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Common Gaming Issues

Steam LogsΒΆ

If you encounter issues with a game launching on Steam:

  1. Open the game's properties and enter this launch option:
    PROTON_LOG=1 %command%

  2. Launch the game

A log file should appear in your Home directory named after the game's application ID number.

Native Linux Port Versus Windows VersionΒΆ

Some Linux ports may have missing functionality or worse performance than on the Windows version running through Proton. However, there are scenarios where using the native port exclusively is your only option, and may even be desirable.

Valve/Source Engine Games ProblemsΒΆ

Note: This only applies to specific games running on the Source engine.

Audio & Custom Content BugsΒΆ

Attention: Do not attempt to follow this workaround until you run into issues with audio or the specific scenario mentioned below regarding Left 4 Dead 2.

Missing voice lines or custom content not loading in Source games? SELinux is blocking MP3 decoding and other middleware because it executes heap memory.

This has also been confirmed to cause issues joining and hosting custom maps in Left 4 Dead 2.

Note: Configuring SELinux is intended for advanced users and if used irresponsibly can break other components in your system and weaken the security of your device.

At your own risk

Open a host terminal and enter these 4 commands:

sudo su
cd /tmp
ausearch -c 'hl2_linux' --raw | audit2allow -M my-hl2linux
semodule -X 300 -i my-hl2linux.pp

Reboot your device

If you want to undo this change eventually:ΒΆ

Disable or remove the module.

Disable it:ΒΆ
semodule -X 300 -d my-hl2linux
Remove and delete it:ΒΆ
semodule -X 300 -r my-hl2linux

The .pp file should be in /root if you want to remove that.

Source Games Not LaunchingΒΆ

If a 32-bit Source 1 engine game is not opening due to tmalloc libraries issues, then open a host terminal and enter:

Add the following as a launch option to the affected game in Steam:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libtcmalloc_and_profiler.so.4 %command%

Delete libtcmalloc_minimal.so.x in the game's bin folder if present.

If this fails to fix it, then try forcing Proton Experimental in the game's properties.


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