Unable to start steam

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1

I’m using an intel Arc B580 GPU and mesa 25.2.3.

I have tried changing the drivers in hardware.graphics.extraPackages and hardware.graphics.extraPckages32 but I keep getting the same problem. I have also tried installing steam through flatpak but I get the same problem there. I’ve also tried to use the stable branch of nixpkgs for drivers and steam but couldn’t get it to build.

Anyone have any idea of what can be going wrong?

Here is the console output, the last 7 lines are repeated indefinitely:

steam.sh[27721]: Running Steam on nixos 25.11 64-bit
steam.sh[27721]: STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
setup.sh[27777]: Steam runtime environment up-to-date!
steam.sh[27721]: Log already open
steam.sh[27721]: Steam client's requirements are satisfied
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Startup - updater built Sep 12 2025 03:55:50
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Startup - Steam Client launched with: '/home/philipj/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-srt-logger-opened'
09/30 21:57:28 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
09/30 21:57:28 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1757650573)/tid(27819)
Looks like steam didn't shutdown cleanly, scheduling immediate update check
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Process started with command-line: '/home/philipj/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-child-update-ui' '-child-update-ui-socket' '9' '-srt-logger-opened'
09/30 21:57:28 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Using update UI: xwin
09/30 21:57:28 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(0)/tid(27820)
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Create window
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Loading cached metrics from disk (/home/philipj/.local/share/Steam/package/steam_client_metrics.bin)
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Failed to load cached hosts file (File 'update_hosts_cached.vdf' not found), using defaults
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Using the following download hosts for Public, Realm steamglobal
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] 1. https://client-update.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 1, source = 'baked in'
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Checking for update on startup
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Checking for available updates...
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Downloading manifest: https://client-update.steamstatic.com/steam_client_ubuntu12
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Manifest download: send request
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Set percent complete: 0
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Set status message: Checking for available updates...
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Set percent complete: -1
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Manifest download: waiting for download to finish
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Manifest download: finished
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Download skipped: /steam_client_ubuntu12 version 1757650573, installed version 1757650573, existing pending version 0
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Nothing to do
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Verifying installation...
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Verifying all executable checksums
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Set percent complete: -1
[2025-09-30 21:57:28] Set status message: Verifying installation...
[2025-09-30 21:57:29] Verification complete
UpdateUI: skip show logo
[2025-09-30 21:57:29] Destroy window

[2025-09-30 21:57:29] Shutdown
Steam logging initialized: directory: /home/philipj/.local/share/Steam/logs

XRRGetOutputInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf61bf370
XRRGetCrtcInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf61bdcc0
09/30 21:57:29 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
09/30 21:57:29 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steamsysinfo)/version(1757650573)/tid(27842)
Running query: 1 - GpuTopology
Response: gpu_topology {
  gpus {
    id: 1
    name: "Intel(R) Arc(tm) B580 Graphics (BMG G21)"
    vram_size_bytes: 12809404416
    driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaIntel
    driver_version_major: 25
    driver_version_minor: 2
    driver_version_patch: 3
    luid: 0
  }
  gpus {
    id: 2
    name: "Intel(R) Arc(tm) B580 Graphics (BMG G21)"
    vram_size_bytes: 12809404416
    driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaIntel
    driver_version_major: 25
    driver_version_minor: 2
    driver_version_patch: 3
    luid: 0
  }
  gpus {
    id: 3
    name: "llvmpipe (LLVM 19.1.7, 256 bits)"
    vram_size_bytes: 3221225472
    driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaLLVMPipe
    driver_version_major: 25
    driver_version_minor: 2
    driver_version_patch: 3
    luid: 0
  }
  gpus {
    id: 4
    name: "llvmpipe (LLVM 19.1.7, 256 bits)"
    vram_size_bytes: 3221225472
    driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaLLVMPipe
    driver_version_major: 25
    driver_version_minor: 2
    driver_version_patch: 3
    luid: 0
  }
  default_gpu_id: 1
}

Exit code: 0
Saving response to: /tmp/steamdglepi - 237 bytes
Fontconfig warning: line 5: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-hinting-slight.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 72: non-double matrix element
Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 72: non-double matrix element
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 80: saw unknown, expected number
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-sub-pixel-none.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-yes-antialias.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/11-lcdfilter-default.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/20-unhint-small-vera.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/30-metric-aliases.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/40-nonlatin.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/45-generic.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/45-latin.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/48-spacing.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/49-sansserif.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/50-user.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/51-local.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/60-generic.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/60-latin.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/65-nonlatin.conf", line 4: unknown element "description"
steamwebhelper.sh[27855]: Starting steamwebhelper under bootstrap steamrt steam runtime via: /home/philipj/.local/share/Steam/steamrt64/steam-runtime-steamrt/_v2-entry-point
steamwebhelper.sh[27855]: Starting steamwebhelper with steamrt steam runtime at /home/philipj/.local/share/Steam/steamrt64/steam-runtime-steamrt/_v2-entry-point
Steam Runtime Launch Service: starting steam-runtime-launcher-service
Steam Runtime Launch Service: steam-runtime-launcher-service is running pid 28026
bus_name=com.steampowered.PressureVessel.LaunchAlongsideSteam
pressure-vessel-wrap[27855]: W: Found more than one possible libdrm data directory from provider
pressure-vessel-wrap[27855]: W: "run/opengl-driver-32/share/drirc.d" is unlikely to appear in "/run/host"
pressure-vessel-wrap[27855]: W: "run/opengl-driver/share/drirc.d" is unlikely to appear in "/run/host"
pressure-vessel-wrap[27855]: W: Found more than one possible drirc.d data directory from provider
2

