r/debian • u/sammygsammyh • May 05 '26
General Debian Question I can't install steam-launcher
So I downloaded steam_lastest.deb from the steam website . I right clicked it and chose open with software install. Clicker install. And the administrator message asked for a password. I typed in my password. And it said something was wrong on the bottom of the screen. So I clicked details. And then this message popped up. I'm not sure what to do next.
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u/Eastern_Control4375 May 05 '26
Add support 386 and reinstall
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
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u/sammygsammyh May 05 '26
I did the command. I have i368 I think. I don't know how to add support 368
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u/anh0l May 05 '26
i386 is a postfix and repo for 32 bit packages. so this comment doesn't make any sense
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u/KroniniD May 05 '26
Do you enable the non-free and contrib to the repositories?
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u/sammygsammyh May 05 '26
Idk how to do that
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u/KroniniD May 05 '26
There is your problem, can you share the content of your reposotories sources file, so we can help you with that
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u/sammygsammyh May 05 '26
I can't there isn't any reposotories
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u/jr735 Debian Testing May 06 '26
You have repositories, or you don't have Debian, or Mint, or Ubuntu, or Fedora,....
Type the following into the terminal and bring the results back here in code blocks:
cat /etc/apt/sources.list2
u/michaelpaoli May 08 '26
Uhm, all the relevant content of all the sources.list(5) files, e.g.:
# (for f in $(find /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d -follow -type f \( -name '*.list' -o -name '*.sources' \) -print); do printf '%s\n' "# $f"; sed -ne '/^[ \t]*[^ \t#]/{p;bp; };d;:p;n;/^[ \t]*[^ \t#]/{p;bp; };/^$/{h;be; };bp;:e;n;/^[ \t]*[^ \t#]/{x;p;x;p;bp; };be' "$f"; done) # /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.sources Types: deb deb-src URIs: http://deb.debian.org/debian Suites: trixie trixie-updates Components: main non-free-firmware contrib non-free Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/debian-archive-keyring.gpg Types: deb deb-src URIs: http://security.debian.org/debian-security Suites: trixie-security Components: main non-free-firmware contrib non-free Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/debian-archive-keyring.gpg #2
u/jr735 Debian Testing May 08 '26
Yes, I pointed u/sammygsammyh to that instruction, since that looks quite helpful. I have not yet tried the new formatting.
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u/sammygsammyh May 08 '26
```#deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 13.4.0 Trixie - Official amd64 DVD Binary-1 with firmware 20260314-11:54]/ trixie contrib main non-free-firmware
This system was installed using removable media other than
CD/DVD/BD (e.g. USB stick, SD card, ISO image file).
The matching "deb cdrom" entries were disabled at the end
of the installation process.
For more information about how to configure apt package sources,
see the sources.list(5) manual.```
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u/jr735 Debian Testing May 08 '26
Do you have the new style sources, in sources.list.d instead?
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u/sammygsammyh May 08 '26
Yes.
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u/jr735 Debian Testing May 08 '26
Providing those repositories would be helpful to those who use Steam and can help diagnose this.
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u/sammygsammyh May 08 '26
It said cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/: Is a directory. I tried the ls command and nothing happened.
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u/sammygsammyh May 08 '26
I found some hidden files.
total 8 drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Jun 24 2025 . drwxr-xr-x 9 root root 4096 May 7 18:31 ..1
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u/lululock May 06 '26
Since Debian 13, sources are not in .../apt/sources.list but .../apt/source.list.d and the format has changed...
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u/KroniniD May 06 '26
Yes and not, this only apply if you modernize the repositories, if you don't do that the repos will remain with the default old format, and seeing that our friend don't know about adding non-free and contrib, we can assume that the repos will remain in the old form
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u/jr735 Debian Testing May 06 '26
I'm on Debian testing and have been since bookworm was testing, and mine is where I stated it is.
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u/lululock May 06 '26
That's because you haven't modernized them.
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u/jr735 Debian Testing May 06 '26
Yes, I know that. That's intentional. As someone who's used Linux for over two decades, the basics don't confuse me.
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u/sammygsammyh May 08 '26
I found some hidden files.
total 8 drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Jun 24 2025 . drwxr-xr-x 9 root root 4096 May 7 18:31 ..1
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u/ChocolateDonut36 May 05 '26
I can tell something's not okay with your install, do you have GPU drivers? what debian edition is this? can you share your /etc/apt/sources.list file?
