The Steam snap won't suddenly update

linuxer

And hello everyone. Here is the complete output:

snap refresh
2023-08-29T20:38:01+03:00 INFO Waiting for automatic snapd restart...
error: cannot perform the following tasks:

Run configure hook of "steam" snap if present (run hook "configure":
-----
cannot update snap namespace: cannot use "/etc/fonts" as mount point: not a directory
snap-update-ns failed with code 1
-----)

What to do? I really like to run Steam in a confined snap. Thanks.

Bhibb

So I don't know if this will help you, but I have found that when trying to run Snaps on Solus, I need to do a few manual steps to get it working:

I edited my .bashrc file in the home directory to look like this:

source /usr/share/defaults/etc/profile
export PATH=$PATH:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:snap/bin:/snap/bin

The first line was already there, but the second one I added in its entirety.

As referenced in other links on this forum, sometimes we need to do:
sudo systemctl enable snapd.socket
sudo systemctl status snapd.socket

Hopefully something in the above helps!

linuxer

Bhibb

No you see, all other snaps work fine and dandy! They update as expected and so on. But it is the Steam snap that now has this issue for some reason. Or maybe reinstall it? Or should i still go on about what you adviced? (i wouldn't want to mess the whole snapd sector possibly up because as i said, all other snaps work).

Maybe some of the Solus developers have an idea? Please?

Bhibb

So according to this answer, you have options for what you'd like to do.

You could uninstall the snap and reinstall it, this would keep your data for Steam, and just reinstall the package.
You could uninstall and purge your snap data, which would remove your data for Steam, like your login, etc.: "The settings of the snap will be saved in a snapshot while removing the snap unless you use the --purge-option, so just run snap remove snapname but not snap remove --purge snapname."

So, I'm just curious, since Solus has some special hook ups with Steam (with our Linux Steam integration package in the repo), have you considered installing Steam from our repos? I've found less headache when trying to play Steam from Flatpak (personally) and I wonder if it might make life easier for you if it "just worked?"

No worries if you're not interested in the repo package and would prefer to stick with the snap.

linuxer

Bhibb

Ok i'll try all that. But i want to have the likes of Steam run as sandboxed as possible (so Snap). So as i already know that the Solus repo Steam works 100% it is not an option for me. I often hear Flatpak Steam has some other issues, but like said the Steam snap works but the snap does not update update currently. All other snaps do.

On to reinstalling then. Will report back. I wish flatpaks and snaps would be integrated to Software Center really!

linuxer

Bhibb

Ran snap remove steam
then restarted the system even, then snap install steam. Same outcome:

error: cannot perform the following tasks:

Run configure hook of "steam" snap if present (run hook "configure":
-----
cannot update snap namespace: cannot use "/etc/fonts" as mount point: not a directory
snap-update-ns failed with code 1

Edit: i did also these sudo systemctl enable snapd.socket
sudo systemctl status snapd.socket

same thing:

error: cannot perform the following tasks:

Run configure hook of "steam" snap if present (run hook "configure":
-----
cannot update snap namespace: cannot use "/etc/fonts" as mount point: not a directory
snap-update-ns failed with code 1

linuxer

I also tried the --edge channel's snap of Steam:
snap install steam --edge
error: cannot perform the following tasks:

Run configure hook of "steam" snap if present (run hook "configure":
-----
cannot update snap namespace: cannot use "/etc/fonts" as mount point: not a directory
snap-update-ns failed with code 1

So it seems i now cannot install Steam AT ALL no matter i do :/ now what?

Bhibb

linuxer I might trying to purge your Steam snap install with the command above: snap remove --purge steam, since it sounds like you've done everything else. I skimmed an answer here that states the purge option is probably best to try to make sure Steam gets everything anew.

linuxer

Bhibb

snap remove --purge steam gives only "snap "steam" is not installed" so i got it removed earlier but now can't install it no matter what. Tried --edge snap and --beta snap and stable too.

Bhibb

linuxer I'm sorry, I don't use snaps on my install of Solus (except for Nextcloud), but if I were you, I would try to go into the ~/snap directory and see if there is a Steam folder there and delete it manually rm -rf ~/snap/steam (I don't know if the child folder is just called 'steam' or not, tho).

Then I would try to install it again. Sorry that I can't be of more help. It sounds like something is wrong specifically with steam under snap. I looked on snapcraft and it looks like that package just updated recently. Perhaps there is a package specific problem? You might want to check the project.

ReillyBrogan

This appears to be a bug with the Steam snap itself. It declares a mount to /etc/fonts in it's configuration, but on Solus that's a symlink to /usr/share/fonts. You should open an issue with whoever maintains the Steam snap.

linuxer

ReillyBrogan Ok good to know that it's a particular snap (so Steam here) and not all snapd or so. I just did a fresh Solus install. Let's see how it goes.