How do I format and mount a second drive for my Steam library on Linux

To run Steam games smoothly on Linux, format the drive with a native Linux filesystem like EXT4 or BTRFS. Windows filesystems (NTFS/exFAT) frequently break Windows/Proton compatibility due to missing Linux permission structures and symlink limitations.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

1.Identify and format the target drive:Backup any existing data on the drive before proceeding.

Identify your disk and partition name using lsblk:

Bash

lsblk

Locate your target drive (e.g., /dev/sdb or /dev/nvme1n1). If unformatted, create a primary partition using your desktop's partition tool (like GParted or KDE Partition Manager) or fdisk.

Format the partition to EXT4 and assign a filesystem label:

Bash

sudo mkfs.ext4 -L "SteamDrive" /dev/sdb1

2.Create a mount point and retrieve the drive UUID:

Create the directory where your drive will reside in the filesystem:

Bash

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/steamgames

Find the unique ID (UUID) of your new partition:

Bash

sudo blkid /dev/sdb1

Copy the printed UUID="xxxx-xxxx-xxxx" string (excluding quotes).

3.Configure auto-mount in fstab:Ensure exec permissions are set so games can launch.

Open your filesystem table file in a text editor:

Bash

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add a new line at the bottom replacing YOUR-UUID-HERE with your actual UUID:

Plaintext

UUID=YOUR-UUID-HERE /mnt/steamgames ext4 defaults,nofail,exec 0 2

• exec: Allows Steam to execute binary game files from this partition.

• nofail: Ensures your system boots cleanly even if the drive is unplugged or fails to mount.

Save and exit (in Nano: Ctrl+O, Enter, then Ctrl+X). Test your /etc/fstab setup without rebooting:

Bash

sudo mount -a

4.Assign folder ownership to your user account:

By default, root owns newly mounted system drives. Transfer ownership to your current logged-in user so Steam can read and write game files:

Bash

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /mnt/steamgames

5.Add the new drive inside Steam:

1. Open Steam.

2. Go to Settings -> Storage.

3. Click the drive selection drop-down at the top and select Add Drive.

4. Browse to /mnt/steamgames and confirm.

(Note: If you are using Flatpak Steam, run this command in your terminal so Flatpak can access the mount location):

Bash

flatpak override --user --filesystem=/mnt/steamgames com.valvesoftware.Steam

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About Giampaolo Rossi.

Fond of computer and video games. Stay informed of the latest news on games for Linux and Android. The future of gaming is in Linux. All you need to know about How to play Windows games on Linux.