Steam Crashes on Arch Desktop with Xfce4

48lexR · 2025-12-19 06:58:28

Hi, I'm quite new to arch. I installed steam with the typical pacman -Syu steam command, but the steam installation won't run. Not from the terminal, not from the desktop. And it spams this error message:
ProcessMessagesFromChild: failed to read header data from socket - exitingProcessMessagesFromChild: failed to read header data from socket - exiting
before eventually:
[2025-12-19 01:53:56] CUpdateUILinux: error communicating with child process, detaching: 32
In the end I get this:
8431 Bus error (core dumped) "$STEAMROOT/$STEAMEXEPATH" "$@"
If anyone has any ideas, that would be great. I've been researching this issue for almost 3 hours now. I have also tried deleting the ~/.config and ~/.local directories after backing them up, but that didn't work either. I made sure vulkan was installed and that it wasn't conflicting with other packages, but that didn't work either. Thanks in advance.

V1del · 2025-12-19 10:45:59

Can you post the outputs of

glxinfo -B #mesa-utils
glxinfo32 -B #lib32-mesa-utils
printenv

I'm assuming you're not getting a sane https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Core_d … _core_dump here?

48lexR · 2025-12-19 15:20:25

Sure, and than you for your help:

name of display: :0.0
display: :0  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
    Vendor: AMD (0x1002)
    Device: AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT (radeonsi, gfx1200, LLVM 21.1.6, DRM 3.64, 6.18.1-arch1-2) (0x7590)
    Version: 25.3.2
    Accelerated: yes
    Video memory: 16384MB
    Unified memory: no
    Preferred profile: core (0x1)
    Max core profile version: 4.6
    Max compat profile version: 4.6
    Max GLES1 profile version: 1.1
    Max GLES[23] profile version: 3.2
Memory info (GL_ATI_meminfo):
    VBO free memory - total: 16001 MB, largest block: 16001 MB
    VBO free aux. memory - total: 15534 MB, largest block: 15534 MB
    Texture free memory - total: 16001 MB, largest block: 16001 MB
    Texture free aux. memory - total: 15534 MB, largest block: 15534 MB
    Renderbuffer free memory - total: 16001 MB, largest block: 16001 MB
    Renderbuffer free aux. memory - total: 15534 MB, largest block: 15534 MB
Memory info (GL_NVX_gpu_memory_info):
    Dedicated video memory: 16384 MB
    Total available memory: 31980 MB
    Currently available dedicated video memory: 16001 MB
OpenGL vendor string: AMD
OpenGL renderer string: AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT (radeonsi, gfx1200, LLVM 21.1.6, DRM 3.64, 6.18.1-arch1-2)
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.6 (Core Profile) Mesa 25.3.2-arch1.1
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile

OpenGL version string: 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 25.3.2-arch1.1
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL profile mask: compatibility profile

OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.2 Mesa 25.3.2-arch1.1
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.20

bash: glxinfo32: command not found
SHELL=/usr/bin/bash
SESSION_MANAGER=local/archlinux:@/tmp/.ICE-unix/1045,unix/archlinux:/tmp/.ICE-unix/1045
WINDOWID=39845891
COLORTERM=truecolor
XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=/etc/xdg
XDG_SESSION_PATH=/org/freedesktop/DisplayManager/Session0
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=xfce-
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/home/cage/.ssh/agent/s.lHgXVr00zz.agent.wkSpmYFBje
XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/home/cage/.config
DESKTOP_SESSION=xfce
SSH_AGENT_PID=1109
GTK_MODULES=canberra-gtk-module:canberra-gtk-module
XDG_SEAT=seat0
PWD=/home/cage
LOGNAME=cage
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP=xfce
XDG_SESSION_TYPE=x11
PANEL_GDK_CORE_DEVICE_EVENTS=0
XAUTHORITY=/home/cage/.Xauthority
XDG_GREETER_DATA_DIR=/var/lib/lightdm-data/cage
MOTD_SHOWN=pam
HOME=/home/cage
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=XFCE
VTE_VERSION=8202
XDG_SEAT_PATH=/org/freedesktop/DisplayManager/Seat0
XDG_CACHE_HOME=/home/cage/.cache
XDG_SESSION_CLASS=user
TERM=xterm-256color
USER=cage
DISPLAY=:0.0
SHLVL=1
XDG_VTNR=7
XDG_SESSION_ID=2
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000
DEBUGINFOD_URLS=https://debuginfod.archlinux.org 
XDG_DATA_DIRS=/usr/local/share:/usr/share
PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin/site_perl:/usr/bin/vendor_perl:/usr/bin/core_perl
GDMSESSION=xfce
DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus
MAIL=/var/spool/mail/cage
_=/usr/bin/printenv

