Steam can't run on APFS (Case-sensitive, Encrypted) 10.13.3

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rdol Mar 22, 2018 @ 3:12am

Steam can't run on APFS (Case-sensitive, Encrypted) 10.13.3

Hello,
Since I have downloaded Steam I hasn't any problem,
but today I updated both my MacOS and my Steam and surprisingly, my Steam can't run and says:

Steam requires that '/Users/user1/Libary/Application Support/Steam/Steam.AppBundle/Steam/Contents/MacOS' be on a case-insensitive filesystem.

Thanks in advance

Last edited by rdol; Mar 22, 2018 @ 3:21am

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Showing 1-11 of 11 comments

[wan-clan.org] Gordy Freeman Mar 22, 2018 @ 7:08am

This has been the “case” for ages.

rdol Mar 22, 2018 @ 8:39am

Is there something can be done?
It started only today when I updated my Steam and Mac.

F4HLM4N Mar 22, 2018 @ 2:47pm

https://github.com/cr/MacCaseSensitiveConversion

That is the only soultion I could find. Make sure you have a good backup, beside Time Machine. I would suggest SuperDuper or CarbonCopyCloner to make a bootable backup and make sure you test booting from it before your erase your drive.

Last edited by F4HLM4N; Mar 22, 2018 @ 2:49pm

Ennhuite Mar 23, 2018 @ 4:48am

Yeah, last night's update "improved detection for case-sensitive file systems on Mac" - and it broke my Steam as well.

Because Apple has given NO warning over the past two years that this is happening, and they haven't had case-sensitive file systems of some sort or another for years, either, Steam must be just completely caught off-guard by this predicament.

Reformatting my system to case-insensitive file system is the ONLY valid option - because Steam fixing their app is too large an ask.

This is incredibly short-sighted/blind of Steam to just release an update that broke so many people's use and denies them access to their library.

Last edited by Ennhuite; Mar 23, 2018 @ 4:49am

zeroluck May 3, 2018 @ 4:52pm

A working solution is to go to add an additional APFS volume to your boot drive. Since APFS is a container system, it doesn't have rigid 'partition-walls' in terms of their size, you can add another volume and it will grow and shrink with usage, so it's no different functionally for space than a directory or folder on your / root volume. Add a second APFS volume that is case insensitive and move your steam app and install directories there and it should work. You may also need to move and place a symbolic link to the appbundle directory in the user profile to make it work. But this way you don't need a second storage device and you don't need to reformat the Mac.

BUT. THIS IS SUPER DUMB AND VALVE SHOULD FIX IT. THIS OS HAS BEEN OUT FOR A WHILE NOW AND CASE-SENSITIVE APFS IS THE DEFAULT VOLUME TYPE FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS AND MACS. /rant

Last edited by zeroluck; May 3, 2018 @ 4:56pm

zahnfee Aug 9, 2018 @ 2:42am

Originally posted by zeroluck:
A working solution is to go to add an additional APFS volume to your boot drive. Since APFS is a container system, it doesn't have rigid 'partition-walls' in terms of their size, you can add another volume and it will grow and shrink with usage, so it's no different functionally for space than a directory or folder on your / root volume. Add a second APFS volume that is case insensitive and move your steam app and install directories there and it should work. You may also need to move and place a symbolic link to the appbundle directory in the user profile to make it work. But this way you don't need a second storage device and you don't need to reformat the Mac.

BUT. THIS IS SUPER DUMB AND VALVE SHOULD FIX IT. THIS OS HAS BEEN OUT FOR A WHILE NOW AND CASE-SENSITIVE APFS IS THE DEFAULT VOLUME TYPE FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS AND MACS. /rant

this.
+1

jmtanzillo Aug 9, 2018 @ 6:34am

If you think we have issus now, just wait until 10.14 is released. That is why I have stayed with 10.12.6.

aiusepsi Aug 12, 2018 @ 5:07pm

Originally posted by zeroluck:
THIS OS HAS BEEN OUT FOR A WHILE NOW AND CASE-SENSITIVE APFS IS THE DEFAULT VOLUME TYPE FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS AND MACS. /rant

[citation needed]

I haven't heard anything (nor can I find any documentation) on the default changing to case-sensitive APFS. I can, however, easily find documentation which suggests case insensitive is the default, e.g. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/disk-utility/file-system-formats-available-in-disk-utility-dsku19ed921c/mac

Originally posted by jmtanzillo:
If you think we have issus now, just wait until 10.14 is released. That is why I have stayed with 10.12.6.

I'm running the Mojave beta because I'm a lunatic developer (just adopted signposts[developer.apple.com] in my app and it's pretty great) and Steam works just fine on it.

Bachsau Jan 1, 2019 @ 12:32am

I still hope that Valve will fix this someday. We even have Steam for Linux, which is always case-sensitive, so I don't see why it is a propblem on macOS. Case insensitive file-systems are crap and it just requires a little care by developers to keep their apps compatible with case-sensitive ones. No additional programming needed.