Unable to connect to remote computer (even though ssh and vnc work fine)

[CarrKnight]

I cannot connect in spite of ssh and vnc working fine (that is, definitely not a network problem)

Whenever I try to start a game with the stream button, the screen on the client will turn black, there is a wheel turning for a few seconds and then I am told I am unable to connect to remote computer.
The game however has actually started on the host, in spite of the streaming not having taken place.

The error on console looks something like this:

Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(streaming_client)/version(20191011231215)
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(streaming_client)/version(1.0)
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(streaming_client)/version(1.0)
Initializing player
Web request https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/394360/header.jpg failed, CURL error code 1
Web request https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/289070/header.jpg failed, CURL error code 1
Refresh rate: 60.00
Effective rate: 59.75
Video size: 1920x1080, output size: 1920x1080, overlay size: 1920x1080
Video rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Texture rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Couldn't open /home/username/.local/share/Valve Corporation/SteamLink/app_image_394360.jpg for reading
Couldn't open /home/username/.local/share/Valve Corporation/SteamLink/app_image_289070.jpg for reading
Initialized player
Initializing SteamDatagram client
[SteamNetworkingSockets] Initialized low level socket/threading support.
[SteamNetworkingSockets] Local identity established from certificate.  We are 'steamid:76561198012273216'
[SteamNetworkingSockets] RelayNetWorkStatus:  avail=Attempting  config=Attempting  anyrelay=Not Attempted   (Attempt #1 to fetch config from https://api.steampowered.com/ISteamApps/GetSDRConfig/v1?appid=353380&partner=valve)
[SteamNetworkingSockets] Deduced universe 1 from certificate
[SteamNetworkingSockets] AuthStatus (steamid:76561198012273216):  Attempting  (Attempt #1 to fetch config from https://api.steampowered.com/ISteamApps/GetSDRConfig/v1?appid=353380&partner=valve)
../steamnetworkingsockets/clientlib/steamnetworkingsockets_lowlevel.cpp (197) : Assertion Failed: s_nLocked > 0
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(streaming_client)/version(1.0)
crash_20191012161537_5.dmp[17856]: Uploading dump (out-of-process)
/tmp/dumps/crash_20191012161537_5.dmp
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(streaming_client)/version(1.0)
crash_20191012161537_5.dmp[17856]: Finished uploading minidump (out-of-process): success = yes
crash_20191012161537_5.dmp[17856]: response: CrashID=bp-431d0fa2-9934-4e1e-b738-618322191012
crash_20191012161537_5.dmp[17856]: file ''/tmp/dumps/crash_20191012161537_5.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-431d0fa2-9934-4e1e-b738-618322191012''
../steamnetworkingsockets/clientlib/steamnetworkingsockets_lowlevel.cpp (197) : Assertion Failed: s_nLocked > 0
[SteamNetworkingSockets] Pending ping measurement until network config is obtained.
[SteamNetworkingSockets] RelayNetWorkStatus:  avail=Attempting  config=Attempting  anyrelay=Waiting   (Attempt #1 to fetch config from https://api.steampowered.com/ISteamApps/GetSDRConfig/v1?appid=353380&partner=valve)
Session state Idle -> Connecting
Video size: 1920x1080, output size: 1920x1080, overlay size: 1920x1080
Video rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Texture rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Web request https://api.steampowered.com/ISteamApps/GetSDRConfig/v1?appid=353380&partner=valve failed, CURL error code 1
Web request https://api.steampowered.com/IRemoteClientService/CreateSession/v1 failed, CURL error code 1
[SteamNetworkingSockets] SDR network config fetch first attempt failed.  HTTP 500.  .  Trying again.
Couldn't connect to Remote Client service
Web request https://api.steampowered.com/ISteamApps/GetSDRConfig/v1?appid=353380&partner=valve failed, CURL error code 1
[SteamNetworkingSockets] SDR network config fetch attempt #2 failed.  HTTP 500.  .  Giving up.  SDR functionality will not be available!
[SteamNetworkingSockets] RelayNetWorkStatus:  avail=Failed  config=Failed  anyrelay=Dependency unavailable   (HTTP 500.  )
[SteamNetworkingSockets] AuthStatus (steamid:76561198012273216):  Failed  (HTTP 500.  )
Video size: 1920x1080, output size: 1920x1080, overlay size: 1920x1080
Video rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Texture rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Video size: 1920x1080, output size: 1920x1016, overlay size: 1920x1016
Video rect: 1806x1016 at 57,0
Texture rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Video size: 1920x1080, output size: 1920x1080, overlay size: 1920x1080
Video rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Texture rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Video size: 1920x1080, output size: 1440x752, overlay size: 1440x752
Video rect: 1337x752 at 52,0
Texture rect: 1920x1080 at 0,0
Web request https://api.steampowered.com/IRemoteClientService/CreateSession/v1 failed, CURL error code 1
Couldn't connect to Remote Client service
Session state Connecting -> Idle
Last CStreamTransportSteamNetworkingSocketsBase destroyed, turning off manual poll mode
[SteamNetworkingSockets] Service thread is not running, and manual poll mode was turned off, starting service thread.
[SteamNetworkingSockets] Shutting down low level socket/threading support.

