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Fixing Slow Downloading on Steam for Linux: A Quick Guide

· Games, Steam

Introduction

Are you tired of sluggish download speeds on Steam while using Linux? Don’t worry; there’s a solution! In this quick guide, we’ll explore steps to fix slow downloading issues on your Steam Linux.

Editing Steam’s Configuration File

  1. Open the Steam configuration file using your preferred text editor. Let’s use nvim for this example:
nvim ~/.steam/steam/steam_dev.cfg
  1. Add the following lines to the configuration file:
@nClientDownloadEnableHTTP2PlatformLinux 0
@fDownloadRateImprovementToAddAnotherConnection 1.0

  1. Save the changes and exit the text editor.

  2. Restart Steam and try download the game again. You should see the Speed has a big change! As shown in the image below:

Speed

How It Works

1. HTTP/2 on Linux

The first line, @nClientDownloadEnableHTTP2PlatformLinux 0, disables the use of HTTP/2 for downloads on the Linux platform. While HTTP/2 is generally more efficient, some users have reported issues with Steam’s implementation on Linux. Disabling it might help fix slow downloading problems.

2. Download Rate Improvement

The second line, @fDownloadRateImprovementToAddAnotherConnection 1.0, adjusts the download rate improvement by allowing Steam to add another connection. This tweak can be particularly beneficial for users with high-speed internet connections, as it enables Steam to utilize additional connections, potentially resolving slow downloading issues.

The line @fDownloadRateImprovementToAddAnotherConnection 1.0 increases the number of connections Steam makes to servers (up to 10, usually connects to around 3, with a hard cap in the code). This adjustment can theoretically improve download speeds.

References