Steam does not execute unless it receives focus

[tmzhuang]

Your system information

• Steam client version (build number or date): 1705108172
• Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Arch Linux
• Opted into Steam client beta?: [Yes/No] No
• Have you checked for system updates?: [Yes/No] Yes
• Steam Logs: [generate by running this command in a terminal tar -zcvf ~/Desktop/steam-logs.tar.gz ~/.steam/steam/logs] steam-logs.tar.gz
• GPU: Nvidia/Intel/AMD Nvidia

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Describe what you expected should happen and what did happen. Please link any large code pastes as a Github Gist

Steam related things don't seem to execute unless I'm on the workspace the steam window is in (I'm using i3wm). This means that when friends message me, I don't receive any notifications or toasts. When I switch to the workspace that the friends windows is open, I can see it seemingly receive all the events (messages update, I get notifications, all at once). Same thing with game updates, which don't happen even in the background (even though I have the option enabled) unless I switch to the library window. This affects games starting up as well. If I start a game from command line or from the steam taskbar icon context menu, the game doesn't load until I switch to the workspace the game is in.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Receive a message from friends on steam.
2. No notification received.
3. Switch to workspace containing friends list.

[SylvainBoilard]

Hi,

I was about to open a similar bug report for the same issue.  

Your system information

• Steam client version (build number or date): 1705108172
• Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Debian Testing
• Opted into Steam client beta?: No
• Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
• Steam Logs: steam-logs.tar.gz
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, with proprietary drivers version 535.43.02
• Window manager: i3 4.23

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

When receiving a friend’s message, a sound can be heard and the (previously closed in my case) friends window opens in its configured workspace, but as long as I do not switch to that workspace, no notification appears. Once I do switch to that workspace, notifications start appearing, and the friends window seems to start processing some sorts of events¹.

Once that workspace has been switched-to and the friends window has been displayed at least once, as long as the friends window is not closed, subsequent notifications appear immediately after receiving a message (as expected) even if I am on a different workspace at that time.

In case this is relevant, here is the statement I use in my i3 config to move the friends window to a different workspace:

# Enabling and disabling floating tricks the window into not resizing itself. Sometimes.
for_window [title="Liste de contacts"] move to workspace number $ws9, floating enable, floating disable, resize set width 678 px

Steps for reproducing this issue:

Same as above

  — ¹ Events such as a friend connecting or disconnecting, a friend launching or closing a game, etc... This is visible because the window starts redrawing a slightly modified version of itself in quick succession between each processed event.

[rLy07]

I think I have the same or at least similar issue. I don't receive notifications from incoming chat. The chat window doesn't even open up sometimes, and even if I open friends I don't see that there's an unread message. Once a chat window is open, I do get the notifications. I don't use separate workspaces/activities. I'm on Arch but KDE+Wayland. Using beta: 1707518866

[eduardoeae]

Same thing happens to me. Can't exit Steam from the tray icon, until I switch to the workspace reserved for Steam that I have. Arch Linux, i3wm