I tried searching for this line in particular:

Web request https://api.steampowered.com/IRemoteClientService/CreateSession/v1 failed, CURL error code 1
But found nothing, hence this post.

Clients & drivers all updated. Both host and client are on linux, the games are all linux natives

[slouken]

Do you have any proxy configuration on your client network and don't have the https_proxy environment variable set? It looks like the client can't make HTTPS requests to the Steam servers.

[ThaChillera]

I have the exact same issue & error, no proxy or any other weird networking. I am, however, on Arch linux. But streaming myself works okay (no sound but that's not relevant here), just joining someone else fails

[oem]

+1 on arch linux, same error (host but not join) on both steam-native and steam-runtime

same issue: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/6605

[CarrKnight]

getting out of the beta fixed it for me few days ago. But switching back to the beta today also seems to be working.

[Gunmask]

Same here. I'm using manjaro too (Arch Linux). My home computer is also running steam on manjaro but connectring through steamlink android app works fine.

This has to be client related.

[Gunmask]

I noticed other curl ERROR CODE 1 messages, indicating that the steam client tried to retrieve some icons or portraits from the game, but returned the same error:

Web request https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/463270/header.jpg failed, CURL error code 1

I tried copy-pasting this one on my regular browser (brave/chromium) and it retrieved the image without a problem. Maybe there is a problem with the steam client implementation itself and not with the curl libs.

P.S: I also tried using the curl command itself from the command-line interface and it downloaded the picture as well. Further indicating that this is indeed a problem with the steam client itself.

[Gunmask]

I've tried sending a curl POST request from the command lines with no arguments to the "createSession" api url. I got the following response:

curl -X POST https://api.steampowered.com/IRemoteClientService/CreateSession/v1
<HTML><HEAD>
<TITLE>Bad Request</TITLE>
</HEAD><BODY>
<H1>Bad Request</H1>
Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.<P>
Reference&#32;&#35;7&#46;57081002&#46;1572182157&#46;32582cd5
</BODY>
</HTML>

the reference reads like this if you open it as an html file on the browser:

Reference #7.57081002.1572182157.32582cd5

P. S: Maybe steam uses its own local version of libcurl instead of the global libraries installed in my linux machine?

[Gunmask]

I have carried more tests, and i have verified that the curl errors are not the cause of the problem.

THE REMOTE PLAY WORKS FINE ON THE LOCAL NETWORK.

What i have noticed after testing is that, while the remote play client does try to connect to the right ip address in a physical local network:

Initialized player
Server available at address: 192.168.100.48:27031
Connecting to server at 192.168.100.48:27031 using direct UDP
...

It tries to connect to the 0.0.0.0 ip address, at port 0, which is not a valid address, whenever you try to connect from an external network. Note that this is not a firewall issue, as the steamlink android app still work anyways in the same conditions, and the error still reproduces when using a VPN

Initialized player
Connecting to server at 0.0.0.0:0 using UDP relay
Session state Idle -> Connecting
...
Couldn't connect to Remote Client service
...

[Gunmask]

Ok, i think i finally have it. (sorry for all the spam)

The steam client can launch a remote play session in two different modes: LAN and online.

On LAN mode, it connects directly to the home device using its local ip address.

On online mode, steam gets your public ip from the two computers you have logged in from, and then connects to the steam servers to establish an internet connection between the two. In doing so, the connection to the steam servers fail for whatever reason, and the remote session crashes.

The problem is that steam, for some reason, prioritizes the online mode over LAN when connected through VPN/hamachi, rendering them useless. Otherwise we could use that to bypass online mode and establish a direct connection between both devices.

Is there a way we can "force" remote play into LAN mode? Or at least prioritize the vpn connection?

[oem]

Seems to work now with the latest update.