I've recently switched to Linux Mint and I'm facing an annoying issue with Steam games crashing when I alt-tab. While Steam itself runs fine and many games play without problems if I don't alt-tab, almost all games crash shortly after doing so, especially if I linger too long. I've observed various behaviors with different games:
- Megaloot crashes within seconds.
- Cryptmaster crashes pretty quickly too.
- Limbus Company seems okay while loading on the home screen but crashes rapidly when alt-tabbing.
- Dead By Daylight consistently crashes in under a minute without any alt-tabbing.
- Jackbox Games have been fine during limited tests.
Interestingly, I can alt-tab out of non-Steam games like Minecraft for long periods without issues. When a game crashes, it shows as 'steamapp' rather than the actual game, which makes me suspect a conflict between Steam and my graphics card. I can't close the game normally after a crash; I always have to use the system manager to end it.
I've installed Proton and tried various settings based on online recommendations, but nothing has worked. I've already spent over a week trying to fix this. I'd appreciate any help, and I'm willing to retry any steps I already attempted. Here are my system specs to aid in troubleshooting:
- Kernel: 6.14.0-36-generic
- Desktop: Cinnamon
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
- Distro: Linux Mint 22.2 Zara.
If there's any other info you need, just let me know!
2 Answers
This issue is pretty common with games running under Proton or some native Linux titles. Instead of alt-tabbing, try using virtual desktops or workspaces; they tend to offer a more stable experience. By the way, consider sharing your system info through a simple link next time; it helps keep things clean and easy to read!
Just a heads up, you might want to check out a related discussion about game crashes here: [link]. Also, I noticed you're using zram. For testing, try disabling it to see if that changes anything. It's common to disable certain processes when troubleshooting.
I did try using workspaces, but it crashed immediately. Not sure about virtual desktops yet. Do they differ much?