linux: ERROR: unsafe call to unsetenv count:1 var:'DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID'

[posi]

Hi all,

since today (yesterday was still fine) and an client update I cannot start the steam client anymore on linux (Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm). I'm not getting any window and to be sure I cleaned the .local/Steam dir away and re-installed the client completely but still same issue.

In console-linux.txt I'm seeing the error from the subject - here is the section from the logfile:

......
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] [2025-03-11 07:51:13] Verifying installation...
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] [----] Verifying installation...
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] [2025-03-11 07:51:13] Verifying all executable checksums
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] [2025-03-11 07:51:13] Verification complete
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] UpdateUI: skip show logo
[2025-03-11 07:51:13]
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] Steam logging initialized: directory: /home/xyz/.local/share/Steam/logs
[2025-03-11 07:51:13]
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] XRRGetOutputInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf7cdd780
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] XRRGetCrtcInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf7cdc050
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] ERROR: unsafe call to unsetenv count:1 var:'DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID'
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] double free or corruption (out)
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] crash_20250311075113_5.dmp[42818]: Uploading dump (out-of-process)
[2025-03-11 07:51:13] /tmp/dumps/crash_20250311075113_5.dmp
[2025-03-11 07:51:14] /home/xyz/.local/share/Steam/steam.sh: line 946: 42794 Aborted (core dumped) "$STEAMROOT/$STEAMEXEPATH" "$@"
[2025-03-11 07:51:15] crash_20250311075113_5.dmp[42818]: Finished uploading minidump (out-of-process): success = yes
[2025-03-11 07:51:15] crash_20250311075113_5.dmp[42818]: response: CrashID=bp-860063a0-309b-474f-9ad9-0d5212250310
[2025-03-11 07:51:15] crash_20250311075113_5.dmp[42818]: file ''/tmp/dumps/crash_20250311075113_5.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-860063a0-309b-474f-9ad9-0d5212250310''
[end of file)

Seems like the last client update caused this - does anyone else has this problem or - even better - a solution?

[posi]

Could be also unrelated to the ERROR and just the "double free or corruption (out)" is relevant?

[zzzzz28]

Also having this issue on debian 12 after restarting my system and trying to launch steam for the first time today.
this definitely has to be an issue with the latest client update, so the solution is either finding a manual bugfix, waiting for steam to fix it, or to somehow revert to the previous version (but from what I've seen the only way to do that is knowing an archive.org url and forcefully updating steam using that url, but i highly doubt anyone has archived such a specific version and I'm not sure if it would even work)

[Zeus_Cosmos]

I have what look like the same problem. Yesterday, steam was working OK but today, after an update, the steam client crashes on start with a "double free or corruption (out)" message. Nothing else in the system was updated or changed.

I tried doing a "steam --reset" and also clearing the steam home files but that did not solve the issue.

This system is using Mageia 9 GNU/Linux.

[katzenschubser]

+1 from me.
Only goes to the >> double free corruption (!prev) << line on my MX Linux 64
AI says the line is pointing on wrong Memory management

Edit: Here is the issue page:
https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/11807

It seems an Issue exclusive to Debian Distros

[Colonel Mortimer]

+1 from me too
Running MX 23.5

[omerguzel98]

+1 from me debian 12 I tried remove all the files about steam and install it again but this doesn't solve the bug too.

[posi]

Originally posted by katzenschubser:

https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/11807

The proposed workaround from this issue does the trick for me and the client comes back with

LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 steam -no-cef-sandbox

[Vark]

Another deb 12 user with this issue. I tried the workaround, but the client window doesn't appear on the screen (though it does exist.) I can launch games from the taskbar icon though, so yay-ish.

[zzzzz28]

the workaround completely fixed it, thanks!

[pipo.p]

Mageia 9. Steam updated on launch today and subsequently ceased to work.
After uninstallation and erasing of /steam (but ./steamapps and ./userdata/config) and reinstallation, the workaround, launching steam in the console with:

LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 steam -no-cef-sandbox

doesn't work for me: I get the same message in console_linux.txt

...
[2025-03-11 21:06:34] [2025-03-11 21:06:34] Vérification de l'installation…
[2025-03-11 21:06:34] [----] Vérification de l'installation…
[2025-03-11 21:06:34] [2025-03-11 21:06:34] Verifying all executable checksums
[2025-03-11 21:06:35] [2025-03-11 21:06:35] Verification complete
[2025-03-11 21:06:35] UpdateUI: skip show logo
[2025-03-11 21:06:35] 
[2025-03-11 21:06:35] Steam logging initialized: directory: /home/tarzoun/.local/share/Steam/logs
[2025-03-11 21:06:35] 
[2025-03-11 21:06:35] XRRGetOutputInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf75aa370
[2025-03-11 21:06:35] XRRGetCrtcInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf75a8cc0
[2025-03-11 21:06:36] crash_20250311210635_5.dmp[3711]: Uploading dump (out-of-process)
[2025-03-11 21:06:36] /tmp/dumps/crash_20250311210635_5.dmp
[2025-03-11 21:06:36] crash_20250311210635_5.dmp[3711]: Finished uploading minidump (out-of-process): success = no
[2025-03-11 21:06:36] crash_20250311210635_5.dmp[3711]: error: Peer certificate cannot be authenticated with given CA certificates
[2025-03-11 21:06:36] crash_20250311210635_5.dmp[3711]: file ''/tmp/dumps/crash_20250311210635_5.dmp'', upload no: ''Peer certificate cannot be authenticated with given CA certificates''
[2025-03-11 21:06:37] /home/tarzoun/.local/share/Steam/steam.sh : ligne 946 :  3692 Erreur de segmentation  (core dumped)"$STEAMROOT/$STEAMEXEPATH" "$@"

[Robin'sRevenge]

Yesterday Steam stopped loading on our Debian 12 (Bookworm) computers.

I am please to report after Steam updated today, we are able to load Steam and play games again.

Hope this is true for others. If not please post back.

A big thank you to Valve people who managed to fix the issue so quickly.

[posi]

I can confirm the re-release from 11th fixed it for me as well - impressed by the speed!

[katzenschubser]

Everything was quickly fixed 👍

[Zeus_Cosmos]

Problem solved for me too. It is working normally now.