[BUG] After most recent 5/7/24 SteamOS update 3.5.19 Stable -Something went wrong while displaying this content.

[s0th1s]

Please confirm

• [x] I have searched existing issues
• [x] This issue is not a duplicate of an existing one
• [x] I have checked the common issues section in the readme file
• [x] I have attached logs to this bug report (failure to include logs will mean your issue may not be responded to).

Bug Report Description

After recent SteamOS build 3.5.19, attempting to click on games causes an error message to be shown

if I uninstall decky loader the issue is no longer present.

I noted this issue was mentioned as an issue with a beta build.

https://github.com/SteamDeckHomebrew/decky-loader/issues/597

For now I have uninstalled the decky loader, but I am dependent on so many of the plugins a quick fix would be amazing.

EDIT:

I was able to resolve the issue by reinstalling decky-loader and removing any plug-ins that errored or showed an (!). Sometimes simply reinstalling the packages with the exclamation point fixed the package issue.

Thanks for all the help in comments below.

Expected Behaviour

Behave like previously and allow game pages to be displayed and played.

SteamOS version

SteamOS 3.5.19 Stable

Selected Update Channel

Stable

Have you modified the read-only filesystem at any point?

No

Backend Logs

deckylog.txt

Frontend Logs

cef_log.txt cef_log.previous.txt

[Havelock-Vetinari]

Removing plugins listed below resolved issue at least in my case. Those plugins were mentioned in error popups on startup.

Removed plugins:

• vibrantDeck
• Save Manager
• Game Theme Music

[PartyWumpus]

Removing plugins listed below resolved issue at least in my case. Those plugins were mentioned in error popups on startup.

Removed plugins:

• vibrantDeck
• Save Manager
• Game Theme Music

Game theme music's issue should now be resolved so can be safely reinstalled if you want.

[s0th1s]

After testing and unistalling each plugin one by one, I was able to get this issue resolved. I am still unsure of the specirfic plug-in that caused this issue, but I pretty much uninstalled everything, restarted Steam on the deck and everything started working again.

I then installed each plug-in again and tested, I actually installed a btch of 2-3 plug-ins and confirmed that everything still worked. I believe the offensing plug-in was DeckSettings, but I do not want to test any further.

Decky Loader is now working with all my required plug-ins.

Just a heads up for anyone else with a similar issue.

[thisisandrewv]

I was also having the same issue and do not have any of the plugins listed so far by anyone. It looks like using the reinstall option on all installed plugins fixes it too - in case you don't feel like figuring out which ones are causing the issue for you in particular...

[Lightsockie]

I'm having this same problem, but for some reason the Decky menu isn't showing up anymore either. So I can't reinstall through the GUI. Reinstalled via console tho and works again

[ChrisMack32]

I think there is a larger issue here. I’ve seen quite a few people talking about this across Discord and Reddit, as well as more related bugs after a latest update, either by DeckyLoader or SteamOS.

I also fixed the original issue you mentioned by reinstalling DeckyLoader. However some plugins are straight up broken and don’t work, some being “Controller Tools”, “DeckSettings”, “EmuDeck Hotkeys”, and I’ve seen someone else mention “VibrantDeck”.

(Also, I was on Stable versions, and did also try beta/preview versions to no avail)

I think we just have to wait for a fix from either DeckyLoader or Valve 🤷‍♂️

[josehand1]

On mine I can't even get Decky installed anymore, it just doesn't finish the installation and doesn't show on the overlay after the update.

[DarthTater69]

I had the same issue and resolved it by uninstalling autoflatpacks and protondb badges. Really sucks cuz I love protondb badges

[EricCorleone]

I confirm that plugins like "Controller Tools", "Notebook" and "TunnelDeck" are broken, and reinstallation doesn't work. But there are some plugins like "ProtonDB Badges" could work again after I switched to the test channel in decky loader settings and updated them to a beta version.

[pencilcheck]

Stable channel for plugins (store): Controller tools, DeckFAQs, Notebook, Reshadeck, Pause Games, vibrantDeck all broke

autoflatpacks and protondb are updated

Test channel for plugins (store): most of them are fixed, the only ones still not work are

1. Pause games
2. Notebook
3. Controller tools

Recommend change to test channel for store as most plugins are fixed

[cjdw94]

Unfortunately changing to testing will not fix Tunneldeck. It looks like the developer hasn’t updated it/touched the repository in over a year.

