Help with Steam running Horizon Zero Dawn on a Proxmox VM

[sgt_jamez]

I realize this isn't exactly a Proxmox problem, but I thought maybe someone else here has experience with this kind of setup.

I currently use Proxmox running on a headless server hosting a Windows 10 VM with a GPU passthrough. It works and all is well. However, I am switching my gaming VM over to Linux Mint 22 and I am having growing pains.

Promox v8.2.4 server:
Motherboard: Asrock X470D4U
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
RAM: 64Gb
GPU: RTX 2060 (I can't remember the brand/model)

VM:
OS: Linux Mint w kernel 6.8.0-41
RAM: 16Gb
Steam library on iSCSI formatted EXT4
GPU: driver is v535.183.01-0ubuntu0.24.04.1,passed through Proxmox and streaming via Sunshine v0.23.1

Client:
Dell 3060 Micro running Windows 10 current updates as of last night
Moonlight v6.0.1

Problem:
On a fresh boot of the VM, Horizon Zero Dawn the green "Play" button will go to "launching" for a moment, and then go back "Play". Subsequent presses of "Play" changes to and stays at "launching" and no game screen ever appears.
This happens without Proton, with Proton 9.0-2, Proton Experimental, and GE-Proton9-11.
Also I've used the launch option gamemoderun %command% without Proton and with each of the versions above.

Side notes:
Shadow of the Tomb Raider works, so the basic VM, GPU/driver, Moonlight/Sunshine
when I click Exit Steam from the tray icon, I get the shutting down Steam animation, but the icon remains in the tray. I can no longer access Steam from the tray icon, and relaunching Steam does nothing. I have to reboot the VM.

 

[tcabernoch]

Steam sux on Linux. Face it.
I've wiped machines trying to fix its quirks. No luck. Ever.
Linux is a tertiary at best consideration for them, and only as an aside to SteamOS.
Try the Steam forums.

Does it work on pure hardware installation?
That would tell you if its Steam's b0rked Linux support or if its the virtualization.

 

[sgt_jamez]

Steam sux on Linux. Face it.
I've wiped machines trying to fix its quirks. No luck. Ever.
Linux is a tertiary at best consideration for them, and only as an aside to SteamOS.
Try the Steam forums.

Does it work on pure hardware installation?
That would tell you if its Steam's b0rked Linux support or if its the virtualization.

I'll have to load up Mint 22 on some hardware to test it. I did post on the Steam forum. 10 hours ago and no replies. Same on the Linux Mint forums. I keeps seeing all these YouTube vids saying hey Linux rocks with this. But its all people doing it from bare metal. I'll give it a try and see what happens.

 

[leesteken]

It worked fine for me on a Linux Mint with a direct AMD GPU and USB passthrough. But this was a while back, so older Mint, older kernel version and older Proton version. Steam Link would work to another Linux VM on another Proxmox, but I ran almost always directly on the server.
You can try Proton 7 and 8 easily. I don't think the Mint and kernel version matter much. Try with a display directly connected to the GPU?
Alternatively, you could set up a Windows 10 (evaluation) VM temporarily and then you also don't have the hassle with the NVidia Linux drivers.

 

[sgt_jamez]

It worked fine for me on a Linux Mint with a direct AMD GPU and USB passthrough. But this was a while back, so older Mint, older kernel version and older Proton version. Steam Link would work to another Linux VM on another Proxmox, but I ran almost always directly on the server.
You can try Proton 7 and 8 easily. I don't think the Mint and kernel version matter much. Try with a display directly connected to the GPU?
Alternatively, you could set up a Windows 10 (evaluation) VM temporarily and then you also don't have the hassle with the NVidia Linux drivers.

What about Starfield? I can't get it to run either. I already have all this running on a Win 10 VM as noted in my original post. I was just hoping to be able to come off Windows as the EoL for 10 looms and the encrappening of 11 just keeps pushing the limits. Sadly I am just struggling. I do have a decent gaming rig, but my tiny office becomes a sweatbox in the summer and the AC just can't keep up. I'd like for my Dell Micros to be able to play in my office and my wifes. I can even connect to the Win 10 VM from my nVidia Shield on Moonlight. I haven't tried every title yet, but Starfield is a hard no.

On my bare metal rig running LM22 on a 5950X/3070, I was able to get HZD to run. Starfield was a no go. I'm going to try the GoG, and Ubisoft stuff too. But I don't have high hopes. Still... running this on bare metal means I can only game in the winter time! Ha... bastards.

 

[tcabernoch]

Ya, I'm glad you tried the baremetal.
I hate the way Steam on Linux manages all this Proton stuff. I looked at the Compatibility settings once, and now I can't turn it off, on any Linux machine. Must be an account-level change. The slider to turn it off is disabled. Irritated me to no end. I went as far as trolling the Steam xml config files, trying to force it. And yes, I wiped machines in order to get that slider to turn back off. Nope.
So ya. Steam on Linux sux. Start there, and just hope you can get things to work. If you can't get them to work, circle back to "Steam on Linux sux."

