protonscr

Adding a new Steam library folder fails with no error

steamclosed Steam clientDistro Family: Ubuntu
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#9859 · opened 2023-07-15 by Sparkwave2 · updated 2026-02-06 · 8 comments · github
SSparkwave2 2023-07-15 github

Your system information

  • Steam client version (build number or date): 1689034492
  • Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Linux Mint
  • Opted into Steam client beta?: No
  • Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
  • Steam Logs: steam-logs.tar.gz
  • GPU: Nvidia GTX 1650

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Steam does not add a library folder. When trying to add one, it does not display an error message, it creates a steamapps folder, and then does nothing.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. Open Steam
  2. Open Settings
  3. Open Storage
  4. Click the + icon to a new library folder
  5. Select an empty directory in the file manager
  6. Click "open"
  7. The only folder being created is an empty steamapps folder, Steam does not recognize it as library.

Steam Runtime Diagnostics: https://gist.github.com/Sparkwave2/5f6a35c299fc2188f904dc2b1177bbc5

Kkisak-valve maintainer 2023-07-15 github

Hello @Sparkwave2, please copy the contents of Steam Runtime Diagnostics from Steam (Steam -> Help -> Steam Runtime Diagnostics) and put it in a gist, then include a link to the gist in this issue report.

SSparkwave2 2023-07-15 github

I updated it with the link, here's a link to it again just in case: https://gist.github.com/Sparkwave2/5f6a35c299fc2188f904dc2b1177bbc5

Ppeniblec 2023-07-16 github

Same symptoms here, on openSUSE Tumbleweed. Found no clue in the logs, but running steam from the console and scanning stdout/stderr, I spotted:

sh: line 1: /home/peniblec/media/.steam_exec_test.sh: Permission denied
Failed system("/home/peniblec/media/.steam_exec_test.sh") in execute test: 32256

/home/peniblec/media is a new mount point I just added, on a newly formatted drive with…

$ mount | grep media
/dev/nvme0n1p1 on /home/peniblec/media type xfs (rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,attr2,inode64,logbufs=8,logbsize=32k,sunit=32,swidth=256,noquota,user)

… and I was trying to add a new library folder under /home/peniblec/media/games/steam. Paths not under ~/media were successfully added, but paths under ~/media could not be, with the symptoms described by @Sparkwave2.

Turns out I asked the distro's partition wizard (YaST Partitioner) for the partition to be "mountable by user", which IIUC translates to the user option in fstab, which, quoth mount(8),

implies the options noexec, nosuid, and nodev (unless overridden by subsequent options, as in the option line user,exec,dev,suid).

So in my specific instance,

  • going back to the YaST partitioner,
  • Mounting Options ⇒ Fstab Options… ⇒ Arbitrary Option Value ⇒ exec,
  • committing the changes,
  • restarting the system,
  • confirming that /etc/fstab says user,exec and mount no longer says noexec,

… did the trick: I can now add /home/peniblec/media/games/steam as a library folder, and move games there.

Odds are slim that this mount option goof matches your issue exactly @Sparkwave2; FWIW though I can at least confirm the failure mode: Steam creates a steamapps subfolder, then does nothing UI-wise to acknowledge that creation or report the error that interrupted the operation.

SSparkwave2 2023-07-16 github

I can confirm that adding exec after user in the mount options fixes the issue.

88leggedunicorn 2024-02-03 github

@peniblec thank you for publicly posting as it resolved my issue.

Rrdp 2024-10-30 github

Yeah tailing the log files (or watching stdout) when you add it via the ui or the console is the way to actually see what the failure/issue is. :) Another symptom is adding it via the console it just says "Failed mounting that path!"

I think that if adding a storage fails, Steam should at least have a warning message popup "check your logs to see why". Even better would be the exact error....

It is really confusing when just nothing happens...

Ggabriele2000 2025-05-23 github

Assuming there's no issue with the filesystem or permissions:

  • Create a "Steam" folder where you want your library
  • Point Steam into the newly created folder
  • Enjoy
Mmercster 2026-02-06 github

I'm seeing this as well. I already have a second Steam Library (pointing to ~/Steam)... I added another Linux partition to the system. Keep trying to add it as third library, Steam creates empty 'steamapps' folder, and it just silently fails.

EDIT: Odd.... my fstab doesn't have "noexec" in the mount line, but yeah, that's why, I can't execute files on that partition.. wonder what's wrong...

Nothing extracted yet.