PDF download Download Article
Play your favorite PC games on Linux with this guide
PDF download Download Article

On Debian-based Linux distros, you can download the official DEB file from Steam or install Steam from the Software App. On all Linux distributions, you can install Steam from the repository for your distro in the Terminal. This wikiHow teaches you how to install the Steam app on various Linux distributions.

Install Steam on Linux

Go to store.steampowered.com in a web browser and click Install Steam . Click Install Steam to download the DEB file. Right-click the file and click Open in Other Application . Select Software Install . Click Install to install Steam.

Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Using the Steam Website

PDF download Download Article
  1. Go to https://store.steampowered.com/ in a web browser. You can use any web browser.
    • You can use the DEB file you download from the official website to install Steam on any Debian-based version of Linux, including Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Kali, and more.
  2. To do so, click Install Steam in the upper-right corner. Then click Install Steam in the center of the page.
    Advertisement
  3. To do so, right-click the steam_latest.deb file and click Open With Other Application . Select Software Install or Install Manager or something similar.
  4. It's the second option in the menu. This opens the page for the Steam launcher.
  5. This will start installing Steam. Once Steam is installed, you can open it in your Apps menu. [1]
    • If you are asked to install the required files needed to install Steam, press Enter and select Yes to install the required files.
  6. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Using the Ubuntu Software App

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's the icon with 9 squares in a grid. It's in the lower-left corner by default. This opens the Dash. The Dash displays all apps you have installed on your Ubuntu system.
    • You may have the Ubuntu Software app in your dock on the side of your screen.
  2. This app looks like an orange bag icon with a white "A" on it.
    • You can type the app name in Dash to quickly find it.
  3. This displays a search bar that allows you to search for apps available for Ubuntu in Software Center.
  4. The official Steam app will show up at the top of the results.
  5. It has a blue icon with an image that resembles a white rotary piston. Click the app icon to display the information page.
  6. This will install the latest release of the official Steam app on your Ubuntu Linux computer.
  7. In order to install new software in Ubuntu, you must enter your user password. Enter the password for your Ubuntu login and click Authenticate . This will install the Steam for Ubuntu. When you launch Steam, it may need to be updated. Once the update is completed, you can sign in to your Steam account.
  8. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Using the Terminal in Ubuntu/Debian

PDF download Download Article
  1. On most Linux distros, you can open the Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Terminal. Alternatively, you can press the Super (Windows or Command) key (or click the Dash icon) to open the Dash and type Terminal in the search bar. This method works on RPM-based Linux distros like Fedora.
  2. This command will add the required repository for installation.
    • If you're prompted, enter your Ubuntu user password and press Enter to proceed.
  3. This will update the repository with the latest version.
  4. This will install Steam from the default Ubuntu repositories. You can launch the Steam app on your computer after your installation is finished. [2]
    • If you are asked if you want to continue with the installation, press "Y" and then press " Enter ".
  5. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Using RPM-Based Distributions

PDF download Download Article
  1. On most Linux distros, you can open the Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Terminal. Alternatively, you can press the Super (Windows or Command) key (or click the Dash icon) to open the Dash and type Terminal in the search bar.
    • RPM-based Linux distributions include Fedora, CentOS, OpenSUSE, Red Hat Linux, and more.
  2. This updates the dnf repositories on your system.
  3. This ensures your system is up to date. It may take a while depending on how often you update your system.
  4. To restart your computer, either click the power icon on your computer and click Restart or open the Terminal and type " sudo reboot " and press Enter .
  5. Once your computer restarts, open the Terminal once again.
  6. The following command will configure RPM Fusion, which is a third-party repository for apps that don't ship with Fedora or Red Hat. RPM Fusion is only available for 32-bit architectures but should work in 64-bit architectures. Enter the following command in the Terminal and press Enter to configure RPM:
    • sudo dnf install mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
    • Alternatively, if you are using Fedora, you can Launch Fedora Software and click the icon with three horizontal lines ( ) in the upper-right corner. Click Software Repositories and click Enable next to "Fedora 31 -Nonfree – Steam." [3]
  7. This installs Steam on your RPM-based system. Once Steam is finished installing, it will most likely need to be updated. Then you can log in to your Steam account. [4]
  8. Advertisement
Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Using Arch Linux

PDF download Download Article
  1. On most Linux distros, you can open the Terminal by press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Terminal.
  2. Enter the following command and press enter to open the pacman.conf file in Nano:
    • sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf .
  3. The "multilib" section of the file contains three lines that have a "#" in front of them. The "#" tells the operating system to ignore these lines. Delete the "#" in front of these lines to enable this section of the script. Remove the "#" in front of the following lines:
    • #[multilib]
    • #SigLevel = PackageRequired
    • #Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
  4. To save and exit the file in Nano, press Ctrl + X . Then press Y followed by Enter to confirm you want to save the file. [5]
  5. Open the Terminal again if it's not already open. Enter the following command and press Enter to update the list of repositories:
    • sudo pacman -Syu
  6. Now you can enter the Terminal command to install Steam. Enter the following command and press Enter to install Steam:
    • sudo pacman -S steam
  7. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the Dash.
      2. Find and click the Ubuntu Software app.
      3. Click the search bar.
      4. Search " Steam ".
      5. Click Install .

      Did this summary help you?
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 163,632 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement