[BUG] Playing games that require Proton compatibility layer, causes SteamVR to crash.

[Hisanatos]

Describe the bug
When launching SteamVR games that were programmed for Windows and require Proton compatibility layer, cause SteamVR to crash, sometimes bringing the GPU driver with it, facilitating the need to restart.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Go to any VR game that needs a Proton compatibility layer
2. Launch it
3. Wait for the game to start
4. Notice SteamVR crash and Valve Index headset turning blue.

Expected behavior
Games started with the help of Proton compatibility layer would just work.

System Information (please complete the following information):

• Distribution: EndeavourOS Linux x86_64
• Kernel: 6.6.4-arch1-1
• SteamVR version: 2.1.10 Beta
• Steam client version: 1702079146
• Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes
• Graphics driver version: 545.29.06
• Gist for SteamVR System Information: https://gist.github.com/Hisanatos/15d1d2ef3479d6b35c8099edbf602c04
  Screenshots
  
  

Additional context
The games start for the briefest of moments after which they crash SteamVR.

At first nothing but the VRWebHelper worked, then native Linux Steam games started working such as Half Life Alyx or SteamVR Home. Then some others started working for some reason such as Half Life 2 VR mod. Right now I see that the final frontier is getting VR games that go through Proton to work correctly, enabling Vulkan async reprojection, and then setting up compositor to have priority over games in the GPU queues.

Note: Commenters who are also experiencing this issue are encouraged to include the "System Information" section in their replies.
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[Hisanatos]

Still crashes on SteamVR Beta 2.2.3
Steam Beta Branch: Steam Beta Update
Steam Version: 1702667398

EDIT: In some issues, installing Steam Native helped, but in this case they behave the same, Steam Runtime and Steam Native crash the second I open any VR game that needs proton.

[Hisanatos]

By some miracle, all of a sudden HL Alyx stopped working for me, with a "Unable to init VR runtime (102) VR client shared lib not found", I tried reinstalling SteamVR, Proton, Steam nothing worked. Then I noticed that it openes in Wine window, so I renamed my .wine to .wineold, and now was hit with Error: Installation path could not be located (110) also in Wine window.

I tried a lot of things again, uninstalling proton and so on, nothing bugged, but then I tried to change Compatybility tool on HL Alyx to something else (I think from Proton 8.0.4 to Experimental), and there was a 500MB(?) update for HL Alyx, which fixed it?? Then I could chose whatever compatybility layer as I think some script setup everything as it should in Wine.

But now on the new .wine I'm experiencing the #638 which is super funny for me because when I swap the .wineold to the .wine (the one that was created) and viola, I'm experiencing this issue bug.

This makes me wonder if the bug for both isn't in some wrong Wine configuration.

Also a question to someone from Valve, do you have some sort of validation over there?

Also also, does anybody from Valve want anything from both of those .wine folders? I dunno, will hold onto them for now.

EDIT:
I double checked, and the reason why HL Alyx works now is that setting and unsetting the Compatibility tool, changed the executable from hlvr.exe to hlvr.sh, why it was trying to run .exe when there was no Compatibility tool selected? IDK.

The switching between my issue and 638 was not cause by the .wine folder but by Compatibility tool version.

In short I have crashing on Proton Experimental (but the game correctly is able to grab the VR handle), and infinite loading on 8.0.4, but no crash.

[Hisanatos]

Hello, good news I finally uncovered what was happening, the newer updates of the games use OpenXR (Beat Saber, Ancient Dungeon), rolling to a version that was using OpenVR fixed all the issues ("legacy1.29.1_unity_ver2019.4.28f1 - pre unity upgrade build" for Beat Saber, and "oldversion - ea0.1.2.2 (the pre openxr update) version" for Ancient Dungeon VR).

As I have found this information online, Valve is probably also aware of this, but as I do currently have Nvidia GPU (suposedly doesn't happen on the AMD GPUs), and experience this problem, maybe you would want some additional logs?

Anyway I'm gonna update you on every stable release, and on every Nvidia driver upgrade, maybe it will change something.

[Hisanatos]

The behaviour is still the exact same, even though Nvidia driver and Linux kernel versions change, armed with knowledge that is supposedly doesn't happen on AMD cards I opened the issue on Nvidia forums https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/entire-graphics-stack-crashes-when-opening-a-steamvr-application-through-proton-compatiblity-layer-that-targets-openxr-rtx-3060-550-76-cuda-12-4/291155