Steam client does not launch on Fedora 43

Ask Fedora
1

Hello, is there a problem with Steam client on Fedora 43? I installed the rpm package and cannot start the application at all. The application appears and disappears in the dock intermittently.

3

Try launching it from a terminal.

4

It is working for me.
As @theprogram said try running in a terminal and tell us what errors you see.

5

After launching in the terminal:

tomasz@fedora:~$ steam
steam.sh[17373]: Running Steam on fedora 43 64-bit
steam.sh[17373]: STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
setup.sh[17427]: Steam runtime environment up-to-date!
steam.sh[17373]: Log already open
steam.sh[17373]: Steam client's requirements are satisfied
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Startup - updater built Oct  3 2025 02:26:15
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Startup - Steam Client launched with: '/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-srt-logger-opened'
11/13 18:11:05 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/13 18:11:05 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1759461205)/tid(17476)
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Process started with command-line: '/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-child-update-ui' '-child-update-ui-socket' '8' '-srt-logger-opened'
11/13 18:11:05 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Using update UI: console
11/13 18:11:05 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(0)/tid(17477)
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Create window
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Loading cached metrics from disk (/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/package/steam_client_metrics.bin)
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Using the following download hosts for Public, Realm steamglobal
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] 1. https://client-update.akamai.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 400, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] 2. https://client-update.fastly.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 900, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] 3. https://client-update.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 1, source = 'baked in'
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Verifying installation...
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Verifying file sizes only
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Set percent complete: 0
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Set percent complete: -1
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Set status message: Verifying installation...
[----] Verifying installation...
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Verification complete
UpdateUI: skip show logo
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] Destroy window

Steam logging initialized: directory: /home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/logs

[2025-11-13 18:11:05] ProcessNextMessage: socket disconnected
[2025-11-13 18:11:05] No more messages are expected - exiting
/usr/share/themes/Adwaita/gtk-2.0/main.rc:733: error: unexpected identifier 'direction', expected character '}'
/usr/share/themes/Adwaita/gtk-2.0/hacks.rc:28: error: invalid string constant "normal_entry", expected valid string constant
XRRGetOutputInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf5f7f090
XRRGetCrtcInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf5f7d800
11/13 18:11:05 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/13 18:11:05 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steamsysinfo)/version(1759461205)/tid(17495)
Running query: 1 - GpuTopology
WARNING: radv is not a conformant Vulkan implementation, testing use only.
Response: gpu_topology {
  gpus {
    id: 1
    name: "AMD Radeon Graphics (RADV GFX1200)"
    vram_size_bytes: 17095983104
    driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaRadv
    driver_version_major: 25
    driver_version_minor: 2
    driver_version_patch: 6
    luid: 0
  }
  gpus {
    id: 2
    name: "AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 8-Core Processor (RADV RAPHAEL_MENDOCINO)"
    vram_size_bytes: 11237056512
    driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaRadv
    driver_version_major: 25
    driver_version_minor: 2
    driver_version_patch: 6
    luid: 0
  }
  gpus {
    id: 3
    name: "llvmpipe (LLVM 21.1.4, 256 bits)"
    vram_size_bytes: 3221225472
    driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaLLVMPipe
    driver_version_major: 25
    driver_version_minor: 2
    driver_version_patch: 6
    luid: 0
  }
  default_gpu_id: 1
}

Exit code: 0
Saving response to: /tmp/steamHLLpJI - 196 bytes
steamwebhelper.sh[17512]: Starting steamwebhelper under bootstrap steamrt steam runtime via: /home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/steamrt64/steam-runtime-steamrt/_v2-entry-point
steamwebhelper.sh[17512]: Starting steamwebhelper with steamrt steam runtime at /home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/steamrt64/steam-runtime-steamrt/_v2-entry-point
exec ./steamwebhelper -nocrashdialog -lang=en_US -cachedir=/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/config/htmlcache -steampid=17476 -buildid=1759461205 -steamid=0 -logdir=/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/logs -uimode=7 -startcount=0 -steamuniverse=Public -realm=Global -clientui=/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/clientui -steampath=/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam -launcher=0 --valve-initial-threadpool-size=4 --valve-enable-site-isolation --enable-smooth-scrolling --password-store=basic --log-file=/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/logs/cef_log.txt --disable-quick-menu --disable-component-update --enable-features=PlatformHEVCDecoderSupport --disable-features=SpareRendererForSitePerProcess,DcheckIsFatal,BlockPromptsIfIgnoredOften,ValveFFmpegAllowLowDelayHEVC
Steam Runtime Launch Service: starting steam-runtime-launcher-service
Steam Runtime Launch Service: steam-runtime-launcher-service is running pid 17882
bus_name=com.steampowered.PressureVessel.LaunchAlongsideSteam
WARNING: radv is not a conformant Vulkan implementation, testing use only.
WARNING: radv is not a conformant Vulkan implementation, testing use only.
Desktop state changed: desktop: { pos:    0,   0 size: 4096,2304 } primary: { pos:    0,   0 size: 4096,2304 }
Caching cursor image for , size 48x48, serial 348, cache size = 0
WARNING: Glycin running without sandbox.
sh: linia 1: lsb_release: nie znaleziono polecenia
fsync: up and running.
WARNING: radv is not a conformant Vulkan implementation, testing use only.
WARNING: radv is not a conformant Vulkan implementation, testing use only.
Fossilize INFO: Overriding serialization path: "/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/shader_cache_temp_dir_d3d11_64/fozpipelinesv6/steamapprun_pipeline_cache".
fsync: up and running.
WARNING: radv is not a conformant Vulkan implementation, testing use only.
WARNING: radv is not a conformant Vulkan implementation, testing use only.
WARNING: radv is not a conformant Vulkan implementation, testing use only.
Fossilize INFO: Overriding serialization path: "/home/tomasz/.local/share/Steam/shader_cache_temp_dir_d3d12_64/fozpipelinesv6/steamapprun_pipeline_cache".
WARNING: radv is not a conformant Vulkan implementation, testing use only.
reaping pid: 17477 -- steam
[2025-11-13 18:11:50] Shutdown
tomasz@fedora:~$
6

I think I fixed the Steam erratic launch behavior by disabling the iGPU in the motherboard BIOS.
My hardware: Ryzen 9700X, MSI MAG B850M Mortar WiFi, Radeon 9060 XT

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