtk-2.0/widgets/styles:36: error: invalid string constant "combobox_entry", expected valid string constant
Sounds like a problem that didn't exist in VGUI
I switched again to Steam Beta (current version from Jan 2, as opposed to stable from over a month ago) and suddenly all the first level pop-up menus work.
Still, all the sub-menus (like game/cog→Manage→Browse local files - two levels deep in popups) don't work and require ctrl-clicking or right-clik-holding. But first-level popups (like game/cog→Properties... or in the properties, selecting which (GE-)Proton version a game needs) started working in this beta for me.
It's still a huge improvement! Am I imagining this, is this only on the first boot after switching?
We are now in 2025 and this issue is still persisting. Every time it happens I have to completely close Steam in task manager then relaunch it. Just for it to happen again.
It's a pity that the steam client code is not opened. I believe taht number of people in this ticket would be able to help to investigate and possibly share a fix for the problem, saving resources of the team working on the client and making users happy. I can imagine there could be a secret sauce that Valve does not want to share, but they could possibly think about splitting the project to several parts, so at least these parts of lower importance let's say could be opened.
Same issue here. Wayland/Arch/Steam beta: 1736213535.
Steam Beta Branch: Steam Beta Update
Steam Version: 1736906505
Steam Client Build Date: Tue, Jan 14 3:43 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Tue, Jan 14 3:32 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021
=============================
Still getting the menus not working.
For example, uninstalling a game. Right click on game in library list, go down to uninstall, left click on uninstall, nothing happens.
Steam Beta Branch: Steam Beta Update Steam Version: 1736906505 Steam Client Build Date: Tue, Jan 14 3:43 PM UTC -08:00 Steam Web Build Date: Tue, Jan 14 3:32 PM UTC -08:00 Steam API Version: SteamClient021
=============================
Still getting the menus not working.
For example, uninstalling a game. Right click on game in library list, go down to uninstall, left click on uninstall, nothing happens.
Menus don't work because Steam doesn't support Openbox or non full DEs. So anything like i3, awesome. Naturally this rules out LXDE (as it primarily uses Openbox).
You can get around it by holding CTRL then clicking wherever you need to. This kinda sucks but it works. I ended up installing XFCE (which does work). Admittedly I didn't install xfce to solve this particular problem but it was nice to discover that it was indeed not a problem any more.
@Sazu-bit I expect this is not related to openbox as you can find that same problem is reported number of times by people on GNOME, which is heavy cannon full DE. It also does not seem to be influenced by Xorg or Wayland as the problem exist for both. Or at least existed. I cannot say how is it nowadays, as this problem exist pretty long time and people are reporting changes on some systems. I tried 2 systems using different technologies with same result.
Also the workaround you mentioned is not working for everyone, as mentioned by various users (but it worked for me fortunately).
@Sazu-bit , How did you manage to make it work on XFCE? I am using xubuntu and neither right click nor ctrl+right click work for drop down menus.
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-2597330932
I'm rocking GNOME, still broken for me. Not so sure about this being tied to DE.
From what I see this is their HTML5 rendering environment not properly handling shifting focus matched to mouse position. That isn't something specific to a DE as for me it's X11/xorg that is doing the focus-shift function, lower level than GNOME.
Using ArchLinux/XFCE, Steam Beta Branch 1737514353, sub-menus in the Workshop do not seem to work unless XFCE Window Manager settings are:
Focus Model: Focus follows mouse
AND
Raise on click is DISABLED
Otherwise, all clicks (including control-click) in Workshop menus register on whatever's under them. For example, clicking on "Browse->Subscribed Items" will instead click on the top "Most Popular Items" item, and clicking on "Your Files->Files You've Posted" or "Your Files->Your Favorites" will do nothing, while "Your Files->Subscribed Items" will do nothing or register a click on "Most Popular" depending on whether the mouse cursor is on the upper or lower part of the "Your Files->Subscribed Items" menu item. The same problem happens with the "Sort by" and "Over time period" sub-menus when browsing items in the Workshop, where menu clicks on those sub-items will register on the Workshop items under them and not on the sub-menu.
It seems like the issue has been fixed in one of the latest updates, at least for me. Clicking on dropdown menu items in Wishlist and Workshop is working as it should.
