Linux - Unable to add library (SOLVED)

[LinuxPony]

Regardless of where the library folder is or what the drive and folder permission are, steam still throws out the fallowing error when I try to re-add a previously present library:

"New Steam library folder must be on a filesystem mounted with execute permissions"

I initially thought it was my mount parameters that where the problem, so I moved the library to my home folder on the system drive to test if it worked there, but the problem still persists. I'm at my wit's end at this point and I don't know what the problem is. I’ve tried it with the latest beta and normal build with the same outcome.

Any insight is highly appreciated. I'll take all the help I can get.

EDIT!:

Just after I posted this, I was able to create a new library on another hard drive but I still can't add an existing one. Guess I have to re-download all my games then...

[Evan Black]

I had an issue like this when I tried creating a library on another drive. The key word here is "mounted" with execute permissions. My fstab didn't have execute for that drive.
If you don't have fstab setup for the drive run

sudo blkid

This will list drives with UUID. Find the drive you want to mount with execute and copy the UUID.
Unmount the drive.
Then you can setup fstab. (note you can use whatever editor you want, i use pluma, but nano is on almost everything)

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Now setup a line like this, adding in the UUID without quotes and mount location like /mnt/games or /media/games. Change the ext4 if needed to the filesystem you use.

UUID=5ba68229-2780-4edb-9929-88daec712278 /media/games ext4 users,defaults,exec,auto 0 1

Remount the drive or reboot.

Now your drive will mount automatically on boot with exec permissions and accessable by steam.

If there is still an issue make sure you own the drive.

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /media/games

This sets ownership to current users/group.
Hope this helps.

[LinuxPony]

Thanks for the reply! I already have all of my drives mounted with full permissions and the 'exec' flag in fstab. The mount directory (/media/local/games/) and all subdirectories and files are also owned by me already.

I would try exactly what you said, just to be safe as i may have missed something, but i already deleted my steam library and started fresh, which also seamed to fix the issue as it allowed me to make a new library.

Thanks for the help Evan :)

Case Closed

[[Default]]

Just in case anyone else has this problem and it isn't resolved using the above method, it's likely because you have something in the folder you want to add. Steam client doesn't like that.

Rename your "Steam" folder to something else, like "das underpantsen"
Make a new "Steam" folder
Add that to your library
Exit Steam client
Delete your empty "Steam" folder and rename "das underpantsen" back to "Steam"
Log back onto the Steam client

[LinuxPony]

Originally posted by Default:

Just in case anyone else has this problem and it isn't resolved using the above method, it's likely because you have something in the folder you want to add. Steam client doesn't like that.

Rename your "Steam" folder to something else, like "das underpantsen"
Make a new "Steam" folder
Add that to your library
Exit Steam client
Delete your empty "Steam" folder and rename "das underpantsen" back to "Steam"
Log back onto the Steam client

Clever. If this ever happens again, I'll be sure to try that.

[blissco]

Originally posted by sonicer105:

Regardless of where the library folder is or what the drive and folder permission are, steam still throws out the fallowing error when I try to re-add a previously present library:

"New Steam library folder must be on a filesystem mounted with execute permissions"

I initially thought it was my mount parameters that where the problem, so I moved the library to my home folder on the system drive to test if it worked there, but the problem still persists. I'm at my wit's end at this point and I don't know what the problem is. I’ve tried it with the latest beta and normal build with the same outcome.

Any insight is highly appreciated. I'll take all the help I can get.

EDIT!:

Just after I posted this, I was able to create a new library on another hard drive but I still can't add an existing one. Guess I have to re-download all my games then...

There is one solution missed here, that I ended up inferring through reading a ton of other posts -

IF you're running on Linux
AND you installed Steam via Flatpak
THEN you will not be able to create another Library folder, because Flatpak quarantines all its installs in such a way as to deny access to the rest of your drive.

SOLUTION: Uninstall Steam, and install Steam via some method other than Flatpak (via direct install or if you are on Debian / Ubuntu, use apt)