Steam linux not downloading
I had a persistent problem with Steam not downloading games on Ubuntu, even on the same machine and same network where it worked fine under Windows (both 7 and 10). Here’s an explanation of why and how to fix it, since most people will not be able to diagnose it.
Like most big data providers, Steam has a lot of servers hosted at various ISPs. When you download a game, you’re directed to servers that are topologically closer to you—usually ones hosted by the ISP you use. In my case, this is Comcast, and Steam uses the host name cdn.comcast.cs.steampowered.com.
Ubuntu Desktop uses a caching DNS server called dnsmasq. Besides providing caching services, it captures advertised hostnames on the network, allowing you to refer to other machines by name without having to set up DNS.
You’ll get dialog windows and messages in the Steam log file saying that connections timed out. No downloads will actually work.
Interestingly, nowhere does it explicitly tell you that it’s actually the DNS query that’s timing out, as opposed to the connection to the actual content server. This confused me quite a bit.
Steam’s DNS and dnsmasq don’t get along. The list of DNS records for cdn.comcast.cs.steampowered.com is long enough that the response doesn’t fit in a UDP packet. Normally this is retried transparently over TCP and works fine. However, dnsmasq stalls and times out on this request. (Don’t ask me why. I haven’t debugged it—yet.) As a result, all attempts to connect to the Steam content servers fail, and no downloads occur.
Note: I’ve only run the Steam client on Ubuntu 14.10 and 15.04. I do not know whether this problem affects other versions.
The obvious workaround is to stop using dnsmasq. However, it’s somewhat hardwired into Ubuntu. Here’s what I did:
# apt-get install unbound # do this first or you’ll be sad
# cd /etc/NetworkManager
# service NetworkManager stop
# vi NetworkManager.conf # or whatever editor you want; I don’t care
[change «dns=dnsmasq» to «dns=unbound»]
# rm /etc/resolv.conf # don’t forget this
# service NetworkManager start
Now all your DNS queries should go through your local unbound server (at 127.0.0.1 a.k.a. localhost), retries over TCP should work as expected, and Steam should be able to download just fine. You can test it with:
If that hangs or returns SERVFAIL or REFUSED, you still have a problem.
Steam linux not downloading
Тема закрыта
22 июн. 2020 в 14:05
I’m trying to reinstall a game that I had previously installed awhile ago that didn’t work. Proton has moved on a lot since then, and my system has received (significant) upgrades since. When trying to install the game, however, the download starts and then completes immediately at 0 bytes / 0 bytes. Browsing the game’s local files shows no files in the directory. Unsurprisingly, trying to launch the game yields the error «missing executable.
Clicking the link in the above error window firstly deafens you, as the error noise is spammed into your poor ear drums unless you switch back the the error window. It does, lead you to this page however: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2274-IFLV-5334 which I’ve tried several of the steps.
Installing the game in a different location yields the same result.
Verifying the integrity of the game files yeilds «all files successfully validated».
Deleting the download cache just logs me out of Steam.
I have restarted multiple times.
This only applies to games which use Proton:
When you open the game’s properties in steam and check «Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool» make sure that a version of Proton is checked and not Steam Linux Runtime.
If you try to run a windows-only game through the Linux Runtime it can’t download anything, because no Linux executables for the game are provided on the Steam servers.
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22 июн. 2020 в 14:45
This only applies to games which use Proton:
When you open the game’s properties in steam and check «Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool» make sure that a version of Proton is checked and not Steam Linux Runtime.
If you try to run a windows-only game through the Linux Runtime it can’t download anything, because no Linux executables for the game are provided on the Steam servers.
Steam linux not downloading
24 окт. 2015 в 10:14
[Ubuntu 15.10 64-bit, Steam client version is the latest stable release from October 14, 2015. Using proprietary Intel and NVIDIA graphics drivers, if that matters.]
I can install the Steam client and login just fine, as evidenced by this post. However, I cannot download any games from my library; it just hangs during the allocation process until I get an error dialog box [imgur.com] . Upgrading to the latest beta client made no changes. I made a clean install, including the deletion of everything in the .steam folder besides the «common» folder under «steamapps». Nothing. It started happening to me suddenly on Ubuntu 15.04 and upgrading didn’t make a difference.
Typing «steam —reset» in the terminal gives me this:
«Error: Couldn’t find bootstrap, it’s not safe to reset Steam. Please contact technical support.» (I’ve already submitted a ticket; just want to see if I could get some advice sooner)
Ever seen something like this before? And yes, I have enough hard drive space to install more games.
24 окт. 2015 в 10:56
connection timed out. looks like a network problem. do you have a firewall running? have you tried changing the download server in steam settings?
24 окт. 2015 в 11:01
I have changed the download region to Canada. It seems there are issues with some of the US servers. Works now. Thanks!
Steam linux not downloading
17 окт. 2015 в 15:56
Earlier this week Steam suddenly stopped updating games. I can’t install anything either. I’ve tried running from terminal but everything looks normal. I do have a firewall, but the updates and installs were working fine before this.
Anyway I went and forwarded the ports Steam requires and still no change. It’s definitely a problem with my Linux machine. My windows install doesn’t have this problem. I don’t use windows often but I checked to make sure updating and installing worked there when this problem popped up.
I’ve even gone to the point of wiping the iptables rules and disabling the systemd service. Didn’t help. Right now I have five games queued up and the network and disc monitors on the download page are idling at 0 bytes. The total downloaded is 0 bytes and the peak is 0 bytes.
Updating to the beta client (did it for the steam controller) didn’t change the problem either. So now I’ve restored my firewall and have been searching for any kind of hint that this is affecting anyone else and I can’t find anything. I’m not sure what I can do but I’m glad I’ve been mainly buying games from GOG for the past year. Still, there are games here I would like to play but are stuck forever trying to update.
If anyone has any idea what’s up that’d be great. Since it might matter I’m running Arch.