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SteamOS does not boot #597

Description

@sasspaper

Bug Description

I'm unable to boot SteamOS from Limine on a Steam Deck.

Limine correctly detects the existing SteamOS UEFI boot entry via limine-scan and automatically generates a corresponding menu entry. The generated entry matches the working firmware boot entry, including both the PARTUUID and EFI path.

Booting SteamOS directly from the Steam Deck's firmware boot manager (Volume Up + Power → Boot Manager → SteamOS) works normally. Booting the same EFI executable through Limine does not.

The entry generated by Limine is:

/+Other systems and bootloaders
/SteamOS
### This EFI entry is auto-generated by limine-entry-tool
comment: SteamOS
comment: order-priority=20
protocol: efi
path: uuid(887678a8-fba7-4387-801e-688646452b20):/efi/steamos/steamcl.efi

The corresponding firmware entry is:

Boot0004* SteamOS
HD(1,GPT,887678a8-fba7-4387-801e-688646452b20)/\EFI\steamos\steamcl.efi

The SteamOS entry appears to be detected correctly, but selecting it from Limine results in a permanent black screen.

I read the official documentation and used the entry generated automatically by Limine.

Environment

Device: Steam Deck LCD

Firmware: UEFI

Operating Systems:

  • CachyOS
  • SteamOS

Limine installed on:

/dev/nvme0n1p9

SteamOS EFI partition:

/dev/nvme0n1p1

Relevant Partitions

SteamOS EFI partition:

/dev/nvme0n1p1
UUID="F1D3-6016"
PARTUUID="887678a8-fba7-4387-801e-688646452b20"

Limine partition:

/dev/nvme0n1p9
UUID="6117-B344"

SteamOS EFI Files

Contents of nvme0n1p1:

/EFI/steamos/steamcl.efi
/EFI/steamos/steamcl-version
/EFI/steamos/steamos-bootconf
/EFI/steamos/steamcl-restricted

/EFI/boot/bootx64.efi

Verified from Linux:

/mnt/EFI/steamos/steamcl.efi

exists and is readable.

Firmware Entry

efibootmgr -v shows:

Boot0004* SteamOS
HD(1,GPT,887678a8-fba7-4387-801e-688646452b20)/\EFI\steamos\steamcl.efi

Booting this entry directly from the Steam Deck boot manager works every time.

Limine Configuration

/+Other systems and bootloaders
/SteamOS
### This EFI entry is auto-generated by limine-entry-tool
comment: SteamOS
comment: order-priority=20
protocol: efi
path: uuid(887678a8-fba7-4387-801e-688646452b20):/efi/steamos/steamcl.efi

What I Tried

Using the path with uppercase EFI:

path: uuid(887678a8-fba7-4387-801e-688646452b20):/EFI/steamos/steamcl.efi

Result:

Black screen

Using the SteamOS fallback loader:

path: uuid(887678a8-fba7-4387-801e-688646452b20):/EFI/boot/bootx64.efi

Result:

Black screen

Using Limine's EFI fallback entry:

/EFI fallback
protocol: efi
path: boot():/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

Result:

Black screen

Using the FAT filesystem UUID instead of the PARTUUID:

path: uuid(F1D3-6016):/EFI/steamos/steamcl.efi

Result:

Failed to open image

Re-running:

limine-scan
limine-update

always regenerates the original PARTUUID-based entry.

Expected Behavior

Selecting the SteamOS entry from Limine should launch:

\EFI\steamos\steamcl.efi

and boot SteamOS, just like selecting the SteamOS entry from the firmware boot manager.

Actual Behavior

Selecting the SteamOS entry from Limine immediately switches to a black screen and never proceeds to SteamOS.

The exact same EFI executable boots successfully when started directly by UEFI firmware.

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