SteamVR Fail "a key component isn't working properly" (307)

[Hi-Angel]

Description

Launching SteamVR (with the vrmonitor.sh workaround applied) results in black screen on headset and errors from SteamVR.

Steps to reproduce

1. Headset: run ALVR client
2. Host: add ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrmonitor.sh %command% to SteamVR launch options and close steam. Wait for all steam processes to exit.
3. Host: run alvr_dashboard
4. Host: press Launch SteamVR button

Expected

SteamVR gets launched with no errors.

Actual

On the Headset the environment becomes black, while on the host Steam shows error message A key component of SteamVR isn't working properly with code 307. Screenshot:

`alvr_dashboard` logs:

[22:42:21.347 INFO winit::platform_impl::platform::x11::window] Guessed window scale factor: 1
[22:42:38.790 INFO alvr_dashboard::steamvr_launcher::linux_steamvr] GPU Encoder vendor: Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 24.4.2 ()
[22:42:38.790 INFO alvr_dashboard::steamvr_launcher::linux_steamvr] Couldn't find AV1 profile. You unlikely to have hardware encoding for it.
steam.sh[255419]: Running Steam on arch rolling 64-bit
steam.sh[255419]: STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
setup.sh[255466]: Steam runtime environment up-to-date!
steam.sh[255419]: Steam client's requirements are satisfied
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] Startup - updater built Nov 20 2024 22:23:21
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] Startup - Steam Client launched with: '/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-srt-logger-opened' 'steam://rungameid/250820'
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] Opted in to client beta 'publicbeta' via beta file
You are in the 'publicbeta' client beta.
11/26 22:42:39 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/26 22:42:39 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1732151988)/tid(255523)
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] Loading cached metrics from disk (/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/package/steam_client_metrics.bin)
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] Using the following download hosts for Public, Realm steamglobal
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] 1. https://client-update.akamai.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 100, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] 2. https://client-update.fastly.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 900, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] 3. https://client-update.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 1, source = 'baked in'
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] uninstalled manifest found in /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/package/steam_client_publicbeta_ubuntu12 (1).
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] Found pending update
[2024-11-26 22:42:39] Installing update...
[2024-11-26 22:42:40] Extracting package...
[2024-11-26 22:42:45] Installing update...
[2024-11-26 22:42:45] Cleaning up...
[2024-11-26 22:42:45] Update complete, launching Steam...
UpdateUI: skip show logo[2024-11-26 22:42:45] Shutdown
steam.sh[255419]: Restarting Steam by request...
steam.sh[255419]: Running Steam on arch rolling 64-bit
setup.sh[255589]: Steam runtime environment up-to-date!
steam.sh[255419]: Log already open
steam.sh[255419]: Steam client's requirements are satisfied
CProcessEnvironmentManager is ready, 6 preallocated environment variables.
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] Startup - updater built Nov 26 2024 00:12:07
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] Startup - Steam Client launched with: '/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam' '-srt-logger-opened' 'steam://rungameid/250820'
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] Opted in to client beta 'publicbeta' via beta file
You are in the 'publicbeta' client beta.
11/26 22:42:46 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/26 22:42:46 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1732590255)/tid(255638)
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] Loading cached metrics from disk (/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/package/steam_client_metrics.bin)
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] Using the following download hosts for Public, Realm steamglobal
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] 1. https://client-update.fastly.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 900, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] 2. https://client-update.akamai.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 100, source = 'update_hosts_cached.vdf'
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] 3. https://client-update.steamstatic.com, /, Realm 'steamglobal', weight was 1, source = 'baked in'
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] Verifying installation...
[2024-11-26 22:42:46] Verification complete
UpdateUI: skip show logo
Steam logging initialized: directory: /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/logs

XRRGetOutputInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xde905dc0
XRRGetCrtcInfo Workaround: initialized with override: 0 real: 0xde904500
/usr/share/themes/Breeze/gtk-2.0/widgets/entry:70: error: unexpected identifier 'direction', expected character '}'
/usr/share/themes/Breeze/gtk-2.0/widgets/styles:36: error: invalid string constant "combobox_entry", expected valid string constant
steamwebhelper.sh[255660]: Using supervisor /home/constantine/.steam/root/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/amd64/usr/bin/steam-runtime-supervisor
steamwebhelper.sh[255660]: Starting steamwebhelper under bootstrap sniper steam runtime via /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_64/steam-runtime-sniper.sh
steamwebhelper.sh[255660]: Using CEF sandbox \(try with -no-cef-sandbox if this fails\)
steamwebhelper.sh[255660]: Starting steamwebhelper with Sniper steam runtime at /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_64/steam-runtime-sniper/_v2-entry-point
Steam Runtime Launch Service: starting steam-runtime-launcher-service
Steam Runtime Launch Service: steam-runtime-launcher-service is running pid 255742
bus_name=com.steampowered.PressureVessel.LaunchAlongsideSteam
exec ./steamwebhelper -lang=en_US -cachedir=/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/config/htmlcache -steampid=255638 -buildid=1732590255 -steamid=0 -logdir=/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/logs -uimode=7 -startcount=0 -steamuniverse=Public -realm=Global -clientui=/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/clientui -steampath=/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam -launcher=0 -use_xcomposite_workaround -no-restart-on-ui-mode-change --valve-enable-site-isolation --enable-smooth-scrolling --disable-gpu-compositing --disable-gpu --password-store=basic --log-file=/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/logs/cef_log.txt --disable-quick-menu --disable-features=SpareRendererForSitePerProcess,DcheckIsFatal,ValveFFmpegAllowLowDelayHEVC
Desktop state changed: desktop: { pos:    0,   0 size: 1920,1080 } primary: { pos:    0,   0 size: 1920,1080 }
Caching cursor image for left_ptr, size 24x24, serial 1345, cache size = 0
BuildCompleteAppOverviewChange: 155 apps
Fossilize INFO: Setting autogroup scheduling.
chdir "/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR"
Game Recording - would start recording game 250820, but recording for this game is disabled
Adding process 256092 for gameID 250820
+++ dirname /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrmonitor.sh
++ cd /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/
++ pwd
+ VRBINDIR=/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin
+ [[ -n '' ]]
+ exec /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrenv.sh /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrmonitor.sh /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-launch-wrapper -- /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/reaper SteamLaunch AppId=250820 -- /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/_v2-entry-point --verb=waitforexitandrun -- /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrstartup.sh
vrenv.sh[256092]: VRCOMPOSITOR_LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/linux64/qt/lib:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/linux64:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/pinned_libs_32:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/pinned_libs_64:/opt/cuda/lib64:/opt/cuda/nvvm/lib64:/opt/cuda/extras/CUPTI/lib64:/opt/intel/oneapi/compiler/latest/lib:/opt/intel/oneapi/mkl/latest/lib/intel64:/opt/intel/oneapi/tbb/latest/lib/intel64/gcc4.8:/usr/lib32:/usr/lib/perf:/usr/lib/libfakeroot:/usr/lib:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/lib/i386-linux-gnu:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/lib:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/usr/lib:/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR
vrenv.sh[256092]: exec /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrmonitor.sh /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-launch-wrapper -- /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/reaper SteamLaunch AppId=250820 -- /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/_v2-entry-point --verb=waitforexitandrun -- /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrstartup.sh
+++ dirname /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrmonitor.sh
++ cd /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/
++ pwd
+ VRBINDIR=/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin
+ [[ -n /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrenv.sh ]]
+ case $(uname) in
++ uname
+ VRMONITOR=/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/linux64/vrmonitor
+ exec /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/linux64/vrmonitor /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-launch-wrapper -- /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/reaper SteamLaunch AppId=250820 -- /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/_v2-entry-point --verb=waitforexitandrun -- /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/vrstartup.sh
Using breakpad crash handler
Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 250820
Forcing breakpad minidump interfaces to load
Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
11/26 22:42:57 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/26 22:42:57 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(250820)/version(2.9.2)/tid(256092)
static QPlatformTheme* QKdeTheme::createKdeTheme(): Unable to determine KDE dirs
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
CQVRMonitorHeadsetWarning(0x61899acc36f0)  does not have a property named  "green_color"
CQVRMonitorHeadsetWarning(0x61899acc36f0)  does not have a property named  "red_color"
Using breakpad crash handler
Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 250820
Forcing breakpad minidump interfaces to load
Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
11/26 22:42:59 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/26 22:42:59 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(250820)/version(2.9.2)/tid(256302)
vrcompositor-launcher.sh[256330]: Detected scout LDLP runtime.
vrcompositor-launcher.sh[256330]: exec /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/linux64/vrcompositor-launcher
Using vrcompositor capability proxy
Launching /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/linux64/vrcompositor
Using breakpad crash handler
Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 250820
Forcing breakpad minidump interfaces to load
Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
11/26 22:43:00 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/26 22:43:00 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(250820)/version(2.9.2)/tid(256330)
[22:43:00.430 INFO alvr_dashboard::data_sources] Server connected
[S_API] SteamAPI_Init(): Loaded '/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/linux64/steamclient.so' OK.
VR Server (v1732154273)

Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
SteamInternal_SetMinidumpSteamID:  Caching Steam ID:  76561198110875849 [API loaded yes]
SteamInternal_SetMinidumpSteamID:  Setting Steam ID:  76561198110875849
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
[S_API] SteamAPI_Init(): Loaded '/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/linux64/steamclient.so' OK.
Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
SteamInternal_SetMinidumpSteamID:  Caching Steam ID:  76561198110875849 [API loaded yes]
SteamInternal_SetMinidumpSteamID:  Setting Steam ID:  76561198110875849
Initialize() is failed!!!
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSLv2_client_method
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSLv2_server_method
Using breakpad crash handler
Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 250820
Forcing breakpad minidump interfaces to load
Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
11/26 22:43:10 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/26 22:43:10 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(250820)/version(2.9.2)/tid(256375)
Using breakpad crash handler
Using breakpad crash handler
Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 250820
Forcing breakpad minidump interfaces to load
Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 250820
Forcing breakpad minidump interfaces to load
Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
11/26 22:43:15 11/26 22:43:15 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/26 22:43:15 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(250820)/version(2.9.2)/tid(256398)
11/26 22:43:15 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(250820)/version(2.9.2)/tid(256397)