[cjdw94]

So still broken (and not obtainable from testing) for me are:

• Tunneldeck (the one I’m the most concerned about)
• Controller Tools
• Network Info
• DeckRoulette

[TiZ-HugLife]

Decky should probably just forcibly uninstall plugins that were never updated for the beta client, and remove them from the store.

[cjdw94]

Tunneldeck is one of a kind, though. Afaik, it’s the only way to VPN in game mode. I use it to stream my XSX and PS5 when I’m away from home.

[TiZ-HugLife]

Then pressure Tunneldeck's developer to update their plugin. ControllerTools is also one of a kind, but old plugins break everything now, and "Something went wrong" completely and absolutely killing the entire Steam UI is a much, much, much bigger problem than being able to VPN home.

Steam's beta broke everything, and Decky was not remotely heavy-handed enough in forcing plugin developers to adapt. They even closed up the issue where people were discussing it. Now the beta has been promoted to stable, and Decky's lackadaisical attitude toward plugin developers has caused a lot of people a severe deal of trouble.

[cjdw94]

The issue has already been brought up in their repo. The developer ghosted it.

Edit 1: I haven’t had any plugins kill the UI on my 512 LCD Deck. Even the nonfunctioning ones. They just don’t function.

Edit 2: Well, I found a blog from Tunneldeck’s dev that hasn’t been updated in 2-3 years, with an email attached. I tried emailing them. Hopefully it’ll help somehow.

[TiZ-HugLife]

Please stop multi-posting. Those addendums could have been edits. We get emails for every comment and don't need our inboxes getting more cluttered than they already are.

There's not very much that can be done if the plugin has only one maintainer and they're not there. It's a quandary in software development called the "bus factor." It's particularly prevalent in free software projects due to how we tend to empower solo developers, but also subsequently overburden and over-rely on them. Malicious actors have exploited this problem to great effect: look up the XZ Utils backdoor.

The best thing that can be done when a solo developer disappears is for someone else to take up the torch by forking the project and making the updates they need. Could that someone be you? Or maybe you would be interested in sponsoring someone else's time and energy.

That's one thing that's particularly fraught about solo development for a project like this: by its very nature, due to the fact that it injects itself into and manipulates a closed-source client, stuff is going to break relatively often, sometimes to catastrophic effect. The bus factor is even more problematic here.

[cjdw94]

Sorry, I was just trying to help. I’m not familiar with Github posting etiquette.

I can look into it. I have a Masters in CS. But I have no idea how it works. Not a whole lot of confidence there.

If anyone else would be interested in sponsoring a fork of Tunneldeck, I’d be interested.

Edit: Someone took the torch. We have a fork.

https://discord.com/channels/960281551428522045/1008838539972198451/1237797219739107400

https://github.com/SteamDeckHomebrew/decky-plugin-database/pull/619

[BryanJacobs]

I had the same issue and resolved it by uninstalling autoflatpacks and protondb badges. Really sucks cuz I love protondb badges

@DarthTater69 on my Deck at least, if protondb-badges is "hidden from the quick access menu" the error doesn't occur and the badges still show.

[acccccccb]

遇到了同样的错误，我的解决方案：

1. 切换到桌面模式
2. 重新安装decky-loader （https://github.com/SteamDeckHomebrew/decky-loader#-installation）
3. 重启并进入游戏模式，此时decky-loader将会提示某些插件加载错误（此时已经可以正常进入游戏）
4. 进入decky-loader并更新插件

Here's a translation of your solution:

1. Switch to desktop mode.
2. Reinstall decky-loader (https://github.com/SteamDeckHomebrew/decky-loader#-installation).
3. Restart and enter gaming mode. At this point, decky-loader will prompt for some plugin loading errors (you should be able to enter the game normally by now).
4. Enter decky-loader and update the plugins.

[dtantono]

Yeah the deckyloader is broken and I delete Musiccontrol plugin and reboot. I fixed the problem.