Debian 11, XFCE 4.16, X.Org X Server 1.20.11
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-2636177788
I just re-tested with the below version and I'm still having right-click issues. So far as I can tell it has not been improved in my case at all:
Steam Beta Branch: Steam Beta Update
Steam Version: 1739497777
Steam Client Build Date: Thu, Feb 13 11:29 AM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Thu, Feb 13 4:41 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021
I have the same issue with XFCE, I have "focus follows mouse" disabled and I can't click dropdown items in the steam store or the workshop, the click goes through them and gets sent to whatever is under the option
what's the ETA for the fix? The app is basically unusable
A couple weeks ago, I was able to use context menus by hitting tab over and over until the cursor went into the dropdown, but now it's not doing that anymore. I'm not sure what they did, but it seems to have gotten worse.
A potential workaround is to "Enable GPU accelerated rendering in web views" in big-picture mode under "Settings" -> "Interface".
A potential workaround is to "Enable GPU accelerated rendering in web views" in big-picture mode under "Settings" -> "Interface".
Is that only for those using Big Picture mode or?
A potential workaround is to "Enable GPU accelerated rendering in web views" in big-picture mode under "Settings" -> "Interface".
Is that only for those using Big Picture mode or?
It works for me in and outside of Big Picture mode.
"Enable GPU accelerated rendering in web views" is enabled for me already and it doesn't help -- still broken.
This just started happening to me, and it has made it so I cannot uninstall games, download screenshots, invite people to games, or manage anything that requires me to interact with the right click context menus.
The second I click an option, the Steam Client sees it as me clicking the windows underneath and responds as such(like clicking other games in my library instead of uninstalling the one I'm trying to).
I already have GPU acceleration on, none of the tips and tricks here seem to have helped me.
I'm on Mint 22.1 just running default Cinnamon, might try Wayland later to see if it resolves the issue(but I doubt it will).
The second I click an option, the Steam Client sees it as me clicking the windows underneath and responds as such (like clicking other games in my library instead of uninstalling the one I'm trying to).
I was also having this issue on Mint 22.1 Cinnamon and couldn't interact with any drop-down menu. Going back to Windows focus mode = 'Click' instead of 'Mouse' fixed it
Edit: Enabling context menu focus compatibility mode in Steam Settings > Interface menu, also fixes the problem if you want to leave focus mode on 'Mouse'
I'm STILL having problems with this focus issue as I've described countless times above.
I feel like it's never getting fixed, before new UI update everything was great now we struggle for years..
I'm also experiencing this bug on Linux Mint with "focus follows mouse" enabled.
I've found a workaround that allows selecting dropdown options using the keyboard, even when direct mouse clicks on the options fail:
- Click on the dropdown menu to make it appear.
- After the dropdown list is visible, press the Tab key to cycle through the options.
- Once the desired option is highlighted, press Enter to select it.
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-2855333634
I am also on Linux Mint and this does not work for me, TAB only makes the context menu disappear.
Replying to [#9273 (comment)](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-2855333634)
I am also on Linux Mint and this does not work for me, TAB only makes the context menu disappear.
I see, could there be 2 different issues here? I just noticed that tab works with dropdown like in settings. But for example the right click menu on games list doesn't work this way because that's the context menu right?
I found a different workaround for this case: keep holding the right mouse button down and click left, then it works for me...
Using mint cinnamon, btw.
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-2855571106
It doesn't seem to work either in dropdowns or the context menus for me. I am also using Mint Cinnamon.
The only thing that works is going into window settings and setting the mouse mode to click.
I'm surprised this is still an issue years later.
Clicking on library dropdown menus beyond the main branches just clicks through to whatever is behind it, despite the option being highlighted.
Suggestions on using Control+Click, GPU acceleration on/off and enabling context menu compatibility mode do not work for me.
This makes it impossible to use the dropdown menu to Add/remove a game from categories or use the 'Manage' dropdown at all.
Display server: X11
Steam Stable Client
Version: 1751405894
Steam Client Build Date: Sat, Jun 28 11:07 AM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Wed, Jul 2 7:19 AM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient022
OS: Void Linux
Display server: Xorg/X11
WM: JWM and Openbox
Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
Steam Version: 1751405894
Steam Client Build Date: Sat, Jun 28 4:07 AM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Wed, Jul 2 12:19 AM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient022
Solution: hold Mouse 4/5 while clicking on menu (Ctrl, Alt and Shift don't work, probably because of WM).
