First, apologies if this is in the wrong place.
This is a tale as old as time, a working computer running Pop_OS that was running a game badly was given a bright shiny new graphics card (Intel Arc B580) and the badly running game - Space Engineers - then decided it was no longer going to run. Or Steam decided, or the interaction of any one of a dozen variables…
So, a brief system overview:
- AMD 5600G,
- MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC,
- Intel Arc B580,
- 2x16 GB Corsair DDR4 RAM
- Corsair RM1000e PSU
Clicking the launcher for Space Engineers launches Steam, which then appears to try to - in turn - launch the game.
In Steam the game library screen - after a few moments - shows the option to ‘stop’ the game, which implies that it’s running but no game window is visible on any workspace, monitor, or screen on the system. Alt + tab shows no window with the game running.
Clicking ‘stop’ warns that progress might be lost, which implies that the system/Steam thinks it’s running somewhere. Disregarding the warning and continuing causes the ‘stop’ to revert to the ‘play’ icon.
Launching Steam via the terminal produces the following output:
david@pop-os:~$ steam
steam.sh[12001]: Running Steam on pop 22.04 64-bit
steam.sh[12001]: STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
setup.sh[12042]: Steam runtime environment up-to-date!
steam.sh[12001]: Steam client's requirements are satisfied
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Startup - updater built Jun 28 2025 01:05:05
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Startup - Steam Client launched with: '/home/david/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-srt-logger-opened' '-nominidumps' '-nobreakpad'
Looks like steam didn't shutdown cleanly, scheduling immediate update check
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Process started with command-line: '/home/david/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-child-update-ui' '-child-update-ui-socket' '8' '-srt-logger-opened' '-nominidumps' '-nobreakpad'
07/03 19:34:30 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Using update UI: console
07/03 19:34:30 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(0)/tid(12114)
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Create window
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Loading cached metrics from disk (/home/david/.steam/debian-installation/package/steam_client_metrics.bin)
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Using the following download hosts for Public, Realm steamglobal
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] 1. https://client-update.fastly.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 900, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] 2. https://client-update.akamai.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 400, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] 3. https://client-update.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 1, source = 'baked in'
07/03 19:34:30 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Checking for update on startup
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Checking for available updates...
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Downloading manifest: https://client-update.fastly.steamstatic.com/steam_client_ubuntu12
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Manifest download: send request
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Set percent complete: 0
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Set status message: Checking for available updates...
[ 0%] Checking for available updates...
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Set percent complete: -1
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Manifest download: waiting for download to finish
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Manifest download: finished
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Download skipped: /steam_client_ubuntu12 version 1751405894, installed version 1751405894, existing pending version 0
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Nothing to do
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Verifying installation...
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Verifying all executable checksums
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Set percent complete: -1
[2025-07-03 19:34:30] Set status message: Verifying installation...
[----] Verifying installation...
[2025-07-03 19:34:31] Verification complete
UpdateUI: skip show logo
[2025-07-03 19:34:31] Destroy window
Steam logging initialized: directory: /home/david/.steam/debian-installation/logs
[2025-07-03 19:34:31] ProcessNextMessage: socket disconnected
[2025-07-03 19:34:31] No more messages are expected - exiting
XRRGetOutputInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf12e49c0
XRRGetCrtcInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xf12e31f0
/usr/share/themes/Pop-dark/gtk-2.0/main.rc:775: error: unexpected identifier 'direction', expected character '}'
/usr/share/themes/Pop-dark/gtk-2.0/hacks.rc:28: error: invalid string constant "normal_entry", expected valid string constant
