HOWTO: Install Steam on your 64bit Linux

Nothing_Much

Nothing_Much

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Once you've installed your 64bit Linux OS of choice, DO NOT INSTALL STEAM YET

Steam as of right now, is still technically a 32bit application, meaning it will not work on a 100% pure 64bit OS.

BUT, You will still be able to install it using "Multi-Arch", which is basically a way to install 32bit applications on a 64bit OS. So that right there is very, VERY important.

First here's what would happen when you try to install Steam on 64bit without Multi-Arch. You will run into a problem that keeps you from installing anything else, since Steam "depends" on packages that aren't on your computer, which in turn, could break other programs that are attempted to be installed.

The "packages" that are used for running applications are called "libs", which are basically, to Windows users, .DLL files, which are essential.

Multi-Arch installs the 32bit "libs" for compatibility for 32bit programs.

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How to install on Ubuntu:
Code: 
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

sudo apt-get update

Restart if you want to, not necessary.

Next, there's something that's called a "transitional package" that you might see in the Ubuntu Software Center. It's called "ia32-libs", which basically used to be a package of libs that enabled 32bits on 64bits, but wasn't true Multi-Arch.

Now that Multi-Arch has been fully developed, "ia32-libs" will give you the necessary packages that will enable 32bit programs to run.

If you run it through the command line and you see a bunch of packages being listed, don't panic, it's normal and it will ask you if you want to install them, in this case for Steam, we do. So:

Code: 
sudo apt-get install ia32-libs

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Afterwards, install Steam through your favourite command line or just double click on it for the ultra newbies, install and have fun!

Any problems encountered and I'll try to help you out.
 
Just a note: I didn't install ia32-libs after doing the first thing and Steam has successfully installed, currently downloading tf2 without any hitches.
 
Boa-Noah said:
Just a note: I didn't install ia32-libs after doing the first thing and Steam has successfully installed, currently downloading tf2 without any hitches.
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Ah okay, that's good then, typically packages from third parties (in this case Valve) are installed automatically from the repositories. (the server(s) that holds all of the packages that have the programs, libs, etc to make Linux do what you want)
 
Boa-Noah said:
UPDATE: I somehow broke ubuntu, time to restart from a fresh install.
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That's the thing about learning new computer stuff, the best learning is when you break/smash/ignite/blow something up. Are you trying to learn the OS or are you just trying to get Steam installed for the promo?
 
Sir Gooch P Tigglington said:
That's the thing about learning new computer stuff, the best learning is when you break/smash/ignite/blow something up. Are you trying to learn the OS or are you just trying to get Steam installed for the promo?
Click to expand...

I had steam installed and working, tf2 was downloading and I was looking to install an irc client, opened up the software center and everything froze. I left it for maybe 20 minutes to see if it was just being slow, it wasn't so I turned off the laptop and started it back up, ubuntu wouldn't start and remained black screen, started up windows and it began with a disk check where it was deleting a bunch of corrupted entries. Restarted and tried ubuntu again and it was still just black, so this time I'll just be installing steam/tf2 and then leaving it alone.
 
Boa-Noah said:
I had steam installed and working, tf2 was downloading and I was looking to install an irc client, opened up the software center and everything froze. I left it for maybe 20 minutes to see if it was just being slow, it wasn't so I turned off the laptop and started it back up, ubuntu wouldn't start and remained black screen, started up windows and it began with a disk check where it was deleting a bunch of corrupted entries. Restarted and tried ubuntu again and it was still just black, so this time I'll just be installing steam/tf2 and then leaving it alone.
Click to expand...

I've never cared for the Software Center in Ubuntu, using apt is almost always easier and faster if you know the flags and everything.

You might also look into using aptitude (sudo apt-get install aptitude), it's like apt but more robust and (imo) handles dependencies and general housekeeping much better. Not only that, but it also has a search function built in so you can search all the repos from the terminal.
 
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