Additional information: it seems to be triggered by "focus follows mouse". Disabling focus follows mouse in the desktop settings allowed the dropdowns to work.
I have no such option enabled in my LXDE/Openbox, and it's still borked. :/
same here at LXDE/Openbox
patharound
- click to dropdown menu with mouse but switching elements by Tab key and select element by Enter key
- click to dropdown select element by mouse and then press Enter key to interact
This is STILLLLLL broken for me. Can we please get some sort priority here @kisak-valve ?
This is STILLLLLL broken for me. Can we please get some sort priority here @kisak-valve ?
yes i have lxde and xfce here, its weird but under xfce/xfwm all working good, issue only with lxde/openbox
It doesn't work under pure openbox either. Basically identical through EL8 EL9 Fedora 38 39 40.. I quit after that because getting a non-bloated x11 display server in the Redhat Ecosystem is either difficult to not reasonably possible.
I suppose if steam is not going to resolve this issue for non-latest tech Desktops I can drop multilib from my from-scratch distro simplifing greatly which may be more fun than the games on Steam ;)
Maybe for me, leaving steam behind on Windows is the correct decision. Until the brain chip tells me otherwise I guess.
Update on my end...
- I'm using Wayland for a while now as I upgraded to Ubuntu 25.10 (as I'm now using an RX 9070 XT, long story) and haven't switched back to X11/Xorg.
- I just re-tested and I THINK it's working for me (but I did mention earlier that the issue didn't seem to show up for me in Wayland), but I can't comment on the state of X11/Xorg for this bug at this point as I'm not using it for my daily driver (currently).
STEAM version details:
Steam Beta Branch: Steam Beta Update
Steam Version: 1755900650
Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Aug 22 3:52 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Fri, Aug 22 3:53 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient022
This issue probably should be kept open, but on my end I can't reproduce it (probably due to now using Wayland).
If there's any specific permutations anyone wants me to try, let me know and I'll do what I can to try (no promises though).
Replying to [#9273 (comment)](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-2855571106)
It doesn't seem to work either in dropdowns or the context menus for me. I am also using Mint Cinnamon.
The only thing that works is going into window settings and setting the mouse mode to click.
+1, still doesn't work with "focus follows mouse", which is my daily driver since 2+ decades.
Replying to [#9273 (comment)](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-2855333634)
Using mint cinnamon, btw.
Oddly Fedora 42 with Cinnamon on X11 works fine.. Not openbox though.
Go to Steam Settings > Interface > Enable the compatibility mode to contextual focus menu, this solve for me. (Nobara 42 GNOME).
Sorry if there are any translation errors. English is not my native language.
Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273#issuecomment-3243001303
Look, I respect people trying to help, but it was already written many times by others, so why do ya'll need to duplicate it over and over again when it clearly doesn't solve the problem for part of people reporting it?
VGUI was better
On a whim I decided to do an Openbox Fedora 42 install and at least THIS time or as of the last client update the workaround in preferences is working again. Least we know ctrl+click is a failsafe fallback if all else doesn't work.
Would like more communication but this is Valve after all. In any event, it seems at least IMPROVED vs last month. So that is neat!
Still broken, cannot click on dropdowns in steam workshop, just clicks right through on items below the dropdown
+1 i found that if you hover mouse over blank space and click it reveals that the dropdown menu doesn't work at all (hover over sort by: -> most subscribed and the letters "ed" in subscribed and click, nothing happens.
How is this still not fixed, they shouldn't have fixed it in beta, damn..
Okay so after further testing.. The MAIN context menu will respond to the hack-turned-checkbox.. But sub-menus still need to hold ctrl+click.
Maybe make the hack apply to all or special case as needed? Or better yet.. Start opensourcing the majority of the steam client UI and just let us fix it for free since we can't seem to pay for it to be done.
i have experienced with different versions libraries, I think it depends on the options with which libraries are linked with which version. Newer versions or unsupported options with which the libraries were compiled are likely causing problems. Depending on what exactly is installed, there are different error patterns. only other keys work or only work with ctrl+click is an error pattern, but one can still work with it
@BlackMage2 Seems legit. Can you get anymore specific than alluding to general lib incompatibilities with a half-chromium app. Like which libs which options etc
I'm willing to help as well. I'm no expert on libraries, but I take direction well and I'm willing to test.
Does anyone know if this bug exists on SteamOS? If it doesn't, comparing SteamOS to Arch installs may be a good starting point.
