To ensure games run well on Linux either via Native Linux builds or Windows games with Proton, part of the magic is in the Steam Linux Runtime. A new version of it, the Steam Linux Runtime 4.0 was recently put up with some pretty big changes.
What’s the point of it? It ensures Steam and games run through Steam on Linux work properly across all the many different Linux distributions. Another secret Valve sauce for Linux. Well, not secret at all but you get my meaning I’m sure.
The runtime is for launching games, not Steam itself. You can check the runtime selection in Compatibility tab of Steam and of each game. If your Steam Flatpak install doesn’t work, the issue is likely somewhere else.
I’d suggest trying to launch the flatpak from the terminal and seeing if there’s any strange logging.
Already did that but I couldn’t see anything that I could recognize as abnormal. The “Connecting” window shows up, actually. But it just stops loading for a second and then it just says “Reaping pid” in the console and it closes the process.
Hold up, are you talking about the compatibility layer, “Proton”? I’m not sure that’s what we’re talking about here. Proton is up to version 9 and 10, not 4.0.
You can select Steam Runtime Versions in the Compatibility tab too, separate from Proton versions
Oh okay, I guess that’s in the main Steam settings, not per game as the other person suggested.
No, it is a per game setting. When your game is a native Linux game it will use one of the Steam runtimes. If you had a Linux native game and selected Proton instead of a Steam Linux runtime Steam would download the Windows version of the game.
With Linux native games you usually don’t have to touch this setting.
Right but you can’t change the native runtime per game. You can only change the compatibility layer (Proton) globally and per game. The runtime is static obviously, and either used or not used. I’m guessing Proton bypasses the native runtime by having the game interacting with it? Or maybe it is a translation layer? Both? Anyway, doesn’t matter. 🙂 What wasn’t the problem.
But I’d still be interested in how to check which version I have, just to know.
Edit: hold on, does the runtime show up in the same list as Proton versions? That would explain what you all are talking about. And only for native Linux games. That’s why I haven’t seen it before I guess.
The runtime is a container with libraries. Proton always runs inside the container by design. The runtime ensures the software environment is predictable, Proton ensures Windows binaries can run (by handling Windows API calls)
You can select it per game as well,
steam runtime 3.0and now presumablysteam runtime 4.0should show up in the same drop down menu next toproton 1.0,proton 10.0in the compatibility optionsAnd also, should be noted, only for games with a Linux native version