 

[sgt_jamez]

Ya, I'm glad you tried the baremetal.
I hate the way Steam on Linux manages all this Proton stuff. I looked at the Compatibility settings once, and now I can't turn it off, on any Linux machine. Must be an account-level change. The slider to turn it off is disabled. Irritated me to no end. I went as far as trolling the Steam xml config files, trying to force it. And yes, I wiped machines in order to get that slider to turn back off. Nope.
So ya. Steam on Linux sux. Start there, and just hope you can get things to work. If you can't get them to work, circle back to "Steam on Linux sux."

I've spent a fair amount of time on this project and pretty much got prison sexed at every turn.
A) I can't get anything but Linux Mint to kick over to the passed through GPU. Nobara, Fedora, and EndeavorOS, I can install something like NoMachine and connect to the default display. Once I add the passed through GPU and install the drivers in Nobara/Fedora, I can't connect on NoMachine with just the GPU as the primary display. EndeavorOS being Arch-based is even farther from my limited skillset and I couldn't even get the drivers installed. Since NoMachine didn't work, I couldn't even get Sunshine working on anything but LM22.

B) Sunshine... was functional, but I kept getting glitches at the top of the screen showing the desktop through whatever window I had up.

C) Parsec... does not host on Linux. FU too Parsec.

D) Steam... problems galore. Horizon Zero Dawn, Starfield as mentioned.

E) Heroic... limited testing was limited but I was able to get No Man's Sky running.

F) Lutirs... broke the camel's back. After trying X, Y, and Z to get Ubisoft Connect to launch, I had zero success and finally had to admit defeat.

G) Bare metal... still had some issues, but there was more success there.

A Linux-based gaming VM intended to stream to a low power micro PC like the Dell 3060M is just too niche of a project. It seems like I'd need someone from Level1Techs or Jeff from CraftComputing walking me through this step by step. I need to be hand held by an expert and that just isn't in the cards. So it's official, project is dead.

 

[tcabernoch]

Much respect for the attempt. I've tried it too. Gave up way before you did.

I am in no way suggesting this, just asking.
Did you try SteamOS baremetal?
Or was it just Steam installed on Mint?

I've not tried running SteamOS on anything at all. Sounds like a project just to get it up and running.

 

[sgt_jamez]

Much respect for the attempt. I've tried it too. Gave up way before you did.

I am in no way suggesting this, just asking.
Did you try SteamOS baremetal?
Or was it just Steam installed on Mint?

I've not tried running SteamOS on anything at all. Sounds like a project just to get it up and running.

I did not try SteamOS at all. I looked to see if I could run it as a VM and it seems like I think it was v3 was not out yet and v2 is dead. Something like that. I only have one PC for bare metal and it's my main rig. Dual boot. Tough to wipe all that just for a really big reach like SteamOS.

Maybe you can answer this most basic of questions I have on Linux-based VM's and GPU passthrough.
On an OS like Nobara, how does one switch from the default VGA to the passthrough? Yes I know to add it to the config but I can't ever get a video dislpay from NoMachine. What are you using to connect to a Nobara VM with a GPU passthrough?

 

[tcabernoch]

I'm sorry my friend. You've traveled further down this path than I. You know more than I do.

It looks like Nobara devs had a lot of fun getting nvidia to work.
Did you see this?

https://nobaraproject.org/docs/nvidia-troubleshooting/black-screen-after-update/

 

[sgt_jamez]

I'm sorry my friend. You've traveled further down this path than I. You know more than I do.

It looks like Nobara devs had a lot of fun getting nvidia to work.
Did you see this?

https://nobaraproject.org/docs/nvidia-troubleshooting/black-screen-after-update/

So I was able to get the most basic of my issues resolved. Not sure if this is normal, but my Nobara 40 KDE VM only had Wayland installed. I had to install X11 and then set my user to autologin using X11. To be honest, I really don't understand exactly what Wayland or X11 do outside of the notion that they wrangle the graphics in some manner. Once I was on X11, I could access the Nobara VM on NoMachine. Yay... for about 11 seconds. Then I tried to install Sunshine. F*** me in the a**!! Why does everything have to be such a gargantuan pain in the ass?? Yeah, Sunshine doesn't like to install on Fedora/Nobara 40. I downloaded the newest nightly release that does have a fedora40 rpm package. Smooth. It's all chocolate and strawberries now right? Negative Ghost Rider. After installing that bitch and running the program, it thinks for a second and logs me out. I surely have some kind of mental defect that keeps me pushing for this. I've already gotten a Mint VM up and running on Sunshine. Still have all the other issues. HZD and Starfield on Steam. Trying to get the Ubisoft Connect to start from Lutris. Wine. Proton. Dude... Looks like I'll just run Windows 10 on my VM until Chinese hackers crawl through my internet and eat dinner on my couch. All this crap is about as much fun as a rodeo bull repeatedly stomping on my spine. Yeah I'm venting... sorry world.