Steam tries to run d3ddriverquery64.exe with non-Wine compatibility tools

[michaelneverwins]

Your system information

• Steam client version (build number or date): 1730853027
• Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Linux Mint 22
• Opted into Steam client beta?: No
• Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
• Steam Logs: See below
• GPU: AMD

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Recently, I started getting errors from Boxtron upon launching Steam.

I wasn't attempting to run any game when this happened, and the only game I had configured to use Boxtron is indeed compatible with it. To make sure I hadn't just broken something in my Steam configuration, I renamed my ~/.steam directory and then allowed Steam to create a new one before installing Boxtron v0.5.4 to ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/ and launching Steam again; I got the same result.

Running Steam from the command line shows matching errors in the terminal output:

boxtron: working dir: "/home/michael/.steam/debian-installation"
boxtron: original command: ['/home/michael/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/../bin/d3ddriverquery64.exe']
boxtron: screen '0': 1920x1200
boxtron: selected screen '0'
...
boxtron: ignoring command: ['/home/michael/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/../bin/d3ddriverquery64.exe']
boxtron: error: Game not recognized as DOSBox compatible.
boxtron: working dir: "/home/michael/.steam/debian-installation"
boxtron: original command: ['/home/michael/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/../bin/d3ddriverquery64.exe', '-d3d12']
boxtron: screen '0': 1920x1200
boxtron: selected screen '0'
...
boxtron: error: DOSBox argument error: "unrecognized arguments: -d3d12"

Another compatibility tool, Roberta v0.1.0, also logs errors to the terminal (but doesn't produce any pop-up windows):

roberta: working dir: "/home/michael/.steam/debian-installation"
roberta: original command: ['/home/michael/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/../bin/d3ddriverquery64.exe']
roberta: screen '0': 1920x1200
roberta: selected screen '0'
roberta: /home/michael/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/../bin
roberta: d3ddriverquery64.exe
roberta: ['/home/michael/.steam/debian-installation/ubuntu12_32/../bin/d3ddriverquery64.exe']
roberta: working dir: "/home/michael/.steam/debian-installation"
roberta: warning: unrecognized installation directory
Traceback (most recent call last):
...

I've omitted the full Python traceback from Roberta and some other details because they're almost certainly not important. Obviously the problem is that Boxtron and Roberta don't know how to run d3ddriverquery64.exe, nor should they. It seems that Steam is attempting to run this program with every compatibility tool upon start-up, thus confusing non-Wine-based compatibility tools. I assume this is due to a Steam update that was pushed sometime this week, because I wasn't getting the pictured pop-up errors from Boxtron before, and Boxtron didn't change.

I have a feeling this will be getting a "won't fix" response (or no response) from Valve, given that unofficial (i.e. unsupported) compatibility tools appear to be the only ones affected — but it seems fair to report the issue here first, considering a Steam update seems to have caused the problem.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Install Boxtron.
2. Start (or restart) Steam.

[DarthShredder]

The same issue occurs with other non-Wine compatible tools, such as Luxtorpeda, but the effect differs. With Luxtorpeda, the start menu is simply displayed.
This error also appears on the Steam Deck when in desktop mode and non-Wine compatible tools are present.

[MajorOversight]

Also started receiving these Boxtron errors after updating Steam today. Seeing the mention of Roberta and Luxtorpeda, I have those tools installed as well.

[DanAlexson90]

Also started getting those 2 errors just recently! Not sure if extra ( besides Boxtron ) tools are installed.

[DJSynergy]

Same problem here, this looks like a bug because i didnt have these issues before and they came in after the latest updates. i didnt change anything except updating the system / packages of my garuda installation.
This error seems to limit the functionality of steam because since then i cant open any remote play together session of my compatibily games anymore. I tried this with my garuda linux installation and brotato. i can get invites from my friends to remote play but if i accept the invite nothing happens. this and the dosbox error started at the same time, so it might be the same problem.

[Nemo0312]

Im also having the same issue i have however found a temp workaround. Open steam and go to settings then compatibility then turn it off and restart steam, then after restring go back and enable compatibility then make sure to select proton excremental then restart one more time and games should launch.

[jamesb6626]

This occurred for me even with compatibility off. For me through htop it seems a weird sub-process of steam -srt-logger-opened tries to run python3 /usr/share/boxtron/run-dosbox /home/james/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/../bin/d3ddriverquery64.exe before dying, immediately upon startup of steam, which seems very strange.

[jettorio]

Same here. Appears once per steam launch, does not affect any functionality seemingly

[DJSynergy]

Same here. Appears once per steam launch, does not affect any functionality seemingly

Have you tried to play a game with a friend on his pc with remote play together or a game with remote play?
for me this function is not working anymore. if i am accepting the invite of a friend simply nothing happens and remote play wont open.
will try today with the mentioned temporary workaround with disabling and enabling the compatibility feature again.
in my test yesterday at least completely disabling the compatibility mode didnt produce any error at start.

[DJSynergy]

looks like the mentioned workaround is working to play remote play games again, but hosting these is producing not playable steam backgrounds with remote play. game screen is not shared.
This is buggy as hell ....

[jimnarey]

Exactly the same here with the Steam Native package on Garuda. Doesn't happen with the Steam Runtime package.

[Nemo0312]

looks like the mentioned workaround is working to play remote play games again, but hosting these is producing not playable steam backgrounds with remote play. game screen is not shared. This is buggy as hell ....

Hmm odd, after using the workaround my steam works just fine. playing games, remote play (hosting and joining) and all other features.

[DJSynergy]

looks like the mentioned workaround is working to play remote play games again, but hosting these is producing not playable steam backgrounds with remote play. game screen is not shared. This is buggy as hell ....

Hmm odd, after using the workaround my steam works just fine. playing games, remote play (hosting and joining) and all other features.

oh i forgot to tell - for me its working again. looks like it had nothing to do with this problem. Still dont know what it was tbh but its working.
I can also confirm that using the runtime steam instead of native on garuda is not throwing these error messages.

[d10sfan]

If you update to the latest version of the luxtorpeda client, I've introduced a workaround to avoid the lux launcher from showing up.

[evanjs]

The solution for Boxtron appears to be fairly simple as well (basically the same fix as Luxtorpeda)
That being said, I can't easily test with the few DOS games I have, based on how they are configured/launch
I added my solution to the related issue in the Boxtron repo: dreamer/boxtron#58 (comment)