Still having this issue with no end in sight
On Mon, Oct 20, 2025 at 10:08:30PM -0700, euxaristia wrote:
Still having this issue with no end in sight
Yeah, at this point they lack either the skillset or the interest to fix
this, and we don't have a good way to know which it is.
--
Mason Loring Bliss (( "In the drowsy dark cave of the mind dreams
@.*** )) build their nest with fragments dropped
http://blisses.org/ (( from day's caravan." - Rabindranath Tagore
It seems like it's a fundamental incompatibility with Gnome, maybe especially on Nvidia graphics because most of the reports of this or similar issues seem to come from Nvidia customers like myself. I tried installing kde-standard on top of Ubuntu 25.10 and it solved this issue as well as some issues I was having with my Magic Trackpad inability to disable tap to drag and excessive scrolling speed
It has nothing to do with gnome, or graphics drivers.
I'm having this issue on an AMD GPU, on openbox window manager.
most of the reports of this or similar issues seem to come from Nvidia customers like myself.
Na man, AMD here and no DE at all. I was on nVidia when this first started being an issue...years ago...I still can't uninstall crap, dismiss the obnoxious what's new crap...change/set proton, deal with input options...Steam might as well be a brick.
@nPHYN1T3 please try KDE. I installed ubuntu 25.10 recently and I was also pulling my hair out with Steam. It was a Gnome vs Steam thing, switching to KDE completely eliminated the issue and no context menu setting or anything is necessary.
It's funny to suggest someone to switch to a different desktop environment just because Steam is buggy.
This is a Steam issue, not a desktop environment issue.
No other application I know of exhibits this buggy behavior, only Steam.
@nPHYN1T3 please try KDE. I installed ubuntu 25.10 recently and I was also pulling my hair out with Steam. It was a Gnome vs Steam thing, switching to KDE completely eliminated the issue and no context menu setting or anything is necessary.
This. I also moved from Openbox to KDE and had no further issues (with Openbox I managed to workaround the issue using the configuration mentioned in a comment above).
Bear in mind that KDE is Valve’s DE choice for SteamOS so it makes sense that they test and support Steam client mainly on that DE.
Unfortunately I don’t think it is realistic to expect that Valve will support Steam client on every possible Linux DE/version/configuration under the sun. Specially on the non-mainstream ones…if you know what I mean.
Maybe they should clearly state exactly which DE(s) and versions are supported and that any other DE support is either limited/best effort/unsupported.
Just my two cents.
@euxaristia Yeah why don't I just install Windows, that'll fix it! KDE is not only laggy bloated garbage but it does not work on MultiGPU, same as Gnome since GTK3.2 (because they stopped enumerating XScreens). As I said I don't run a DE. Also suggesting user choice isn't yours to choose is about the most tone deaf thing anyone could suggest.
As @crumblingstatue says this is a Steam issue, nothing more. In part because of the GTK they use which is ironic given they went with KDE on the Steam Deck...to which of course it works under KDE. It's the only environment Valve cares to be compatible with. Valve is just a bad console port company now and unless you have the specs of their console, hard cheese...as noted by the years so many tickets are open with rather critical issues.
If you can throw everything you use, your muscle memory and work flow out the window to be kosher with ONE application then have at it. Never mind the fact this attitude and "solution" absolves Value of any need to care about fixing what they broke. Steam used to work fine, but as always they gotta futz with things to push more "feautres" [read: ads, promos and gimmicks to sell you on something new.] I will not do such a thing, nor would most sensible people who have a setup for their workflow, daily needs and enjoy that isn't the thing you would push onto them.
So before some other brilliant individual chimes in we all just switch to MacOS or Windows I'll remind everyone this isn't just an issue with Steam but rather the years this and many other tickets have been open that have kept users locked out of their paid product. i.e. Steam needs to address their half baked input compatibility setting does not work.
Unfortunately I don’t think it is realistic to expect that Valve will support Steam client on every possible Linux DE/version/configuration under the sun. Specially on the non-mainstream ones…if you know what I mean.
It is, however, completely reasonable to expect that Steam behaves correctly on standards compliant window managers, just like all other applications.
Just because Steam does something weird with its context menu implementation doesn't mean it couldn't do something more reasonable that behaves correctly on a much wider range of window managers.
Again, I don't have this problem with any other application, only Steam.
This shows that Steam is doing something weird here. It doesn't have to do something weird. It's just a freaking context menu.