07/03 19:34:33 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
07/03 19:34:33 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steamsysinfo)/version(1751405894)/tid(12131)
Running query: 1 - GpuTopology
Response: gpu_topology {
gpus {
id: 1
name: "Intel(R) Graphics (BMG G21)"
vram_size_bytes: 12809404416
driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaIntel
driver_version_major: 24
driver_version_minor: 2
driver_version_patch: 8
}
gpus {
id: 2
name: "AMD Radeon Graphics (RADV RENOIR)"
vram_size_bytes: 12634267648
driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaRadv
driver_version_major: 24
driver_version_minor: 2
driver_version_patch: 8
}
gpus {
id: 3
name: "llvmpipe (LLVM 15.0.7, 256 bits)"
vram_size_bytes: 3221225472
driver_id: k_EGpuDriverId_MesaLLVMPipe
driver_version_major: 0
driver_version_minor: 0
driver_version_patch: 1
}
default_gpu_id: 1
}
Exit code: 0
Saving response to: /tmp/steamOCaCIO - 157 bytes
steamwebhelper.sh[12155]: Starting steamwebhelper under bootstrap steamrt steam runtime via: /home/david/.steam/debian-installation/steamrt64/steam-runtime-steamrt/_v2-entry-point
steamwebhelper.sh[12155]: Starting steamwebhelper with steamrt steam runtime at /home/david/.steam/debian-installation/steamrt64/steam-runtime-steamrt/_v2-entry-point
Steam Runtime Launch Service: starting steam-runtime-launcher-service
Steam Runtime Launch Service: steam-runtime-launcher-service is running pid 12241
bus_name=com.steampowered.PressureVessel.LaunchAlongsideSteam
exec ./steamwebhelper -nocrashdialog -lang=en_US -cachedir=/home/david/.steam/debian-installation/config/htmlcache -steampid=12112 -buildid=1751405894 -steamid=0 -logdir=/home/david/.steam/debian-installation/logs -uimode=7 -startcount=0 -steamuniverse=Public -realm=Global -clientui=/home/david/.steam/debian-installation/clientui -steampath=/home/david/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/steam -launcher=0 --valve-enable-site-isolation --enable-smooth-scrolling --password-store=basic --log-file=/home/david/.steam/debian-installation/logs/cef_log.txt --disable-quick-menu --disable-component-update --enable-features=PlatformHEVCDecoderSupport --disable-features=SpareRendererForSitePerProcess,DcheckIsFatal,BlockPromptsIfIgnoredOften,ValveFFmpegAllowLowDelayHEVC
Desktop state changed: desktop: { pos: 0, 0 size: 3840,1080 } primary: { pos: 0, 0 size: 1920,1080 }
Caching cursor image for text, size 24x24, serial 2545, cache size = 0
reaping pid: 12113 -- sh
While trying to find - and, frankly, understand - where to look at what might be going on I found suggestions on the Steam forums that suggested looking at the output from glxinfo -B, so that’s below as well in the event it might be helpful:
david@pop-os:~$ glxinfo -B
name of display: :1
display: :1 screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
Vendor: Intel (0x8086)
Device: Mesa Intel(R) Graphics (BMG G21) (0xe20b)
Version: 24.2.8
Accelerated: yes
Video memory: 12216MB
Unified memory: no
Preferred profile: core (0x1)
Max core profile version: 4.6
Max compat profile version: 4.6
Max GLES1 profile version: 1.1
Max GLES[23] profile version: 3.2
Memory info (GL_ATI_meminfo):
VBO free memory - total: 12216 MB, largest block: 12216 MB
VBO free aux. memory - total: 13977 MB, largest block: 13977 MB
Texture free memory - total: 12216 MB, largest block: 12216 MB
Texture free aux. memory - total: 13977 MB, largest block: 13977 MB
Renderbuffer free memory - total: 12216 MB, largest block: 12216 MB
Renderbuffer free aux. memory - total: 13977 MB, largest block: 13977 MB
Memory info (GL_NVX_gpu_memory_info):
Dedicated video memory: 12216 MB
Total available memory: 26193 MB
Currently available dedicated video memory: 12216 MB
OpenGL vendor string: Intel
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa Intel(R) Graphics (BMG G21)
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.6 (Core Profile) Mesa 24.2.8-1~bpo12+1pop1~1744225826~22.04~b077665
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile
OpenGL version string: 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 24.2.8-1~bpo12+1pop1~1744225826~22.04~b077665
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL profile mask: compatibility profile
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.2 Mesa 24.2.8-1~bpo12+1pop1~1744225826~22.04~b077665
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.20
Given that the most likely problem is the change of graphics card I’m expecting to be told to upgrade the drivers, but the only hints I’ve found about that is the guide here “https://forum.level1techs.com/t/remember-to-update-your-intel-arc-firmware-on-linux/208736,” which is so far beyond my understanding that I’d need someone to explain it to me like I’m five, and ideally with crayon instructions.
Incidentally, I’ve focused on the failure to launch Space Engineers but the system is also true of the other Steam games, including Timberborn, Toyshire and the very few other games I own.
I’m more than willing to add supplemental information if you can tell me what you’d need me to provide.