Steam Installation

Steam is the largest game distribution platform on PC and provides excellent native support for Linux. This article explains how to install and configure Steam on Ubuntu 26.04.

Installing Steam

Method 1: Via apt (Recommended)

# Enable 32-bit architecture support (required by Steam)
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
 
# Install Steam
sudo apt install steam -y

Method 2: Via Snap

sudo snap install steam

Method 3: Download the deb Package

Download the .deb installer from the Steam website (https://store.steampowered.com ):

wget https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/client/installer/steam.deb
sudo apt install ./steam.deb -y
rm steam.deb

First Launch

After installation, launch Steam from the application menu or run in the terminal:

steam

On first launch, Steam will:

1. Automatically download and update the client to the latest version
2. Prompt you to log in or create a Steam account
3. Download necessary runtime components

Login Troubleshooting

If you encounter login issues, try clearing the cache:

rm -rf ~/.steam/steam/config/htmlcache
rm -rf ~/.steam/steam/config/config.vdf

Enabling Steam Play (Proton)

Steam Play uses the Proton compatibility layer to run Windows games on Linux:

1. Open Steam > Settings
2. Go to Compatibility
3. Check Enable Steam Play for all other titles
4. Select a Proton version from the dropdown (the latest stable version is recommended)
5. Click OK and restart Steam

Game Library Management

Adding Extra Library Folders

If you have multiple hard drives or partitions, you can add additional install locations:

1. Open Steam > Settings > Storage
2. Click + to add a new library folder
3. Select the target directory

Creating a Library Directory via Command Line

# Create a Steam library directory on an additional drive
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/gamedisk/SteamLibrary
sudo chown $USER:$USER /mnt/gamedisk/SteamLibrary

Moving Installed Games

Right-click a game > Properties > Local Files > Move Install Folder, then select the target library location.

Checking Game Compatibility

Before installing a Windows game, you can check its Linux compatibility rating on ProtonDB (https://www.protondb.com ):

• Native: Natively supports Linux
• Platinum: Works perfectly out of the box
• Gold: Runs with minor tweaks
• Silver: Runs but has minor issues
• Bronze: Runs but has noticeable issues
• Borked: Does not run

Common Launch Options

Right-click a game > Properties > General > Launch Options:

# Force Vulkan rendering
PROTON_USE_WINED3D=0 %command%
 
# Enable GameScope (requires gamescope to be installed)
gamescope -w 1920 -h 1080 -f -- %command%
 
# Display performance info with MangoHud
mangohud %command%
 
# Set where Proton stores its compatibility data (prefix)
STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH=~/.proton STEAM_COMPAT_CLIENT_INSTALL_PATH=~/.steam/steam %command%
 
# Cap the frame rate at 60 FPS
DXVK_FRAME_RATE=60 %command%

Installing MangoHud Performance Overlay

sudo apt install mangohud -y

Add mangohud %command% to a game’s launch options to display FPS, CPU/GPU usage, and other info during gameplay.

Steam Common Issues

Steam Won’t Start

# Reset Steam
steam --reset
 
# Start in debug mode
STEAM_DEBUG=1 steam

Game Fails to Launch

# Verify game file integrity
# In Steam: Right-click game > Properties > Local Files > Verify integrity of game files
 
# Clear Proton compatibility data
rm -rf ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/<APPID>

Controller Not Recognized

# Ensure Steam has permission to access input devices
sudo usermod -aG input $USER

Steam File Locations

With Steam installed, you can enjoy thousands of native Linux games as well as Windows games through Proton compatibility.

Related Articles

• Proton / Wine — Learn more about configuring and tuning the Proton and Wine compatibility layers
• NVIDIA / AMD Drivers — Gaming GPU driver installation and performance optimization
• Game Controllers — Configuring Xbox, PS, and generic game controllers on Ubuntu