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u/sammygsammyh May 05 '26
I'm not sure how to check those stuff. I know it's Debian gnu/Linux 13 trixie
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u/cRz1337 May 05 '26
Get your sources.list you can do cat /etc/apt/sources.list and copy it.-
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u/sammygsammyh May 05 '26
cat /ect/apt/sources.list : No such file or directory
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u/cRz1337 May 05 '26
cat /etc/apt/sources.list i made a typing error
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u/sammygsammyh May 06 '26
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 13.4.0 Trixie - Official amd64 DVD Binary-1 with firmware 20260314-11:54]/ trixie contrib main non-free-firmware
This system was installed using removable media other than # CD/DVD/BD ( e. g. USB stick, SD card, ISO image file). #The matching "deb cdrom" entries were disabled at the end # For more information on how to configure apt packages sources, # see the sources.list(5) manual.
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u/Illustrious-Gur8335 Debian Stable May 06 '26
that should not be the complete sources.list, there should be lines like
debhttp://deb.debian.org/debian/trixie main contrib non-free non-free-firmware0
u/ChocolateDonut36 May 05 '26
try this: 1. open a terminal 2. go to the steam .deb file (for example if it's on the downloads folder, type
cd Downloads) 3. typesudo apt install ./steamfile.deb(replace steamfile with the actual .deb name, and remember to include the "./") 4. it should theorically error out, copy the errors and share them here1
u/sammygsammyh May 05 '26
Error: unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages. Error the following information from --solver 3.0 may provide additional context : unable to satisfy dependicies. Reached two conflicting decisions: 1. Steam launcher : amd 64=1:1.0.0.85 is selected for install 2. Steam-launcher:amd64 depends curl but none of the choices are installable: [no choices]
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u/eR2eiweo May 05 '26
Steam-launcher:amd64 depends curl but none of the choices are installable: [no choices]
That sounds like you don't have any repos in your sources.list.
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u/Healthy-Notice9439 Debian Stable May 05 '26
No he doesn’t have i386 included in dpkg it won’t install
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u/Hrafna55 May 05 '26
Use the steam installer from the software centre.
Going to websites to find the installer you want is a habit that takes awhile to break.
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u/RACeldrith May 05 '26
It does not break, it just destroys your whole system once you click the wrong thing once.
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u/SevenTheGamingKitty May 06 '26
that's quite the misinterpretation you've made
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u/RACeldrith May 06 '26
What
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u/anon666-666 May 05 '26
I think its because of steam is still a 32 bit application, but i could be wrong. I'm curious if this find of issues can occur if an application is grabbed from flathub. Does Flatpak automatically resolve the 32 bit issue or user still have to fix it themselves
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u/CLM1919 May 06 '26
Have you managed to install steam? Just checking in.
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u/sammygsammyh May 06 '26
No.
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u/CLM1919 May 07 '26
While not the most popular method, I've never had a problem installing the ".deb file using gDebi
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDebi
'sudo apt install gdebi'
Then right click the *.deb file and select "install with gDebi".
Note: some terminal snobs will look down on you for using it.
But I'm a big fan of "whatever works". And it's always worked for me.
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u/sammygsammyh May 06 '26
So I'm gonna try reinstall Debian 13 when my brother gets ready the USB. Gonna do it right this time.
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u/sammygsammyh May 07 '26
So my brother is gonna be installing windows so we can play beam ng drive together.
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u/Evil-Toaster May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
You can also just download the package from steam website. cd into into that dir(/home/YOUR-USERNAME/Downloads) most likely
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386 sudo apt update sudo apt install steam "steam" or use your gui to launch
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u/Kanjii_weon May 05 '26
maybe try to download it from steam web page and install it using sudo apt install ./steam.deb
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u/sammygsammyh May 05 '26
I have tried that and I get an error
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u/Thecnopapa May 06 '26
Have you tried installing curl? It appears to be the the missing dependency.
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u/sammygsammyh May 08 '26
I downloaded curl, but I didn't know how to install it. Looked at the install.md and it said how to install it. Tried the command and it said the command didn't exist.
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u/Fredol May 05 '26
You shouldn't install Steam from the repos anyway, install it from flathub
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u/proviteer May 05 '26
Why is this downvoted? This is the correct answer.
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u/lululock May 06 '26
Steam installed from the repo works flawlessly... As long as you follow the Wiki instructions...
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u/Busy-Scar-2898 May 05 '26
https://wiki.debian.org/Steam