steam won't open after a fresh install (Arch Linux x64 + Nvidia)

[leandroqm]

Hello,

I have just reinstalled ArchLinux, so it is a 100% fresh install.
I then proceeded to install nvidia drivers and to install steam following the ArchWiki page (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Steam).

This is what I see when I run "steam" via the terminal:

$ LC_ALL=C steam
/home/lelo/.local/share/Steam/steam.sh: line 161: VERSION_ID: unbound variable
/home/lelo/.local/share/Steam/steam.sh: line 161: VERSION_ID: unbound variable
Running Steam on arch 64-bit
/home/lelo/.local/share/Steam/steam.sh: line 161: VERSION_ID: unbound variable
STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1431729692)

I've tried reinstalling steam, removing ~/.steam and ~/.local/share/Steam/ altogether and reinstalling/running it again and always got the same results.
I also tried to force my hand on the elif command of steam.sh to make it so the VERSION_ID would always be "4.0.4-1-ARCH"... also to no avail.

When I go to the Steam directory and run ./steam.sh, I get this:
$ LC_ALL=C ./steam.sh
./steam.sh: line 161: VERSION_ID: unbound variable
./steam.sh: line 161: VERSION_ID: unbound variable
Running Steam on arch 64-bit
./steam.sh: line 161: VERSION_ID: unbound variable
STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
[2015-05-21 18:39:04] Startup - updater built May 14 2015 17:40:14
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1431729692)
SteamUpdateUI: An X Error occurred
X Error of failed request: BadValue (integer parameter out of range for operation)

Any help is appreciated.

[gdrewb-valve]

Possibly the same as #3830?

[leandroqm]

Don't think so, I don't get any errors besides that warning of unbound variable.

[gdrewb-valve]

Your output has an X11 BadValue error, which is what is causing Steam to not start. That and the fact the you're on NVIDIA is the same as #3830. BadValue is a general error, though, so it's not guaranteed it's the same thing.

[leandroqm]

Wow, how did I miss that? I did not see that last line because most of the time it does not appear.
In fact, I only saw it the last time I ran the command before posting here (the very same from where I copy-pasted).
I ran the command again right now and I only get this:

$ steam
/home/lelo/.local/share/Steam/steam.sh: line 161: VERSION_ID: variável não vinculada
/home/lelo/.local/share/Steam/steam.sh: line 161: VERSION_ID: variável não vinculada
Running Steam on arch 64-bit
/home/lelo/.local/share/Steam/steam.sh: line 161: VERSION_ID: variável não vinculada
STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1431729692)

No BadValue error, once again.
There must be a reason for this but, for now, I am really confused. :-)

EDIT: As it was a freshly installed distro, I opted to go back to debian instead, where it worked out fine.
I wish I could stay on Arch for this, but I don't have the time to wait for a solution and I could not find it myself, so...
Anyways, thank you very much for those who tried to help. :-)

[RunningDroid]

Line 161 of steam.sh throws an error because it tries to pull VERSION_ID from /etc/os-release and Arch has /etc/os-release but it doesn't have a VERSION_ID.

The solution is to change line 160 of steam.sh from

elif [ -f /etc/os-release ]; then

to something like this

elif $(grep 'VERSION_ID' /etc/os-release > /dev/null 2>&1); then

which causes steam.sh to (correctly) use the generic fallback.

After fixing that, steam.sh errors out with

/home/runningdroid/.local/share/Steam/steam.sh: line 710: LD_LIBRARY_PATH: unbound variable

$LD_LIBRARY_PATH isn't usually set by default so to fix that change line 710 from

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/lib32"

to

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:-/usr/lib}:/usr/lib32"

(That fixes it on Arch 64-bit, I don't know what library directories other distros have)

[passar]

thanks, the line "elif $(grep 'VERSION_ID' /etc/os-release > /dev/null 2>&1); then" helped me<
I got one step further. I now get something with libgl but i will find that elsewhere I guess.

[cebtenzzre]

This issue is currently affecting me! I wish I didn't have to fix broken shell scripts just to get steam to start...

[jesusvazquez]

Install the lsb-release package so that the script goes with the first if condition.