I'm not sure what a sane core dump is, but if it helps, here is the result of

 coredumpctl info steam

           PID: 1799 (steam)
           UID: 1000 (cage)
           GID: 1000 (cage)
        Signal: 7 (BUS)
     Timestamp: Fri 2025-12-19 10:11:55 EST (4min 14s ago)
  Command Line: /home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam -child-update-ui
 -child-update-ui-socket 8 -srt-logger-opened
    Executable: /home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam
 Control Group: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/session-2.scope
          Unit: session-2.scope
         Slice: user-1000.slice
       Session: 2
     Owner UID: 1000 (cage)
       Boot ID: a3c4ab8a42d34c018da273d2496187af
    Machine ID: 63806f5b17ec4f5cadffbb03f638bf92
      Hostname: archlinux
       Storage: /var/lib/systemd/coredump/core.steam.1000.a3c4ab8a42d34c018da273
d2496187af.1799.1766157115000000.zst (present)
  Size on Disk: 3.6M
       Message: Process 1799 (steam) of user 1000 dumped core.
                
                Stack trace of thread 1799:
                #0  0x00000000f7f27657 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25657)
                #1  0x00000000f7f0a885 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x8885)
                #2  0x00000000f7f0c224 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xa224)
                #3  0x00000000f7f059b8 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x39b8)
                #4  0x00000000f7f0459d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #5  0x00000000f7f05e6a n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x3e6a)
                #6  0x00000000f7f0fe1d n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xde1d)
                #7  0x00000000f7f0459d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #8  0x00000000f7f0f3b0 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd3b0)
                #9  0x00000000f7f0459d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #10 0x00000000f7f0f8e9 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd8e9)
                #11 0x00000000f7c5a44a n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x8f44a)
                #12 0x00000000f7f0459d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #13 0x00000000f7f046c9 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x26c9)
                #14 0x00000000f7c59ea7 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x8eea7)
                #15 0x00000000f7c5a51c dlopen (libc.so.6 + 0x8f51c)
                #16 0x00000000f7297d8e n/a (libGLX.so + 0x27d8e)
                #17 0x00000000f7272775 n/a (libGLX.so + 0x2775)
                #18 0x00000000f7f083dc n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x63dc)
                #19 0x00000000f7f084bb n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x64bb)
                #20 0x00000000f7f0f4dc n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd4dc)
                #21 0x00000000f7f04638 _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x26
38)
                #22 0x00000000f7f0f438 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd438)
                #23 0x00000000f7f0459d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #24 0x00000000f7f0f8e9 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd8e9)
                #25 0x00000000f7c5a44a n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x8f44a)
                #26 0x00000000f7f0459d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #27 0x00000000f7f046c9 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x26c9)
                #28 0x00000000f7c59ea7 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x8eea7)
                #29 0x00000000f7c5a51c dlopen (libc.so.6 + 0x8f51c)
                #30 0x00000000569469f3 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x34a9f3)
                #31 0x00000000568b8823 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x2bc823)
                #32 0x00000000568b82a9 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x2bc2a9)
                #33 0x00000000568b2066 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x2b6066)
                #34 0x000000005688f317 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x293317)
                #35 0x0000000056890195 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x294195)
                #36 0x00000000f7bed535 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x22535)
                #37 0x00000000f7bed60e __libc_start_main (libc.so.6 + 0x2260e)
                #38 0x0000000056877031 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x27b031)
                ELF object binary architecture: Intel 80386

           PID: 1798 (steam)
           UID: 1000 (cage)
           GID: 1000 (cage)
        Signal: 7 (BUS)
     Timestamp: Fri 2025-12-19 10:11:56 EST (4min 14s ago)
  Command Line: /home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam -srt-logger-open
ed
    Executable: /home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam
 Control Group: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/session-2.scope
          Unit: session-2.scope
         Slice: user-1000.slice
       Session: 2
     Owner UID: 1000 (cage)
       Boot ID: a3c4ab8a42d34c018da273d2496187af
    Machine ID: 63806f5b17ec4f5cadffbb03f638bf92
      Hostname: archlinux
       Storage: /var/lib/systemd/coredump/core.steam.1000.a3c4ab8a42d34c018da273
d2496187af.1798.1766157116000000.zst (present)
  Size on Disk: 10.1M
       Message: Process 1798 (steam) of user 1000 dumped core.
                