[polocatfan]

decky is entirely broken. even after a reformat. refuses to install any plugins.

[cjdw94]

Please stop multi-posting. Those addendums could have been edits. We get emails for every comment and don't need our inboxes getting more cluttered than they already are.

There's not very much that can be done if the plugin has only one maintainer and they're not there. It's a quandary in software development called the "bus factor." It's particularly prevalent in free software projects due to how we tend to empower solo developers, but also subsequently overburden and over-rely on them. Malicious actors have exploited this problem to great effect: look up the XZ Utils backdoor.

The best thing that can be done when a solo developer disappears is for someone else to take up the torch by forking the project and making the updates they need. Could that someone be you? Or maybe you would be interested in sponsoring someone else's time and energy.

That's one thing that's particularly fraught about solo development for a project like this: by its very nature, due to the fact that it injects itself into and manipulates a closed-source client, stuff is going to break relatively often, sometimes to catastrophic effect. The bus factor is even more problematic here.

From that Discord I linked in an earlier comment, it looks like there is a group of individuals dedicated to trying to reanimate dead Decky plugins. I'm joining the group and I'm going to try to help the best I can. They're calling it "SDH Stewardship".

[FoodFrisbee]

I encountered this exact issue yesterday, updating decky loader to 2.12.0, then updating all plugins to lateset version solved it for me

[Tearsofx]

Experienced this same issue, but mine seems catastrophically worse lol. I got these pop up windows, so I restarted my steam deck hoping it would go away (pre knowing this was a decky issue). After restarting my steam deck, all my controls seized to work. Even in Boot Manager, I can’t scroll down to select SteamOS. Can only boot into windows by pressing power button once. Even when booted into windows, all controls still do not work, only my touchscreen works. I encountered all of this after getting this Decky bug on my UI, so I restarted steam deck and now I can’t do anything at all seems bricked to me unless I plug in external keyboard/mouse

[5310]

Pretty sure Decky cannot affect the boot manager if it tried. The OS hasn't even booted yet, let alone systemd starting Decky.

[Tearsofx]

Pretty sure Decky cannot affect the boot manager if it tried. The OS hasn't even booted yet, let alone systemd starting Decky.

Thanks for the fast reply. I’m going to try uninstalling decky just to see if theres any luck, though I doubt it. I agree with you, it shouldn’t be affecting boot manager. But this happened after 1 restart right after I realised my UI broke on me. Could just be a coincidence, but I’ll update just in case someone else is going through the pain I am.

edit can confirm using a keyboard to navigate to SteamOS on boot menu (dual booted windows) gave me access to controls again. When booting into SteamOS, all controls came back on steam deck, so I unplugged external keyboard. Uninstalled/reinstalled Decky (fixed UI bug). This might be a separate issue by mere coincidence, but I’ve never had that issue (loss of steam deck controls) appear after using this thing everyday for 2 years straight, only to have it happen when this Decky bug appeared. Thanks to y’all above for diagnosing the issue

[bryc]

I don't get it, what's going on here? Reshadeck is completely broken now.

Is this a case where a beta version of a program has deprecated features widely used in dependent plugins, and has gone out of beta without an announcement to developers to anticipate this?

Sounds like severe mismanagement to me. Can we isolate which exact change is responsible?

Edit: Is the bug in SteamOS or Decky? Could an older version of decky be maintained as a separate package for 'legacy plugins'?

[PartyWumpus]

Is this a case where a beta version of a program has deprecated features widely used in dependent plugins, and has gone out of beta without an announcement to developers to anticipate this?

No. The steam client has an update, which broke plugins using an old version of the UI library we use (decky frontend lib) and any that attempted to inject into places that were no longer how the plugin expected.

The issue was fixed in the library months ago, and many plugins are using a system where they just grab the library from decky, so they worked perfectly fine. The issue is mostly that some plugins are unmaintained, so haven't switched to using our copy of the library, so are being bundled with their own out of date version of DFL.

Vibrant deck specifically has been fixed, and is currently on the testing store waiting for someone to test it. here's the PR.

[ivan-performance-qa]

Similiar problem with Discord status plugin: "Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'Title')

[AAGaming00]

Not a loader issue.