Gracefully handle incorrect permissions on steam-runtime files #787
Description
Your system information
- Steam client version: steam_client_ubuntu12 version 1763795278
- Distribution: Debian via steam-installer
- Opted into Steam client beta?: No
- Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
- Steam Logs: see below
- GPU: AMD but this is irrelevant
Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:
Issue originally filed at https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1121667
I mistakenly ran sudo chmod g+s on my steam installation, which mistakenly gave the +s bit to files (unintended) as well as directories (the original intention). This causes steam to fail with an unrelated and misleading error message:
$ steam
/opt/steam/steam.sh: line 188: VERSION_ID: unbound variable
steam.sh[1407768]: Running Steam on debian 64-bit
steam.sh[1407768]: STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
setup.sh[1407808]: Steam runtime environment up-to-date!
(process:1407845): steam-runtime-tools-CRITICAL **: 23:43:23.784: _srt_constructor: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
(process:1407847): steam-runtime-tools-CRITICAL **: 23:43:23.865: _srt_constructor: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
(process:1407848): steam-runtime-tools-CRITICAL **: 23:43:23.867: _srt_constructor: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
srt-logger[1407848]: Internal error: _srt_find_myself: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
(srt-logger:1407848): GLib-CRITICAL **: 23:43:23.867: g_propagate_error: assertion 'src != NULL' failed
srt-logger[1407848]: E: Assertion failure
steam.sh[1407768]: Couldn't set up srt-logger, not logging to console-linux.txt
(process:1407881): steam-runtime-tools-CRITICAL **: 23:43:23.887: _srt_constructor: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
steam-runtime-check-requirements[1407881]: Internal error: _srt_find_myself: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
steam.sh[1407768]: steam-runtime-check-requirements failed with an unexpected nonzero exit status. Trying to continue
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
WARNING: setlocale('en_US.UTF-8') failed, using locale: 'C'. International characters may not work.
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Startup - updater built Nov 22 2025 07:00:25
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Startup - Steam Client launched with: '/opt/steam/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-nominidumps' '-nobreakpad'
12/03 23:43:23 /tmp/dumps: is not owned by us - delete and recreate.
12/03 23:43:23 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
12/03 23:43:23 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1763795278)/tid(1407888)
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
WARNING: setlocale('en_US.UTF-8') failed, using locale: 'C'. International characters may not work.
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Process started with command-line: '/opt/steam/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-child-update-ui' '-child-update-ui-socket' '8' '-nominidumps' '-nobreakpad'
12/03 23:43:23 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Using update UI: console
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Loading cached metrics from disk (/opt/steam/package/steam_client_metrics.bin)
12/03 23:43:23 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(0)/tid(1407892)
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Create window
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Using the following download hosts for Public, Realm steamglobal
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] 1. https://client-update.akamai.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 400, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] 2. https://client-update.fastly.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 900, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] 3. https://client-update.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 1, source = 'baked in'
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Verifying installation...
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Verifying file sizes only
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Set percent complete: 0
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Set percent complete: -1
[2025-12-03 23:43:23] Set status message: Verifying installation...
[----] Verifying installation...
[2025-12-03 23:43:24] Verification complete
UpdateUI: skip show logo
dlmopen /opt/steam/ubuntu12_32/steamui.so failed: libXtst.so.6: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
dlmopen steamui.so failed: steamui.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
Failed to load steamui.so - dlerror(): (null)
[2025-12-03 23:43:24] Shutdown
[2025-12-03 23:43:24] Destroy window
[2025-12-03 23:43:24] Fatal error: Failed to load steamui.so
[----] !!! Fatal Error: Failed to load steamui.so
[2025-12-03 23:43:24] ProcessNextMessage: socket disconnected
[2025-12-03 23:43:24] No more messages are expected - exiting
Part of this is that steam-runtime-check-requirements segfaults, but the overall steam launch script is also to blame as it cannot interpret this segfault properly and continues on with the rest of the launch process.
$ ./ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/amd64/usr/bin/steam-runtime-check-requirements
(process:1624798): steam-runtime-tools-CRITICAL **: 23:57:54.387: _srt_constructor: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
steam-runtime-check-requirements[1624798]: Internal error: _srt_find_myself: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
Segmentation fault (core dumped) ./ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/amd64/usr/bin/steam-runtime-check-requirements
exit code 139
$ ./ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/bin/steam-runtime-check-requirements
(process:1624878): steam-runtime-tools-CRITICAL **: 23:59:05.329: _srt_constructor: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
steam-runtime-check-requirements[1624878]: Internal error: _srt_find_myself: assertion '_srt_check_not_setuid ()' failed
Segmentation fault (core dumped) ./ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/bin/steam-runtime-check-requirements
exit code 139
Steps for reproducing this issue:
sudo chmod g+s /path/to/steamsteam- Watch it fail with an unrelated and misleading error message like "libXtst.so.6: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory"