Related articles

*   [Steam/Troubleshooting](/index.php/Steam/Troubleshooting "Steam/Troubleshooting")
*   [Steam/Game-specific troubleshooting](/index.php/Steam/Game-specific_troubleshooting "Steam/Game-specific troubleshooting")
*   [Gaming](/index.php/Gaming "Gaming")
*   [Gamepad](/index.php/Gamepad "Gamepad")
*   [List of games](/index.php/List_of_games "List of games")

[Steam](http://store.steampowered.com/about/) is a popular game distribution platform by Valve.

Steam for Linux only supports Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and newer [[1]](https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1504-QHXN-8366). Valve does not offer any support when running into issues with Steam on Arch Linux.

## Contents

*   [1 Installation](#Installation)
    *   [1.1 SteamCMD](#SteamCMD)
    *   [1.2 Alternative Flatpak installation](#Alternative_Flatpak_installation)
*   [2 Directory structure](#Directory_structure)
    *   [2.1 Library folders](#Library_folders)
*   [3 Usage](#Usage)
*   [4 Launch options](#Launch_options)
    *   [4.1 Examples](#Examples)
*   [5 Tips and tricks](#Tips_and_tricks)
    *   [5.1 Big Picture Mode without a window manager](#Big_Picture_Mode_without_a_window_manager)
    *   [5.2 Steam skins](#Steam_skins)
        *   [5.2.1 Creating skins](#Creating_skins)
    *   [5.3 Changing the Steam notification position](#Changing_the_Steam_notification_position)
        *   [5.3.1 Use a skin](#Use_a_skin)
        *   [5.3.2 Live patching](#Live_patching)
    *   [5.4 In-home streaming](#In-home_streaming)
*   [6 Troubleshooting](#Troubleshooting)
*   [7 See also](#See_also)

## Installation

Enable the [Multilib](/index.php/Multilib "Multilib") repository and [install](/index.php/Install "Install") the [steam](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=steam) package.

The following requirements must be fulfilled in order to run Steam on Arch Linux:

*   Installed 32-bit version [OpenGL graphics driver](/index.php/Xorg#Driver_installation "Xorg").
*   Generated [en_US.UTF-8](/index.php/Locale#Generating_locales "Locale") locale, preventing invalid pointer error.
*   The GUI heavily uses the Arial font. See [Microsoft fonts](/index.php/Microsoft_fonts "Microsoft fonts"). An alternative is to use [ttf-liberation](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=ttf-liberation) or [fonts provided by Steam](/index.php/Steam/Troubleshooting#Text_is_corrupt_or_missing "Steam/Troubleshooting") instead.
*   [Install](/index.php/Install "Install") [wqy-zenhei](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=wqy-zenhei) to add support for Asian languages.

### SteamCMD

[Install](/index.php/Install "Install") [steamcmd](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/steamcmd/) for the command-line version of the [Steam](https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD).

**Note:** This package installs files under *root*, so you must run SteamCMD as *root*.

### Alternative Flatpak installation

Steam can also be installed with [Flatpak](/index.php/Flatpak "Flatpak") as `com.valvesoftware.Steam` from [Flathub](https://flathub.org/). The easiest way to install it for the current user is by using the Flathub repo and flatpak command:

```
 flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub [https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo](https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo)
 flatpak --user install flathub com.valvesoftware.Steam
 flatpak run com.valvesoftware.Steam

```

The Flatpak application currently does not support themes. Also you currently can't run games via `optirun`/`primusrun`, see [Issue#869](https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/issues/869) for more details.

The Flatpak application has some [known issues with Steam Auto-Cloud](https://www.ctrl.blog/entry/flatpak-steamcloud-xdg) so game progress may not be synced unless you create some symlinks by hand for affected games.

By default Steam won't be able to access your home directory, you can run the following command to allow it, so that it behaves like on Ubuntu or SteamOS:

```
flatpak override com.valvesoftware.Steam --filesystem=$HOME

```

## Directory structure

The default Steam install location is `~/.local/share/Steam`. If Steam cannot find it, it will prompt you to reinstall it or select the new location. This article uses the `~/.steam/root` symlink to refer to the install location.

### Library folders

Every Steam application has a unique AppID, which you can find out by looking at its [Steam Store](http://store.steampowered.com/) page path.

Steam installs games into a directory under `*LIBRARY*/steamapps/common/`. `*LIBRARY*` normally is `~/.steam/root` but you can also have multiple library folders (*Steam > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders*).

In order for Steam to recognize a game it needs to have an `appmanifest_*AppId*.acf` file in `*LIBRARY*/steamapps/`. The appmanifest file uses the [KeyValues](https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/KeyValues) format and its `installdir` property determines the game directory name.

## Usage

```
steam [ -options ] [ steam:// URL ]

```

For the available command-line options see the [Command Line Options article on the Valve Developer Wiki](https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Command_Line_Options#Steam_.28Windows.29).

Steam also accepts an optional Steam URL, see the [Steam browser procotol](https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Steam_browser_protocol).

## Launch options

When you launch a Steam game, Steam executes its **launch command** in a [Bash](/index.php/Bash "Bash") shell. To let you alter the launch command Steam provides **launch options**, which can be set for a game by right-clicking on it in your library, selecting Properties and clicking on *Set Launch Options*.

By default Steam simply appends your option string to the launch command. To set environment variables or pass the launch command as an argument to another command you can use the `%command%` substitute.

### Examples

*   only arguments: `-foo`
*   environment variables: `FOO=bar BAZ=bar %command% -baz`
*   completely different command: `othercommand # %command%`

## Tips and tricks

### Big Picture Mode without a window manager

To start Steam in Big Picture Mode from a [Display manager](/index.php/Display_manager "Display manager"), create a `/usr/share/xsessions/steam-big-picture.desktop` file with the following contents:

 `/usr/share/xsessions/steam-big-picture.desktop` 
```
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Steam Big Picture Mode
Comment=Start Steam in Big Picture Mode
Exec=/usr/bin/steam -bigpicture
TryExec=/usr/bin/steam
Icon=
Type=Application
```

### Steam skins

The Steam interface can be customized using skins. Skins can overwrite interface-specific files in `~/.steam/root`.

To install a skin:

1.  Place its directory in `~/.steam/root/skins`.
2.  Open *Steam > Settings > Interface* and select it.
3.  Restart Steam.

An extensive list of skins can be found in [this Steam forums post](http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1161035).

**Note:** Using an outdated skin may cause visual errors.

#### Creating skins

Nearly all Steam styles are defined in `~/.steam/root/resource/styles/steam.styles` (the file is over 3,500 lines long). For a skin to be recognized it needs its own `resource/styles/steam.styles`. When a Steam update changes the official `steam.styles` your skin may become outdated, potentially resulting in visual errors.

See `~/.steam/root/skins/skins_readme.txt` for a primer on how to create skins.

### Changing the Steam notification position

The default Steam notification position is bottom right.

You can change the Steam notification position by altering `Notifications.PanelPosition` in

*   `resource/styles/steam.styles` for desktop notifications, and
*   `resource/styles/gameoverlay.styles` for in-game notifications

Both files are overwritten by Steam on startup and `steam.styles` is only read on startup.

**Note:** Some games do not respect the setting in `gameoverlay.styles` e.g. XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

#### Use a skin

You can create a skin to change the notification position to your liking. For example to change the position to top right:

```
$ cd ~/.steam/root/skins
$ mkdir -p Top-Right/resource
$ cp -r ~/.steam/root/resource/styles Top-Right/resource
$ sed -i '/Notifications.PanelPosition/ s/"[A-Za-z]*"/"TopRight"/' Top-Right/resource/styles/*

```

#### Live patching

`gameoverlay.styles` can be overwritten while Steam is running, allowing you to have game-specific notification positions.

 `~/.steam/notifpos.sh` 
```
sed -i "/Notifications.PanelPosition/ s/\"[A-Za-z]*\"/\"$1\"/" ~/.steam/root/resource/styles/gameoverlay.styles

```

And the [#Launch options](#Launch_options) should be something like:

```
~/.steam/notifpos.sh TopLeft && %command%

```

### In-home streaming

Steam has built-in support for [in-home streaming](http://store.steampowered.com/streaming/).

See [this Steam Community guide](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=680514371) on how to setup a headless in-home streaming server on Linux.

## Troubleshooting

See [Steam/Troubleshooting](/index.php/Steam/Troubleshooting "Steam/Troubleshooting").

## See also

*   [Gentoo Wiki article](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Steam)
*   [The Big List of DRM-Free Games on Steam](https://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/The_Big_List_of_DRM-Free_Games_on_Steam) at PCGamingWiki
*   [List of DRM-free games](http://steam.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_DRM-free_games) at Wikia
*   [Steam Linux store](http://store.steampowered.com/browse/linux)