                Stack trace of thread 1798:
                #0  0x00000000f7fe6657 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25657)
                #1  0x00000000f7fc9885 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x8885)
                #2  0x00000000f7fcb224 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xa224)
                #3  0x00000000f7fc49b8 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x39b8)
                #4  0x00000000f7fc359d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #5  0x00000000f7fc4e6a n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x3e6a)
                #6  0x00000000f7fcee1d n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xde1d)
                #7  0x00000000f7fc359d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #8  0x00000000f7fce3b0 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd3b0)
                #9  0x00000000f7fc359d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #10 0x00000000f7fce8e9 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd8e9)
                #11 0x00000000f7d1944a n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x8f44a)
                #12 0x00000000f7fc359d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #13 0x00000000f7fc36c9 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x26c9)
                #14 0x00000000f7d18ea7 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x8eea7)
                #15 0x00000000f7d1951c dlopen (libc.so.6 + 0x8f51c)
                #16 0x00000000f1076d8e n/a (libGLX.so.0 + 0x27d8e)
                #17 0x00000000f1051775 n/a (libGLX.so.0 + 0x2775)
                #18 0x00000000f7fc73dc n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x63dc)
                #19 0x00000000f7fc74bb n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x64bb)
                #20 0x00000000f7fce4dc n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd4dc)
                #21 0x00000000f7fc3638 _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x26
38)
                #22 0x00000000f7fce438 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd438)
                #23 0x00000000f7fc359d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #24 0x00000000f7fce8e9 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0xd8e9)
                #25 0x00000000f7d192e7 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x8f2e7)
                #26 0x00000000f7fc359d _dl_catch_exception (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x25
9d)
                #27 0x00000000f7fc36c9 n/a (ld-linux.so.2 + 0x26c9)
                #28 0x00000000f7d18ea7 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x8eea7)
                #29 0x00000000f7d193b4 dlmopen (libc.so.6 + 0x8f3b4)
                #30 0x0000000056987af6 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x34aaf6)
                #31 0x00000000569702dc n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x3332dc)
                #32 0x00000000568cedb9 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x291db9)
                #33 0x00000000568d00a0 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x2930a0)
                #34 0x00000000568d1195 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x294195)
                #35 0x00000000f7cac535 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x22535)
                #36 0x00000000f7cac60e __libc_start_main (libc.so.6 + 0x2260e)
                #37 0x00000000568b8031 n/a (/home/cage/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu
12_32/steam + 0x27b031)
                ELF object binary architecture: Intel 80386

I'm not all too familiar with ELF architectures, but I do know that my CPU and GPU are both AMD, and it seems like the ELF binary is designed for Intel. I'm not sure how that happened, and I don't know how to fix it either, or if that's even the problem. Thanks in advance for your help.

V1del · 2025-12-19 15:42:49

The ELF binary designation is irrelevant (basically means that it was compiled with 32bit x86 instruction set, which is normal for steam), the glxinfo32 output would be interesting and in case you will want to have installed lib32-mesa and lib32-vulkan-radeon, environment variables also look ok

48lexR · 2025-12-19 15:46:56

Starting to think that's the problem.
glxinfo32 wasn't installed, so I installed it, and it immediately had a bus error:

name of display: :0.0
Bus error                  (core dumped) glxinfo32 -B

Meanwhile, I updated my mirrors to reinstall steam (had all the US ones on for some reason) and now steam can't resolve its alsa dependencies.

:: unable to satisfy dependency 'alsa-lib=1.2.15' required by lib32-alsa-lib
:: unable to satisfy dependency 'lib32-alsa-lib' required by lib32-alsa-plugins
:: unable to satisfy dependency 'alsa-lib=1.2.15' required by lib32-alsa-lib
:: unable to satisfy dependency 'libasound.so=2-32' required by lib32-alsa-plugins
:: unable to satisfy dependency 'lib32-alsa-plugins' required by steam
:: unable to satisfy dependency 'alsa-lib=1.2.15' required by lib32-alsa-lib
:: unable to satisfy dependency 'lib32-alsa-lib' required by lib32-pipewire
:: unable to satisfy dependency 'alsa-lib=1.2.15' required by lib32-alsa-lib
:: unable to satisfy dependency 'libasound.so=2-32' required by lib32-pipewire
:: unable to satisfy dependency 'lib32-pipewire' required by steam

Edit: I updated my mirrors again, so now the dependencies should be installed, and I'm back to square one.
Edit 2: I installed steam-native-runtime to see if that would work, but the same crashes persist.

Last edited by 48lexR (2025-12-19 16:45:38)

V1del · 2025-12-22 10:42:43

mhm... Some weird interaction issue with older instruction sets? Check whether you have a UEFI update available and/or install your processor microcodes via amd-ucode

Do you run some nonstandard kernel?

Arch Linux

#1 2025-12-19 06:58:28

Steam Crashes on Arch Desktop with Xfce4

#2 2025-12-19 10:45:59

Re: Steam Crashes on Arch Desktop with Xfce4

#3 2025-12-19 15:20:25

Re: Steam Crashes on Arch Desktop with Xfce4

#4 2025-12-19 15:42:49

Re: Steam Crashes on Arch Desktop with Xfce4

#5 2025-12-19 15:46:56

Re: Steam Crashes on Arch Desktop with Xfce4

#6 2025-12-22 10:42:43

Re: Steam Crashes on Arch Desktop with Xfce4

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