Maybe they should clearly state exactly which DE(s) and versions are supported and that any other DE support is either limited/best effort/unsupported.
Sounds great until you realize this is the kinda rug pull that will leave you in the cold and will they refund you for your games when you can't access them anymore? Of course not. Again Steam worked just fine on ALL these DE and WM before. Their last terrible UI overhaul and the GPU acceleration they shortly thereafter tried to add is the issue. However this is now pushing almost 4 years and they have removed all the cli flags and args users could use to get around these issues.
As for the clearly stated bit they need to do this either way. Steam Support is ONLY for Debian, anything else you're told to come here to open a ticket and wait till you're dead.
@nPHYN1T3 I was honestly just trying to help.
Off-topic your ass. Valve has basically unlimited resources. This issue is intollerable. Just go merge with Microsoft's XBox division already.. It is what Steam was created for.
On Thu, Oct 23, 2025 at 10:30:19PM -0700, FC7 wrote:
I also moved from Openbox to KDE and had no further issues (with Openbox
I managed to workaround the issue using the configuration mentioned in a
comment above).
My kids don't see it on similar hardware and the same OS using XFCE, where
I use Openbox. The thing is, this used to not be a problem. I remember when
it started, and nothing had changed here.
It'd be such a small thing to fix. Maybe if the launcher was shared as free
software (it could have proprietary plug-ins for their secret sauce) we
could fix this for them. We shouldn't have to, but they're not fixing it
themselves.
--
Mason Loring Bliss @.*** Ewige Blumenkraft!
awake ? sleep : random() & 2 ? dream : sleep; -- Hamlet, Act III, Scene I
Having the same issue on CachyOS with Gnome installed. I have tried a few of the fixes and they haven't done anything for the most part.
Edit: it may be worth noting that I installed Steam via Pacman.
Same issue, also on CachyOS. This issue has popped up before. I tried steam beta and also disabling gpu hardware acceleration, neither resolved the issue. sysinfo
Just got an update for mesa 25.3.1 and it looks to have resolved the issue for me.
Also hitting this on Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia: in any drop-down menu, while hovering does highlight and open sub-menus, trying to click any menu item passes the click through to whatever was below the menu, rather than the menu itself. Essentially every drop-down menu is unusable; I can't uninstall or manage games.
Also hitting this on Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia: in any drop-down menu, while hovering does highlight and open sub-menus, trying to click any menu item passes the click through to whatever was below the menu, rather than the menu itself. Essentially every drop-down menu is unusable; I can't uninstall or manage games.
Is this Cinnamon? Or MATE?
Is this Cinnamon? Or MATE?
Cinnamon6.0.4+virginia, with Steam 1.0.0.74-1ubuntu2.
Hi there. Sorry if I miss on any etiquette or some other important rule. This is my first post on GitHub.
I had this problem before in Ubuntu Cinnamon and it drove me nuts for a while. I found a solution (I haven't discovered it myself. I just saw it somewhere but can't remeber when. It was a few weeks ago).
Have you Focus follows mouse enabled in your window manger/desktop environment? It doesn't seem to be compatible with the Steam client. It's a real shame and a pity, because focus follows mouse has been a distinctive feature for Linux user interfaces for ages.
So, if you have focus follows mouse enabled (again, in your WM/DE, not on Steam), disable it and restart your Steam client.
Hope this helps.
@tincho-rgb oh, that's rough. Literally one of my favorite Linux features. Thankfully there are workarounds (since for me, only the menus like the ones in the Workshop don't work - so I have to use my profile page to browse my subscribed-to items; there I can navigate without such menus), but that's annoying as hell.
Incredibly to have this bug open for almost three years, no help information anywhere in the client or on the Steam web page, no proper support, no mention on the web site or in the app where to go for help or for getting support.
And this although there are probably good workarounds for most situations where this happens, most importantly:
- Go to Settings -> Interface
- Toggle "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" to on
- Restart the Steam client (Use the File -> Exit option, just closing the window will not end the client)
This has been reported to help many and has helped in my case as well.
The bigger bug really is the absolute neglect of support and contact options though.
@johann-petrak, thank you so much. Enabling "context menu focus compatibility mode" fixed it!
The "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" never helped for Fedora GNOME for me, nor was the state of "Focus follows mouse" behavior. I finally ended up switching to a different desktop environment and it is no longer an issue there (Niri) but that kinda sucks that it is still broken in GNOME.
