[SOLVED] Isolated Steam installation in no-multilib system

[g-virus]

Hello there!

This is 2023, almost nobody uses multilib environments in their Desktop builds, however we still have Steam client 32bit only for Linux. While Apple can say "we don't support 32bit apps anymore" and Steam answers "Yes, sir", the Linux community can't say that and we'd have to use multilib builds if we want to use Steam.

I don't use 32bit apps for a very long time as well as I've disabled 32bit binaries support in kernel. I'm mostly gaming on Windows, but sometimes I need Steam on Linux.

Is that possible to have a fully isolated Steam installation on a no-multilib system with 32bit binaries support enabled only? I'm thinking of either Docker or chroot-like directory where I could put libc and other 32bit dependencies. Flatpak is not my option, I think, because it pulls libfuse and other things that I don't use (I keep my system as minimal as possible, like most of us).

[Hu]

This is 2023, almost nobody uses multilib environments in their Desktop builds,

Do you have a citation for this? Multilib is still commonly supported and, as far as I know, fairly often chosen as a defensive measure, since switching to it later is hard, so people enable it speculatively. Its cost is fairly low if you only enable it for the core development packages.

however we still have Steam client 32bit only for Linux.

If only there were some way to rebuild Steam with native amd64 support...

I don't use 32bit apps for a very long time as well as I've disabled 32bit binaries support in kernel.

You will need to enable IA32_EMULATION if you want to run a 32-bit application on Linux. This applies whether you want multilib or an x86 chroot.

Is that possible to have a fully isolated Steam installation on a no-multilib system with 32bit binaries support enabled only?

I expect so. I maintain an x86 chroot in order to build for a legacy IA32-native system. Such a chroot can run graphical programs, including 32-bit Wine games.

[spica]

I'm thinking of either Docker

I run crossover as a docker container and I think this approach is also possible for steam.

[g-virus]

Do you have a citation for this? Multilib is still commonly supported and, as far as I know, fairly often chosen as a defensive measure, since switching to it later is hard, so people enable it speculatively. Its cost is fairly low if you only enable it for the core development packages.

Yeah, it still definitely widely used, but I actually don't understand why. I use my Gentoo setup on my desktop as a development environment, but I have all the software required to live and even extra, and everything is 64bit. Steam is the only thing that is not 64bit and, in my opinion, the only software that requires us to have our systems multilib.

If only there were some way to rebuild Steam with native amd64 support...

It's easy for them, they just don't care. They already did it for macOs, and everything works fine, I don't see any reason at all to not have both 32bit and 64bit support for Linux, because it isn't a problem to have less games on your 64bit only environment, if you have chosen it yourself.

I expect so. I maintain an x86 chroot in order to build for a legacy IA32-native system. Such a chroot can run graphical programs, including 32-bit Wine games.

Good! It's really good for me to have just a directory with Steam only environment, I'm going to enable IA32 in kernel and attempt to install Steam like this. Thank you for advices! I will get back with results

[g-virus]

Hi again!

I decided to try with chroot and I followed the Gentoo Wiki's guide to install Steam from overlay, however it can't reach X server, despite the xhost installed. What could I miss?

[pingtoo]

Hi again!

I decided to try with chroot and I followed the Gentoo Wiki's guide to install Steam from overlay, however it can't reach X server, despite the xhost installed. What could I miss?

Is the "xhost" installed inside chroot or outside? What xhost command you used to give permission for remote access?

How is you chroot setup? do you have /tmp bind mount to chroot's /tmp?

[Anon-E-moose]

Reasonable guide here -> https://www.funtoo.org/32_bit_chroot_en ... t_for_Wine

[g-virus]

Hi again!

I decided to try with chroot and I followed the Gentoo Wiki's guide to install Steam from overlay, however it can't reach X server, despite the xhost installed. What could I miss?

Is the "xhost" installed inside chroot or outside? What xhost command you used to give permission for remote access?

How is you chroot setup? do you have /tmp bind mount to chroot's /tmp?

xhost is installed outside of chroot. I added a user for steam with the same UID as my user, so I expected it to work automatically. After a failure I entered command

Code: Select all

xhost +

, but it didn't help. The temp directory is bound to chroot's one

[g-virus]

Reasonable guide here -> https://www.funtoo.org/32_bit_chroot_en ... t_for_Wine

Thanks a lot, buddy! Got it work now. It is only needed to set DISPLAY variable for steam user in my case

[pingtoo]

OK, Let's try this.

chroot into your setup.

Code: Select all

ls -lad /tmp/.X11-unix

/tmp/.X11-unix is a directory your stream user should have permission to go into this directory. Inside there should have socket file X0. and your stream user need to have read/write permission to the X0 file.

Now try export DISPLAY=:0.0

after the export, try command xterm, you should see a new xterm show up.

If not try "xhost +local:" than back to chroot and try xterm again. If this still not working we need to know what is the error messages for failed xterm.

[g-virus]

Now try export DISPLAY=:0.0

This is was the reason why I couldn't run, thank you. I marked the topic as solved, however I still have a problem

Code: Select all

glXChooseVisual failedsrc/steamUI/Main.cpp (425) : Assertion Failed: Error: glXChooseVisual failed

[pingtoo]

Code: Select all

glXChooseVisual failedsrc/steamUI/Main.cpp (425) : Assertion Failed: Error: glXChooseVisual failed

I am sorry, I am not able to help in this area. I know little about application program. Hopefully Someone else who have better experience in this area can help.

Suggest you open a new topic for this in case this one got ignored because it is marked solved.

[g-virus]

Thank you anyway! I think I know the problem, will post here if it will help