Steam won't start, NO error message in terminal

[Oggs]

Since a few days ago, Steam refuses to start. When started from the terminal, there is NO error message, it just quits after

STEAM_RUNTIME_HEAVY: ./steam-runtime-heavy

The full log is:

Running Steam on ubuntu 20.04 64-bit
STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
Pins up-to-date!
Steam client's requirements are satisfied
WARNING: Using default/fallback debugger launch
/home/harald/.steam/ubuntu12_32/steam -nominidumps -nobreakpad
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] Startup - updater built Jun  4 2021 19:34:19
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] Opted in to client beta 'publicbeta' via beta file
You are in the 'publicbeta' client beta.
Looks like steam didn't shutdown cleanly, scheduling immediate update check
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] Loading cached metrics from disk (/home/harald/.steam/package/steam_client_metrics.bin)
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] Using the following download hosts for Public, Realm steamglobal
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] 1. https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com, /client/, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 100, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] 2. https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com, /client/, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 100, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] 3. http://media.steampowered.com, /client/, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 1, source = 'baked in'
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] Checking for update on startup
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] Checking for available updates...
[2021-06-07 22:04:23] Downloading manifest: https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/client/steam_client_publicbeta_ubuntu12
[2021-06-07 22:04:24] Download skipped by HTTP 304 Not Modified
[2021-06-07 22:04:24] Nothing to do
[2021-06-07 22:04:24] Verifying installation...
[2021-06-07 22:04:24] Performing checksum verification of executable files
[2021-06-07 22:04:24] Verification complete
STEAM_RUNTIME_HEAVY: ./steam-runtime-heavy

I have no way to check this since steam is so bad at reporting why it fails, but I suspect it may have something to do with the Nvidia drivers and the 32-bit situation. I did install cuda some time before the problem started, though uninstalling it and going back to Ubuntu's default Nvidia driver didn't fix the problem.

I am in the beta client, not sure how to disable it when steam won't start.

[Jef_uk]

Now I've even more missing files .... Only as far as I can tell they are, except for the libpipewire-0.3, all installed.

[Invalid]

alot of people were suggesting steam --reset, but that seems to, at least for me with an apt installed steam, do absolutely nothing, same with deleting the .steam/steam/steam.sh, which redownloads stuff but still fails.
My solution was to nuke .steam, rm -rf style, and then run steam again, and it prompted login screen at least, then just never click remember password again. I'm sure there's a specific file you can delete to wipe the remembered credentials, but wipe and re-entering settings and configuration was faster than finding it.

3 steam restarts so far and going strong. Its something in their access remembering autologin system that is borked, thus failing after one successful login. Don't click that remember password.

[Jef_uk]

Thanks I'll give that a Try I've got logged back in after rm -rf my .steam folder again, this plan was not to log out before reboot, in a month or more....

[OnirosOne]

I've had the same problem since the recent update and I solved it by disabling the remember password option. Using steam --reset or nuking the entire .steam directory is not necessary (at least it wasn't for me). Just do the following:

1. Close/kill the Steam client/process if it is running (just in case)
2. Open ~/.steam/registry.vdf in a text editor
3. Search for "RememberPassword"
4. Change the value from "1" to "0" and save the file
5. Start the Steam client

You should now get the login window on startup. Do not enable remember password again.

I hope this helps.

[Só Bagre]

The "RememberPassowrd" trick also worked for me, but i hope they fix this soon.

[:ekoe]

My Steam is still working, and I can confirm that I also see the X errors:

Steam: An X Error occurred
X Error of failed request:  BadAtom (invalid Atom parameter)
Major opcode of failed request:  20 (X_GetProperty)
Atom id in failed request:  0x0
Serial number of failed request:  12
xerror_handler: X failed, continuing

I see the above printed 3 times, but Steam still loads up and works perfectly.
So most likely that's not the issue you all are having. Hope this helps.

[Oggs]

I eventually working around this by renaming my steam folder, installing steam again and adding the old steam folder as storage area. It probably was the saved password bug which was the main problem, in retrospect. But there was also the

Could not connect to X session manager: None of the authentication protocols specified are supported

thing which most people (any at all?) affected with the password saving error didn't have. It should be a fatal error on its own, what caused that I still have no idea. Whatever it was, the purge-y reinstall fixed it, unlike merely reinstalling the steam package (since that presumably saves the data dir).

[Zyro]

Problem with auto-login solved in the beta:
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2021/06/latest-steam-client-beta-improves-proton-startup-times-fixes-login-issue

[sas986]

Originally posted by OnirosOne:

I've had the same problem since the recent update and I solved it by disabling the remember password option. Using steam --reset or nuking the entire .steam directory is not necessary (at least it wasn't for me). Just do the following:

1. Close/kill the Steam client/process if it is running (just in case)
2. Open ~/.steam/registry.vdf in a text editor
3. Search for "RememberPassword"
4. Change the value from "1" to "0" and save the file
5. Start the Steam client

You should now get the login window on startup. Do not enable remember password again.

I hope this helps.

Thank you! This solved my issue.