We are initalizing Vulkan in CEncoder thread


Fossilize INFO: Overriding serialization path: "/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/shadercache/250820/fozpipelinesv6/steamapprun_pipeline_cache".
Available modifiers:
modifier: 0 planes: 1
modifier: 72057594037927937 planes: 1
modifier: 72057594037927938 planes: 1
modifier: 72057594037927940 planes: 2
Fossilize INFO: Overriding serialization path: "/home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/shadercache/250820/fozpipelinesv6/steamapprun_pipeline_cache".
Using breakpad crash handler
Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 250820
Forcing breakpad minidump interfaces to load
Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
11/26 22:43:15 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/26 22:43:15 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(250820)/version(2.9.2)/tid(256446)
Using breakpad crash handler
Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 250820
Forcing breakpad minidump interfaces to load
Looking up breakpad interfaces from steamclient
Calling BreakpadMiniDumpSystemInit
11/26 22:43:21 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
11/26 22:43:21 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(250820)/version(2.9.2)/tid(261704)
kde-open: /home/constantine/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/pinned_libs_64/libcurl.so.4: version `CURL_OPENSSL_4' not found (required by /usr/lib/libproxy/libpxbackend-1.0.so)

General Troubleshooting

• I carefully followed the instructions in the README and successfully completed the setup wizard
• I read the ALVR GitHub Wiki

Environment

KDE + i3wm

Hardware

https://linux-hardware.org/?probe=afb04ad337

Installation

ALVR Version: 20.11.1

ALVR Settings File:

SteamVR Version: 2.9.2

Install Type:

• Packaged (exe, deb, rpm, etc)
• Portable (zip)
• Source

OS Name and Version: Arch Linux

[Velkee]

I'm having the same issue on NixOS. Seems like it's always specifically one component of SteamVR that breaks if what I've seen from trying to verify SteamVR's files after the error occurs, unsure if it's the same file or various different ones. Only happens when I launch it through ALVR. I also have a NVIDIA GPU but an AMD processor, so it can at least probably be ruled out it's not something Intel CPU related

[Hi-Angel]

Only happens when I launch it through ALVR.

@Velkee does it work for you if you run it some other way? I so far wasn't able to get any game running through ALVR (even before this presumably new error appeared).

[Fake4091]

Same issue on similar setup to OP but on Hyprland-git and SteamVR version 2.8.8 (Should I swap to beta like OP?) and I'm using it to connect my quest 1. Seems like using the "Launch SteamVR" button within ALVR is what causes it to inject itself as when I tried simply launching SteamVR from steam it was not detected in ALVR and steam started whining about not having a headset plugged in

EDIT: I don't think I needed to bc Hyprland seems to have its own compositor now, but I did try the QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb thing and it did not resolve the issue

[demonixis]

Hello,
I've the same problem, it worked great, then I started a game (FS2024), after that SteamVR crashed and now I've this error message. I read the wiki too, my rig:

• Ryzen 5 5500
• RTX 3060 12gb + Nvidia 565.77
• Fedora 41 + KDE
• ALVR 20.12.1 + Store app
• SteamVR stock and Beta

[Velkee]

does it work for you if you run it some other way?

As mentioned by Fake, ALVR doesn't deploy unless steamvr is launched from ALVR so there wasn't a different way for me to launch it. There's a few Nix specific downstream mention in nixpkgs about recent changes to the Steam package breaking ALVR and encoder issues, but even after rolling back steam to the commit mentioned as working the issue seems to continue.

Gave up on troubleshooting myself after a while, never managed to find a fix much less a reliable one

[rlippmann]

You might need to do the setcap command documented here.. You can't just copy and paste it, though, since the steam files are in .local, not .var

[Hi-Angel]

getcap shows it's already been done (presumably by steam, I certainly didn't do that). Note that the documentation is for Flatpak app, but I'm using a usual one, and Steam usually self-updates and perhaps inherits permission from elsewhere or some such.

---

In other news, I tried a few times, and after Steam updated itself and I re-relaunched it, the error is gone. So whatever problem that was, presumably it got fixed in Steam itself (because I didn't update ALVR).

So, what I see right now: VR kinda works… partially. I am using Defcon VR for testing purposes, and when I launch it, Steam VR does highlight that I only have right controller (was lazy to pick left one up) and I can see on the laptop screen how my head movements result in the picture changing accordingly.

However:

• My headset just shows black screen. I.e. I can see the movement on the laptop, but I see nothing but blackness on the headset.

• After ≈15 seconds Steam VR crashes with "unexpected problem":

  

But those are separate problems and I guess the bug can be closed now. I also realize I'm two releases behind, so gotta update. Tried to build newer ALVR, but didn't succeed, will have to retry with clean dir.

P.S. it just amazes me how the problem got so little attention for ½ an year. I mean, how do ALVR developers even develop, don't they stumble upon the same situation? I mean, it's not like a corner case, you just launch ALVR and you get it right away 🤷‍♂️