@tincho-rgb oh, that's rough. Literally one of my favorite Linux features. Thankfully there are workarounds (since for me, only the menus like the ones in the Workshop don't work - so I have to use my profile page to browse my subscribed-to items; there I can navigate without such menus), but that's annoying as hell.
i have a very similar situation (only workshop menu broken from what i noticed, and am on AWM so can't disable focus switching), and i found that holding down shift while clicking (a few other keys like ctrl work but open a new window) manages to make the dropdown work for some reason
if for whatever reason you can't use your keyboard there's also a further back-up of right-clicking on the drop down, and then clicking the link with the new menu still open
far from a fix but better than nothing
also, apologies for replying to a slightly old comment. just thought this may help
Reporting on Mint 22.3/Cinnamon, workarounds are not working around.
Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
Steam Version: 1769025840
Steam Client Build Date: Wed, Jan 21 12:12 PM UTC -05:00
Steam Web Build Date: Wed, Jan 21 2:41 PM UTC -05:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient023
@johann-petrak
* Go to Settings -> Interface * Toggle "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" to on * Restart the Steam client (Use the File -> Exit option, just closing the window will not end the client)
Can confirm for Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS under GNOME using Wayland.
Weirdly I did not have this issue up to a while ago. Can not really tell which update broke it. But the workaround works.
Steam details:
Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
Steam Version: 1773426488
Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Mar 13, 2026 02:52 UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Fri, Mar 13, 2026 02:30 UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient023
I have found out how to get this glitch removed:
First, do what others have said:
-
Go to Settings -> Interface
-
Toggle "Enable context menu focus compatibility mode" to on
-
Restart the Steam client (Use the File -> Exit option, just closing the window will not end the client)
Then, it will probably not work for you. If it doesn't, then go to View -> Small Mode or View -> Big Picture Mode. Then, revert it with View -> Large Mode and it'll work.
And, for the devs, I estimate this config issue is tied to something with the Gnome GUI, or maybe something with Debian, or Debian with Gnome. I didn't have any issue at all with this on my KDE Fedora laptop for a few years, but I've had this problem both with Ubuntu and Lubuntu recently, but only when I have used Gnome.
I have found out how to get this glitch removed:
I tried this out, does not work on Cinnamon (6.6.7).
Edit: I found this workaround which I haven't seen mentioned here [X]:
- Hold down the right mouse button before opening the dropdown
- With the right mouse button still pressed, left-click on the dropdown
- Continue to hold down the right mouse button and select the desired option with the left mouse button
Useful if like me you hate having to go set the windows focus to click every time you need to tweak stuff.
@Draconicrose bizarrely, this was the method that worked for me, finally. Thank you!
The workaround that's been working for me is to hold Shift as I click LMB to choose the option. Lubuntu with Openbox here.
@Phileosopher
go to View -> Small Mode or View -> Big Picture Mode. Then, revert it with View -> Large Mode and it'll work.
Fascinating workaround, unfortunately for me (Lubuntu, but LXQt/Openbox, not Gnome) it didn't change anything, I can still only activate things without workarounds in first-level menus, not in submenus. However, in Small Mode, submenus do work properly.
Have been experiencing this bug for several months, for a while the "Enable context menu focus compatibility mod" fix worked fine for me but in the past couple of days it has stopped working. Using Openbox on Debian 13
Proton versions
proton 7.0-6x1 2023-03proton experimentalx1 2023-03
Upstream links
- ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9273x26 2025-09
- ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9666x1 2024-01
- ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9376x2 2024-01
- ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9655x1 2023-12
- ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9638x1 2023-07
- ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9300x2 2023-07
DLLs
vgui2_s.dllx1 2023-10
Your system information
Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:
Since the latest update, I can't choose anymore from the list/dropdown of the compatibility tools.
The list with available compatibility tools opens, but clicking on one of the entries just closes the dropdown, and so it always defaults to "Proton Experimental" on my system (because it's the first entry in the list).
I still can set the compatibility tool from Big Picture Mode - but that currently has other problems (Nvidia user here ;) ).
My system info: https://gist.github.com/sysms/70972bfd68b3ae18cd3c63dc6bb24817
Steps for reproducing this issue:
EDIT: I just noticed it seems to affect ALL dropdown fields in the properties - so I also can't change languages or join betas anymore.