Here is my hardware.graphics

{
    enable = true;
    enable32Bit = true;
    extraPackages = builtins.attrValues {
      inherit
        (pkgs)
        intel-media-driver
        intel-ocl
        intel-compute-runtime
        vpl-gpu-rt
        libvdpau-va-gl
        vaapiIntel
        ;
    };

    extraPackages32 = builtins.attrValues {
      inherit
        (pkgs.pkgsi686Linux)
        intel-media-driver
        vaapiIntel
        libvdpau-va-gl
        ;
    };
};
3

Mind sharing your full configuration? The bit you’ve shared is already very silly, I’ve explained why here: RTX 5060 bad performance? (new to nixOS) - #7 by TLATER

You probably copied that from the unofficial, and bitrotting, wiki, the official wiki entries on video acceleration are here, as well as the intel page here.

It’s unlikely to be causing this particular issue, but I imagine there will be more cargo cultey things in your config :wink:

Not that I’m certain I’ll know what’s wrong if I see it, I don’t have an arc GPU and haven’t seen many people with them around either.

4

Sure, it’s a bit of a mess but you can find it here. The host you want to look at is loki.

5

Steam already enables your graphics options: nixpkgs/nixos/modules/programs/steam.nix at 5ed4e25ab58fd4c028b59d5611e14ea64de51d23 · NixOS/nixpkgs · GitHub

Outside of that, I don’t see anything wrong here.

FWIW, the pressure vessel thing is totally normal. I’d suggest deleting the whole steam directory, other than that you might have to consult more steam-specific forums. This appears to me like a more general issue with steam and Arc GPUs than something confined to NixOS.

6

I have an Arc (previous gen) - here’s some thoughts:

  • Putting vdpau-anything in your config makes no sense, that’s for nvidia (EDIT: I was slightly misinformed but AFAICT it’s still unnecessary)
  • vaapiIntel is redundant because you already would use intel-media-driver for VA-API handling
  • I do not use nixos-hardware at all

First run this to get the device ID for your card (56a0 in this case; you can ignore the 8086 which just means Intel):

$ nix run github:eclairevoyant/pcids                                    
PCI:45:0:0
	Intel Corporation [8086]
	DG2 [Arc A770] [56a0]

Then here’s what my config looks like for the card. Replace the deviceId as you identified from the previous step.

{
  config,
  lib,
  pkgs,
  ...
}:

let
  deviceId = "56a0";
in
{
  boot = {
    # recent kernel needed for proper functionality
    kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxKernel.packageAliases.linux_latest;

    kernelParams =
      # xe driver available from kernel 6.8
      assert lib.versionAtLeast config.boot.kernelPackages.kernel.version "6.8";
      [
        "i915.force_probe=!${deviceId}"
        "xe.force_probe=${deviceId}"
      ];
  };

  # https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Hardware_video_acceleration
  environment = {
    systemPackages = lib.attrValues {
      inherit (pkgs) libva-utils; # vainfo
    };
    variables = {
      LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME = "iHD";
    };
  };

  hardware.graphics = {
    enable = true;
    enable32Bit = true;
    extraPackages = lib.attrValues {
      inherit (pkgs)
        intel-compute-runtime
        intel-media-driver # vaapi via iHD
        vpl-gpu-rt # libvpl impl for qsv
        ;
    };
  };

  security.wrappers.igt = {
    owner = "root";
    group = "root";
    capabilities = "cap_perfmon=+ep";
    source = lib.getExe' pkgs.intel-gpu-tools "intel_gpu_top";
  };
}

If you see issues with the xe driver, you can switch back to i915 via boot.kernelParams = ["i915"]; instead of the kernel params above. (I saw flickering in my case and did in fact switch back.)

Since I was personally dissatisfied with the steam packaging in nixpkgs, I use the flatpak for steam:

    services.flatpak.enable = true;

And installed/run steam that way:

$ flatpak install com.valvesoftware.Steam
$ flatpak run com.valvesoftware.Steam

However, hopefully the config mentioned gets you a bit closer to running steam in either case.

(And yeah, it’s a super new card and may just Not Work.)

3 Likes
7

Changed my config to match yours and unfortunately it still doesn’t work. Tried steam from both flatpak and nixpkgs. Hopefully an update will come soon that fixes my problems.

1 Like
8

I got it working! All I did was enable resizable bar in my motherboard settings.

1 Like
9

Huh, that’s interesting. I wonder if as part of that you had to also enable mapping 32 bit application memory into higher address spaces, which would be a much more sensible explanation for why steam wasn’t working.

10

never heard of this…

note: apparently, no, its not a resizable “statusbar”, like pkgs.waybar, its actually the BAR - base address register:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000090831/graphics.html

crazy

2 Likes
11

Ah yeah, standard config for Arc cards. Forgot about the firmware settings.
Intel mentions it so often it seems the cards are unusable without ReBAR.

Also disable CSM and enable UEFI and >4G decoding.

1 Like