How To Install Steam on Debian 10

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Steam on Debian 10. For those of you who didn’t know, Steam, the ultimate destination for gamers, has revolutionized the way we access and enjoy video games. With its vast library of titles and user-friendly interface, Steam has become an indispensable platform for gaming enthusiasts worldwide. For Linux users, particularly those running Debian 10, installing Steam opens up a world of exciting gaming possibilities.

This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of Steam on a Debian 10 (Buster).

Prerequisites

• A server running one of the following operating systems: Debian 10 (Buster).
• It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
• An active internet connection. You’ll need an internet connection to download the necessary packages and dependencies for Steam.
• A non-root sudo user or access to the root user. We recommend acting as a non-root sudo user, however, as you can harm your system if you’re not careful when acting as the root.

Install Steam on Debian 10 Buster

Step 1. To begin, it’s crucial to update your Debian 10 system to the latest stable version. This ensures that you have access to the most recent security patches, bug fixes, and compatibility improvements. Open your terminal and execute the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2. Installing Required Libraries and Drivers.

To ensure a smooth gaming experience, you need to install the necessary libraries and drivers. Execute the following command to install the essential Mesa and OpenGL libraries:

sudo apt install libgl1-mesa-dri:i386 libgl1-mesa-glx:i386

If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you’ll also need to install the NVIDIA 32-bit libraries:

sudo apt install nvidia-driver-libs:i386

For AMD graphics cards, install the following packages instead:

sudo apt install libgl1-mesa-dri:i386 libgl1-mesa-glx:i386

Step 3. Installing Steam on Debian 10.

Steam relies on 32-bit libraries to function properly, even on 64-bit systems. To enable support for 32-bit architecture, execute the following command:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

Next, add Non-Free Sources on the Debian system:

nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the following line:

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ buster main non-free contrib
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ buster main non-free contrib

deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security buster/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/debian-security buster/updates main contrib non-free

Once done, run the following command to install the Steam packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install steam

Step 3. Accessing Steam on Debian.

As you are running for the first time, you’ll be asked to either create an account or log in to an existing account. It will also ask for agreeing to terms and conditions.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Steam. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the latest version of Steam on Debian 10 Buster. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Steam website.